Reel life

Published on November 2, 2007

The World Film Festival of Bangkok comes to a close on Sunday with Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou's directorial debut, "The Secret" at 8.20pm. Before the final reel unspools, there are stills dozens of films worth seeing.

The top films in the festival's Harvest of Talents competition will be honoured in a ceremony at 7pm tomorrow, with many of the directors and producers present in hopes of getting their hands on one of the trophies. Among directors who go home with an award in their hands is Singaporean director Roystan Tan of "881", Taiwanese director Lee Kan-sheng of "Help Me Eros" and his producer Tsai Ming-liang, Dutch cinematographer Martijn van Broekhuizen of "4 Elements" and American producer Kavin Ragsdale of "Phantom Love". Also joining the awards ceremony will be Czech director Jiri Manzel of "I Served the King of England" and Greek producer James P Mimikos of "A Hero … in Rome".

After the awards presentation, the French film, "Garden in Autumn" will be screened. But many of the filmmakers will be looking to get out of the cinema for "Director's Night" from 8pm to 10pm at Bed Supperclub on Sukhumvit Soi 11 from 8pm to 10pm. Film-lovers are welcome to rub shoulders with the stars. Tickets will be available at the door.

More chances to meet and greet will be offered in the three remaining question-and-answer sessions tomorrow. Korean director Kim Tai-sik will talk after screening "Driving with My Life's Lover" at 5.20pm in cinema 3. German director Fred Kelemen, who is also a jury member, will talk after the screening of his drama "Fallen" at 8.20pm in cinema 3. At 8.20pm in cinema 10, Sweden's Torvald Jacobsson will share ideas on climate change, the main subject in the documentary, "The Planet".

For the last three days of the festival, Weekend offers some recommendations:

l "Help Me Eros" - A surreal look at sexuality follows the exploits of a young businessman Ah Jie (Lee Kan-sheng) who has lost everything in a stock market crash. It was a nominee for the Golden Lion at the 2007 Venice Film Festival. 5.20pm today, cinema 6.

 l "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" - This Romanian drama, about a young woman trying to obtain an illegal abortion, won the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. 8.10pm tomorrow and 3.30pm on Sunday, cinema 10.

l "I Served the King of England" - Czech director Jiri Menzel pulls no punches in his depiction of the Nazi occupation of Prague, which serves as a backdrop for a love story between Jan and his Germanic bride Liza. 1pm on Sunday, cinema 6.

l "The Man from London" - Hungarian director Bela Tarr's stark tale is about a man whose life takes a turn when he witnesses a murder and comes face to face with issues of morality, sin, punishment and the meaning of life itself. 8.10pm tomorrow and 3.30pm on Sunday, cinema 6.

l "To Each His Own Cinema" - This anthology of short films, commissioned by the Cannes Film Festival, features the works of 35 renowned cineastes, including Wong Kar-wai, Tsai Ming-liang, Takeshi Kitano, Zhang Yimou and Roman Polanski. 5.40pm on Sunday, cinema 3.

The World Film Festival of Bangkok runs until Sunday at the Esplanade Cineplex on Ratchadaphisek Road (MRT: Thailand Cultural Centre, exit 3). Tickets are Bt100, available at the box office. For more information, see www.worldfilmbkk.com.

Weekend Staff