The 14th edition of Filmasia introduces a brand new concept to its line-up. After sections focused on national cinemas, retrospectives or genres, this year we have chosen one unifying theme to bind all of our films together. And that theme is FILMS AND BOOKS! We will screen six outstanding literary adaptations, three from Korea and three Chinese co-productions. There will be monumental films by well-knows authors, intense gems by young directors, and one true filmic event. We have celebrated names such as Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, Lee Chang-dong, and Korean superstar Ha Jung-woo, while Lim Woo-seong will represent fierce young auteurs.
This year’s films creatively re-tell stories by world renowned writers, such as Jiang Rong, whose Wolf Totem is an acclaimed bestseller, Eileen Chang, who is one of the most influential Chinese writers, and two of the most translated authors worldwide, Su Tong and Yu Hua. The latter’s thrilling novel Chronicle of a Blood Merchant was re-contextualized by Ha Jung-woo to post-war Korea. Also providing incredible source material is South Korean writer Han Kang, who was awarded the Man Booker International Prize for The Vegetarian, while the surreal fiction of the internationally celebrated Haruki Murakami represents Japan.
The unique dimension of this year’s Filmasia is not only found in the main theme but extends to the complexity in which it is covered. Visitors won’t just get film screenings but also discussions with professionals whose relationship with the source material is especially intimate. One of the biggest intellectual attractions is the presence of translators of Asian literature – Tomáš Jurkovič who is the main translator of Murakami’s books, plus Petra Ben Ari and Zuzana Li, both of whom took part in translating most of the source materials of this year’s screenings.
Another important aspect is the availability of the books themselves. With the exception of one, all were released in Czech translation and thanks to Filmasia, our viewers will have a chance to obtain these books and further explore the relationship between films and books.