FROM EPICS TO AUTEUR FILMS:

Among them is Filipino director Lav Diaz’s WHEN THE WAVES ARE GONE, most notable for its black and white cinematography, one-take scenes, and slow pace. A veteran inspector, consciencestricken after witnessing some murderous anti-drug campaigns, suffers from a severe anxiety-induced skin disease. At the same time, an ex-convict is after him for what he has wronged him. Two parallel plotlines only converge at the end after three hours, a treatment likely to be inspired by THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. Diaz sees the bigger picture of the Philippines’ political scene from a manic man and a domineering cop who are both deeply engaged in political institutions. On the wall of the police cadet school, a quotation from Agatha Christie reads: “One must seek the truth from within, not without.” It points right to the core of this film: where can we find the truth?

We might be less familiar with Kazakh films (please don't mention BORAT anymore!), but Kazakh director Darezhan Omirbayev, whose POET is nominated for Best Film at AFA, is indeed an experienced filmmaker. There are two narratives in this well-made piece: an unknown poet today is confronted by the pressure of making a living, rise of new media and marginalization of the poetic language in an era when no one cares about contemporary poetry; a great poet in the 19th Century who criticized the ruling authority got murdered but his body not buried. What is the meaning of life that lasts for only a few decades? Is it worthwhile to persevere with a career on the arts that has no market? The film is without dialogue most of the time. I love this silence, which highlights the absurdity of life and let the audience steps into the poets’ shoes. The two dreams in the film are also made in a very interesting manner.

There is one more nominee, which many has seen but is still worth to be watched again on the big screen: DRIVE MY CAR by Hamaguchi Ryusuke. The film was released the year before, putting it in a slightly disadvantageous position as some viewers’ memories of it might have faded. I still find it brilliant when revisiting it. Hamaguchi reorganizes short stories by Haruki Murakami and adds details to create a three-hour long film. Kafuku Yusuke is a renowned theatrical artist, and the film follows his road trip to Hiroshima, in which his relationships with his late wife, her lover and the driver are revealed. Hamaguchi is definitely a savvy director and scriptwriter in contemporary Asian cinema. His films are usually quite long, but every scene turns out enjoyable, so much so that the passage of time becomes unnoticeable when we watch his films.