- Details
-
Category: Cinéma - Movies
-
Published: Thursday, 03 November 2022 10:07
-
Written by Gilbert Seah
TORONTO REEL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022
The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Reel Asian), Canada's premier pan-Asian festival, announces its full 2022 programming lineup including its Opening and Closing Night Galas. From Canadian filmmaker Anthony Shim, Riceboy Sleeps (this year’s TIFF Platform Prize winner) and closing with Topline, created by this year’s Canadian Spotlight Artist, Romeo Candido, with a live musical accompaniment. This year’s lineup consists of 77 films from regions including Canada, the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, India, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Australia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. Taking place November 9 to 20, 2022, this year’s Festival will welcome audiences back to more in-person programming while continuing to offer digital programming to a wider audience across the country. For the full programming lineup and ticket information visit reelasian.com.
Read more: Reel Asian International Film Festival 2022
- Details
-
Category: Cinéma - Movies
-
Published: Monday, 17 October 2022 09:36
-
Written by Gilbert Seah
(MY SMALL LAND, though not in French, is a France/Japan co-production.) It is filmed in 3 languages in Kurdish and in the language where the family is from and where the family is currently residing.
MY SMALL LAND (France/Japan 2022) ***1/2
Directed by Emma Kawawada
MY SMALL LAND follows 17-year old Sarya (Lina Arashi), a 17-year old living with her Kurdish family in Japan. The family is seeking refugee status in Japan.
One of the first things noted in the film is the ignorance in Japan, of where Kurds come from. This is not really surprising as many in North America are also unaware as well as where Kurds come from. One might know of what is known as Kurdistan, but Kurdistan or "land of the Kurds”) or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. Sarya’s father is quick to explain in one of the film's key scenes where Kurds come from - Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. More accurately, Kurdistan generally comprises the following four regions: southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan), northwestern Iran (Eastern Kurdistan), and northern Syria (Western Kurdistan).
Read more: Film Review: My Small Land
