nownessasia

NEW! Explore this curated retrospective of shorts from the latest NOWNESS China Short Film Awards (China Wave). The festival seeks to spotlight an outstanding new generation of Chinese directors working across feature films, documentaries, animated and fashion shorts, conceptual art, and experimental moving image works 🎟️⁠ ⁠ 1: 《它们在门外》'They are Outside the Door' by @zonghua902 is a short film from the perspective of a man confined to his room in the days leading up to his cousins wedding, spending his time conversing with people through a single open door⁠ ⁠ 2: 《有羽毛的东西》'The Thing With Feathers' by @tianlinxu.wawreczko is a unique and heartfelt glimpse into a day in the life of an Iranian-Afghan family in Germany⁠ ⁠ 3:《间歇》'A Nap in Fluoroscopy Buses' by leilei2708 is a vibrant and creative interpretation of a bus as it carries the crowd from the centre to the edge of the city ⁠ ⁠ 4:《历历如画》'14 PAINTINGS' by @dongnan_chen is a visual field study of fourteen paintings from China’s Dafen village, as the government rebrands the copy-painting district as a hub for original art⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to watch the full #ChinaWave playlist on NOWNESS ASIA 🎥⁠

Float along this serene riverscape in Thailand 🪲⁠ ⁠ Photography by Patrick de Wilde⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to explore Portrait of a Place 🌏

NEW! ⁠‘Miss World’ by Georgia Fu tells the story of a young woman coping with her father’s incarceration by cycling through a pattern of self-destructive tendencies. ⁠ ⁠ Inspired by Fu’s personal experiences when their parents were incarcerated, this narrative short is a touching and nuanced tale of unconditional love and the unspoken bond between family despite hardships 🌷⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to watch now on NOWNESS ASIA ❤️‍🩹⁠ ⁠ Writer/director: @notgeorgia⁠ Producer: @lazyma⁠ Cinematographer: @_akt_⁠

NEW! In this latest #NOWNESSShort, step into the vibrant and chaotic life of ‘Miss World’, a young Taiwanese woman grappling with her father’s impending incarceration through a rocky journey of self-destruction 💫⁠ ⁠ Inspired by her own experiences dealing with her parent’s incarceration, director Georgia Fu crafts this tale of unconditional love in the face of the looming external hardships. ⁠ ⁠ Fu sites the most challenging part of the production being the unforeseen loss of her father two weeks before shooting. Whilst originally inspired by her father, the film evolved to become a memorial for her love 🌷⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to watch now on NOWNESS ASIA ❤️‍🩹⁠ ⁠ Writer/director: @notgeorgia⁠ Producer: @lazyma⁠ Cinematographer: @_akt_⁠

NEW! #NOWNESSASIAPicks⁠ ⁠ ‘​Miss World’ by Taiwanese filmmaker Georgia Fu is a story about a woman coping with her father’s impending incarceration through a pattern of self-destruction. This short features a touching display of unconditional love despite hardships while showing the consequences of neglecting honest communication.⁠ ⁠ ​The film is inspired by Fu’s late father, who along with her mother, was incarcerated for bank fraud. During this time, the filmmaker also sought an escape by ignoring reality, a common coping mechanism. She says that this behavouir was a form of self-punishment for not feeling good enough or lacking a sense of control. ⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to watch now on NOWNESS ASIA ❤️‍🩹⁠ ⁠ Writer/director: @notgeorgia⁠ Producer: @lazyma⁠ Cinematographer: @_akt_⁠

Happy Birthday Gregg Araki! 🛸⁠ ⁠ A noted director within the New Queer Cinema Movement, Araki is the celebrated pioneer behind modern cult classics such as ‘Totally F***ed Up’ (1993), 'Doom Generation' (1995), and 'Mysterious Skin' (2004).⁠ ⁠ As a leading visionary, Araki dares to push boundaries with his storytelling and direction. He often centres the marginalised voices of disillusioned youths and explores themes of identity and love.⁠ ⁠ What’s your favourite Gregg Araki film?⁠ ⁠ 1: ⁠'The Doom Generation' (1995)⁠ 2: 'Nowhere' (1997)⁠ 3: 'Mysterious Skin' (2004)⁠ 4: 'Smiley Face' (2007)⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to explore our #Cinema archive on NOWNESS ASIA 🎬

Dive into these exhilarating images documenting the wild customised bikes of Indonesia 🏍️⁠ ⁠ Modern Vesper culture in Indonesia has evolved beyond a practical mode of transportation into a rebellious subculture and a beacon of individuality. Scooters have long been a staple in Indonesian culture, but after the 1997 Asian crisis, many scooterists could no longer afford one. Riders began taking matters into their own hands, modifying their bikes with scavenged parts, including iron sheets, plastic bottles, and fallen trees.⁠ ⁠ Eighteen-year-old Fauzi, a new enthusiast, explains, “A bike that we build is usually a contribution of many. [...] Even if we could build on our own, the essence is the togetherness—figuring things out and experimenting until it is finished. We construct it together, and we ride it together.” 🔥⁠ ⁠ Via National Geographic, images captured by Muhammad Fadli @mfimages⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to explore our #PortraitofaPlace series 🌏

#SundayCinema 'Bad Movie' (1997) by Jang Sun-woo 🏩⁠ ⁠ 'Bad Movie', also known as ‘Timeless Bottomless Bad Movie, is an electrifying and haunting glimpse into the rebel youth of 90s South Korea by director Jang Sun-woo. ⁠ ⁠ This docu-drama depicts the at times dangerous lives of those living on the fringes of society, shot in an episodic format. Mostly featuring amateur actors, this film also marks one of the first on-screen appearances of veteran South Korean actor Song Kang Ho (Parasite, Memories of a Murder). With its raw storytelling and unique style, the film captures the spirit of a generation grappling with societal change.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to explore our #Cinema archive 📽⁠

#Lovesick Saturday: Dive head over heels into this poetic and cathartic reflection on a relationship's explosive beginning and withering end with ‘As We Approach’ by Haowei Li and Ximan Tan.⁠ ⁠ “We wanted to make a visual poem about intimacy, exploring its impact on social perceptions, gender roles and individual identity,” Li and Tan explain.⁠ ⁠ As the protagonists fall deeper into each other, doubts emerge through various complexities and power dynamics that cannot be overlooked. Eventually, the couple separates, but their intimacy has left them changed.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to watch the #Lovesick film on NOWNESS ASIA ❤️‍🩹⁠ ⁠ Co-director: @lee_haowei1221 & @terisam_ ⁠ Talent: @evenseven.47 @dorjee.liangmei ⁠ Cinematographer: @marinkawamori ⁠ AC: @alicexgsyy & @heather.vvang ⁠ Gaffer: @sim.zeng ⁠ Spark: @alessandro_bononi & Yumeng Lin ⁠ Line Producer: @shermanbaa ⁠ Stylist: @maryzhang0513 ⁠ MUA: @doublenan_ni ⁠

NEW! Once dubbed the “Hollywood of the East” for its thriving film industry, storytelling innovations in Hong Kong cinema continue to engage cinephiles globally. On the momentous occasion of the @chanelofficial Cruise 2024/25 collection stopover in Hong Kong, the House presented an afternoon of insightful conversations about Hong Kong cinema.⁠ ⁠ Award-winning French director Audrey Diwan and Hong Kong actress Angela Yuen took to the stage, along with renowned Hong Kong production designer and film editor William Chang and Hong Kong director and screenwriter Norris Wong. Moderated by film critic and film festival curator Clarence Tsui, the speakers explored the representation of Hong Kong on the screen and the emergence of a “New Wave” in Hong Kong cinema today. The programme also exemplified CHANEL’s commitment to fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations between the arts and fashion globally 🌟⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to revisit this afternoon of cinematic illumination on NOWNESS ASIA 🎥⁠ ⁠ #CHANEL #CHANELcruise #CHANELshow #CHANELinHongKong

“We didn’t write her to be perfect. Grace definitely has an appetite for violence, and you could say her actions made things worse for her mother. But [...] we hope the audience finds it refreshing to see a female Asian character in a role not typically cast in Hollywood.⁠ ⁠ NEW! Grace hides her identity as a professional fighter from her more traditional mother, Sally. But when both are confronted by Sally’s landlord, Grace’s hidden identity threatens to be revealed 🩹⁠ ⁠ The film loosely focuses on Kweon’s real-life experience defending her mother by standing up to her landlord, her mother later chastising her for being unladylike. Kweon says these conflicting attitudes reflect the tension between care and the pressures of a patriarchal society. Partly inspired by co-director Bedlian’s childhood training in martial arts without his mother’s knowledge, he felt boxing could be the “genesis” of this story about an immigrant mother working and daughter. ⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to watch @thektownkiller on NOWNESS ASIA 🎥⁠ ⁠ Director/Writer/Editor: @bedelian.film⁠ Director/Writer: @healin247⁠ Starring: @kahyunkim257⁠ With @joysungkim⁠ Director of Photography: @cinenam⁠ Producer: @poweisub @thomasshinfilms⁠ Production Designer: @lxart⁠ Composer: @jefferyalanjones⁠ Fight Choreographer: @jack_c_huang⁠ Stunts: @zeda_zhang⁠ SUPPORTING CAST @fakingpretty @dwayne_tarver @vmsc1212 @samaswu @danieldavidsim⁠

NEW! #NOWNESSASIAPicks ⁠ ⁠ A Korean-American concealing her identity as a professional fighter, finds herself at odds with her mother’s landlord in ‘The K Town Killer’ by Vahan Bedelian and Healin Kweon🥊⁠ ⁠ ​​Vahan Bedelian and co-director Healin Kweon dedicate this narrative short to Asian mothers and the daughters who seek their approval. The film is loosely based on Kweon’s real-life experience standing up to her landlord who risked her mother’s safety; after which, her mother reprimanded her for acting in a way she felt was unbecoming of a woman. Her mother’s words, Kweon says, reflect the tension between care and the pressures of a patriarchal society, and is what she hoped to capture through the film.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in bio to watch @thektownkiller on NOWNESS ASIA 🎥⁠ ⁠ Director/Writer/Editor: @bedelian.film⁠ Director/Writer: @healin247⁠ Starring: @kahyunkim257⁠ With @joysungkim⁠ Director of Photography: @cinenam⁠ Producer: @poweisub @thomasshinfilms⁠ Production Designer: @lxart⁠ Composer: @jefferyalanjones⁠ Fight Choreographer: @jack_c_huang⁠ Stunts: @zeda_zhang⁠ SUPPORTING CAST @fakingpretty @dwayne_tarver @vmsc1212 @samaswu @danieldavidsim