Johanna

Sorry, this entry is only available in Finnish.

Too many interesting movies and too little time? So many good films in the programme that it is impossible to choose? Our festival team is here to help you!

Eija, artistic director

” Your Lovely Smile tells us a story between documentary and fiction – of an indie movie director who tries to get his career running and his films screened in movie theaters.  The leading role is played by Hirobumi Watanabe who has visted Helsinki Cine Aasia previously. “

Screenings: 

Thu 16.3. at 17:45 Kinopalatsi 10

Sat 18.3. at 21:30 Kinopalatsi 10

”Japanese December is thematically close to the Finnish Kaija Saariahos and Sofi Oksanens modern opera Innocence: an old school shooting incident comes under scrutiny.”

Screenings:

Thu 16.3. at 19:45 Kinopalatsi 10

Sun 19.3. at 15:30 Kinopalatsi 10

 

Jenni, executive director

”Stone Turtle is a visually stunning combination of triller, otherworldly elements and societal critique. Strong women in a very new  setting. An impressive film!”

 

Sat 18.3. at 17:00 Cinema Orion

Sun 19.3. at 17:00 Cinema Orion

”Indonesian Autobiography has been rightfully awarded at several festivals. The past military junta and its effects on modern day society are the heart of this drama that explores new paths. The viewer is invited to an intense journey!”

Screenings:

Fri 17.3. at 21:30 Kinopalatsi 9

Sun 18.3. at 19:15 Kinopalatsi 10

 

Joonas, publicist

”Return to Seoul The hypnotic role played by Park Ji-Min throws the viewer into a whirlwind of emotions. Freddie is a chararacter that makes you cry, makes you hate her and also evokes questions that can haunt you for days. The theme of the film is not a new one: identity searching has been made into a film many times before. But this time you are going to view something totally different.”

Thu 16.3. at 17.30 Cinema Orion

Johanna, publicist

“ Part of the selection for Cannes La Semaine de la Critique, The Next Sohee is a thought-provoking film of a young high school student, who starts working in a call center and meets her destiny in a tragic accident. The film is a strong outcry against unequality in the Korean society.

Screenings:

Fri 17.3. klo 19:00 Kinopalatsi 9

Sun 19.3. klo 13:15 Kinopalatsi 9

“I also recommend  I am what I am. This is an unforgettable story of Kasumi, who doesn’t believe in romantic love. The film questions the traditional place of women in society and asks what could 21st century Japan be without these gender roles.”

Muru, executive producer

“I was enchanted by I am what I am during Busan International Film Festival. Toko Miura, who plays the role of Kasumi, does a magnificent role. The film takes the viewer to a journey that sheds light on asexuality and intergenerational gaps in Japan. A strong recommendation for anyone who has felt like an outsider at least once in their life.”

Fri 17.3. at 16:45 Kinopalatsi 9

Sat 18.3. at 16:30 Kinopalatsi 9

 

 

Online ticketing begins on Thursday 2 March, continuing throughout the festival. During the festival tickets are also sold at the screening locations. You can use a voucher to buy single or multiple tickets to the screenings you want. The voucher cannot be used to buy tickets for sold-out screenings.

Single ticket 11,00 € and a 5 ticket Screening Pass is 45,00 €. Free entrance to the Baby Kino, VR documentary Fukushima – The Home That Once Was and the special screening at Vuotalo.

You can purchase tickets from the Helsinki Cine Aasia website or here.

The Helsinki Cine Aasia festival opens with the intriguing co-production Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul, 2022), which tells the story of a Korean adoptee in France who goes back to Seoul to search for her roots. The director Davy Chou is himself French-Cambodian. Individuals between two cultures can also be found in many other films at the festival. Society is a strong theme in such films as the Malaysian Stone Turtle (2022), which combines social critique to suspense and the supernatural, and the widely awarded Indonesian film Autobiography (2022).

 

The annual remembrance day of the Fukushima nuclear accident is in March and Helsinki Cine Aasia commemorates the topic in several ways. The virtual reality documentary Fukushima – The Home That Once Was takes us to villages emptied by the catastrophy, where we also meet former inhabitants. The film program also includes the catastrophy movie Fukushima 50 (Japan, 2020) where 50 nuclear plant worker fight against the inevitable. A discussion session will also go through the different ways the Fukushima disaster and its after effects have been presented in different media.

 

The programme has some oeuvres from well-known film-makers such as Lav Diaz and new Thai indie cinema. A discussion event on Korean entertainment industry will take place and the Korean modern classic Oldboy (2003) will be screened as a special treat.

 

The festival hosts a Baby Kino screening on 17 March with Arnold Is a Model Student (2022), which is the latest film from Thai filmmaker Sorayos Prapara. The screening is meant for audiences with toddlers and babies and is organised in collaboration with Kino Regina, Oodi Helsinki Central Library, and playground Loru.

 

The ticket sales begin on Thursday 2 March on the festival’s website. Tickets can also be purchased from theatres during the festival. Single tickets 11€. Baby-friendly screening is free and is meant for those who come with a toddler or a baby. Screening pass (5 screenings) 45 €.

 In search of identity in Seoul

The only festival of contemporary Asian cinema in Finland, Helsinki Cine Aasia, will take place from Thursday to Sunday 16 to 19 March 2023. The festival’ s goal is to offer a fresh take on Asian film culture and the most interesting films of the moment from East and Southeast Asia. 

 

This year’s opening film is Davy Chou’s Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul, France/Belgium/Germany/South Korea etc., 2022) which tells the story of a young woman who is after her Korean roots in Seoul. The film premiered at Cannes Film festival as a part of Un Certain Regard series in May 2022, will be seen in theatres in Finland later in the Spring.

 

Sorry, this entry is only available in Finnish.

We are back with a brand new programme for Helsinki audiences in March 2023. As in previous years, the films to hit silver screen have been selected from the most creative and latest works of East and Southeast Asian film makers. We are also hosting discussion events on Asian culture and society inspired by the topics of the films.

The films have been selected from the most recent works of Asian directors displayed on this year’s film festivals such as Busan International Film Festival in South Korea and film festivals in Japan.

We will announce new films to be screened at the festival weekly during February on our  Facebook ja Instagramt accounts. Stay tuned! The full programme will be  announced on February 28th. 

The full list of Helsinki Cine Aasia theaters will be announced soon.

Ticket sales being online on March 2, 2023. Tickets can be purchased in theaters during the festival.