Horror and fantasy, legends and traditions.
A retrospective of 12 films, an illustrated book of essays and an exhibition-event (Mondo Mizuki, Mondo Yokai) all exploring the landscapes of Asian folklore.
When we hear the word 'vampire', we automatically think of Dracula. Or Nosferatu. Or maybe even Twilight’s Edward Cullen. But what about if we say “jiangshi”? Because the Chinese vampire is a totally different kettle of fish from his Western colleagues! A sort of hopping zombie, completely devoid of willpower and operating under the influence and control of Taoist magic. And what if we say “yokai”? Or if we say “krasue”? The imagery of Asian fantasy is vastly different from our own - so different that this year's Far East Film Festival has decided to explore it in depth, delving into the landscapes of local traditions to create a retrospective and a publication that both bear the same name - Yokai and Other Monsters: from Asian Folklore to Cinema - and an exhibition-event that is the first of its kind in Italy: Mondo Mizuki, Mondo Yokai.
The FEFF has selected 12 films ranging from horror and fantasy to supernatural comedies, from present to past (2 impossible-to-find cult movies have been specially digitalised by the Korean Film Archive for the occasion), and from history to fable and legend. A fascinating artistic and ethnological journey where we'll encounter legendary names like Miike Takashi and Tsui Hark, and where every possible nuance of the joy of being terrified will be on display. And just like in the pages of the collection of essays edited by Giorgio Placerani and splendidly illustrated by Francesca Ghermandi, we'll discover on the big screen that the “yokai” are bizarre creatures from Japanese mythology and that Thailand's “krasue” is a scary floating head. We'll also learn that the “pontianak” of Southeast Asia is a violent and vengeful ghost woman and that the Korean “gumiho” is an evil and seductive nine-tailed fox capable of taking on irresistible female features…
The jewel in the crown of the journey is the exhibition-event Mondo Mizuki, Mondo Yokai: 100 original pieces of artwork, magazines, books, documents, critical texts and videos reconstructing the universe of Shigeru Mizuki. It's only the second exhibition in Europe dedicated to the famous Japanese mangaka and it will be bursting into the rooms of Casa Cavazzini, the Udine Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, from 26 April to 30 August under the curatorship of Canicola, Vincenzo Filosa and Mizuki Productions.