There are 12 films directed by women at #FEFF27. And it's time for a genuine cultural and box-office phenomenon: Chinese comedy Her Story! The tribute to Pai Ching-jui kicks off with the world premiere of Lonely Seventeen.
There are 12 titles by female directors at this year's FEFF: 9 in competition and 3 out of competition. And the fifth day of FEFF 27 sees the screening of one of the most eagerly-anticipated (and most emblematic) films not just of this pink hurricane but of this entire edition of the festival: Her Story by director Shao Yihui. A genuine paradigm shift in mainstream Chinese cinema and a legitimate cultural phenomenon which journalists have compared with Greta Gerwig's Barbie in terms of both its commercial and cultural impact (with its edgy themes of gender equality throbbing under a seemingly upbeat surface).
Like Chinese director Yin Lichuan's Like a Rolling Stone and Sunshine by Filipino director Antoinette Jadaone, both of which won loud applause in recent days, Her Story focuses on the same pressing social issue: women's right to make their own decisions, to rebel, and to fly with their own wings. This sparking, caustic and witty comedy tells the story of a journalist, a singer and a little girl who are called upon to be stronger than the daily discrimination they face and the pressure inflicted on them by the male community… Obviously, today's programme (the 28th of April) is another packed one that will take us on a journey through Asia lasting from morning to night. An itinerary that opens in Vietnam with the surprising Betting with Ghost, continues in Taiwan with the ferocious Organ Child, and then passes through South Korea with The Land of Morning Calm, China with refined noir Deep in the Mountain (director Li Yongyi has edited some of Zhang Yimou's most recent films) and Japan with Angry Squad, an irresistible police comedy by Ueda Shinichiro (yes, the very same - the mind behind Far East super cult movie One Cut of the Dead!). And finally, absolutely not to be missed is the world premiere of Lonely Seventeen, restored in 2024: the title which kicks off the tribute to Pai Ching-jui.
All the fifth day, minute by minute!
09:00 – News from Asia The daily press review from Giulia Pompili and Francesco Radicioni.
09:00 BETTING WITH GHOST Directed by Nguyen Nhat Trung (Vietnam, 2024) A supernatural comedy bursting with surprises.
11:00 FEFF TALKS This morning's talks, looking at Filipino cinema, Japanese cinema and the retrospective Yōkai and Other Monsters.
11:05 ORGAN CHILD Directed by Chieh Shueh Bin (Taiwan, 2025) How deep of a hole can a human soul fall into? What are we capable of when overwhelmed by despair?
14:00 - Visionario THE SNOW WOMAN Directed by Tanaka Tokuzo (Japan, 1968/Restored 2025).
14:30 THE LAND OF MORNING CALM Directed by Park Ri-woong (South Korea, 2024) After The Girl on a Bulldozer (2022), director Park Ri-woong gives us another intense social drama.
15:50 - Visionario YOKAI MONSTERS: SPOOK WARFARE Directed by Kuroda Yoshiyuki (Japan, 1968/ Restored 2021).
16:45 DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN Directed by Li Yongyi (China, 2025) A film that starts off as a dark thriller before taking a left turn into black comedy and the grotesque without losing a hint of its nastiness.
17:20 - Visionario THE STORY OF A SMALL TOWN Directed by Lee Hsing (Taiwan, 1979/Restored 2024) An ex-con starts a new life by learning how to work wood and falling in love with a mute woman.
17:45 BAMBÙ TALKS Giulia Pompili and Francesco Radicioni discuss Artificial Intelligence, from OpenAi to Deepseek: Who Really Controls the Future? They'll be speaking with Asia business development consultant Filippo Lubrano (via video-link) and SkyTg24 journalist Lucrezia Goldin.
19:15 - Visionario LONELY SEVENTEEN Directed by Pai Ching-jui (Taiwan, 1967/Restored 2024) A keystone of the “Healthy Realism” movement of Taiwanese cinema.
19:30 HER STORY Directed by Shao Yihui (China, 2024) How has life changed for women in China? Can they reconcile family and career in such a competitive society? Film-phenomenon Her Story tackles the issue with lightness and humour.
21:50 ANGRY SQUAD Directed by Ueda Shinichiro (Japan, 2024) Tax collector Kumazawa Jiro finds an innovative way to collect taxes from a shady magnate: scam him! An unmissable action comedy from the man behind Far East super cult movie One Cut of the Dead.