From the crazed exuberance of Cells at Work! to the social critique of Like a Rolling Stone, Upstream and Sunshine
On the red carpet, stunning Filipino superstar Maris Racal! The second day of FEFF 27 brings into sharp focus the two souls of popular cinema that the festival will be documenting this year: on the one hand, carefree entertainment with a capital E, and on the other the artistic need to talk to the public about the issues affecting the world and society today. A powerful contemporary impulse linking the hotbeds of showbiz scattered across the map of Asia
The case of mainland China is emblematic at the FEFF today (25th of April), with two titles much loved by spectators: Upstream, which looks at the phenomenon of the gig economy (after being laid off, its protagonist tries to get by with temporary work) and Like a Rolling Stone by director Yin Lichuan, which addresses the crux of female emancipation: women's right to self-determination, to rebel, and to fly with their own wings. And the case of the Philippines is equally emblematic, with Sunshine pointing the finger at the criminalisation of abortion: a dramatic descent into the darkness of Manila for one of the most powerful and most beautiful titles of the entire line-up (superstar Maris Racal will be taking the stage along with director Antoinette Jadaone)
Adored by visitors to the Far East Film Festival, who over the years have applauded both his Thermae Romae and Fly Me to the Saitama, Takeuchi Hideki returns to Udine to present Cells at Work!: a triumph of creative freedom which is currently a smash hit at the Japanese box office: a hilarious, eye-popping, breathtaking and in parts even moving live-action movie produced by Warner Bros. Japan and set "inside" a student and her widowed father. Actually, forget the quotation marks, because the real stars of Cells at Work! are the 37 trillion cells that take care of keeping the two human protagonists alive! In particular, one female red blood cell (Nagano Mei) and one male white blood cell (superstar Satoh Takeru) who are ready to fight off any pathogen..
And while not forgetting that the the line-up for the second day features a total of 10 titles, divided between the Teatro Nuovo and the Visionario, we certainly can't conclude this brief overview without mentioning the restoration of black comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite , the dazzling debut of a certain… Bong Joon Ho! All the second day, minute by minute!
09.00 LUST IN THE RAIN Directed by Katayama Shinzo (Japan, 2024) The boundaries between past and present and waking and dream (or hallucination) become blurred in this erotic phantasmagorical drama based on four stories by the legendary Tsuge Yoshiharu.
11.30 LIKE A ROLLING STONE Directed by Yin Lichuan (China, 2024) A film inspired by the true story of “accidental” feminist icon Su Min, who the BBC named one of the 100 most influential women of 2024
14.00 - Visionario WALKING IN THE MOVIES Directed by Kim Lyang (South Korea, 2024) Kim Lyang's documentary about Kim Dong-ho, founder of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) and a key figure in Korean cinema
14.30 CELLS AT WORK! Directed by Takeuchi Hideki (Japan, 2024) Mr. Thermae Romae, Takeuchi Hideki brings manga Cells at Work! to the big screen in an eye-popping, pulse-racing and moving live-action movie
15.50 - Visionario BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE Directed by Bong Joon Ho (South Korea, 2000/Restored 2024) The explosive debut of Bong Joon Ho, legendary deus ex machina of Parasite!
16.40 UPSTREAM Directed by XU ZHENG (China, 2024) The story of 45-year-old Gao Zhilei who, after losing his job and needing to look after his sick father, reinvents himself as a delivery rider
18.00 - Visionario FOUR TRAILS Directed by Robin Lee (Hong Kong, 2025) Hong Kong has a reputation as an urban jungle, but it’s also home to dozens of hiking trails with breathtaking natural views. Didn't know? Don't worry – let this enchanting documentary tell you their story
19.30 SUNSHINE Directed by Antoinette Jadaone (Philippines, 2024) For young Sunshine (a stunning Maris Racal), nothing matters more than her dream: to become an Olympic athlete. But an unwanted pregnancy puts everything at risk. Keep the baby or have an illegal abortion?
20.00 - Visionario THE SCARY HOUSE Directed by Watanabe Hirobumi (Japan, 2025) What happens if Watanabe meets horror? The eccentric director of Far East cult movie Techno Brothers plays a director hired to make a documentary which requires him to spend a week in a haunted house..
21.30 WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE Directed by Jojo Hideo (Japan, 2025) With its colours and scents, the countryside can be a paradise. Sure. But don't be taken in, because this thriller is no fairy story