Controversial movie 'City of Life and Death' to be screened at the SFIAAFF

Chinese Director Lu Chuan’s third feature film, City of Life and Death will be one of the film to be featured at the San Francisco International Asian American Film festival this coming March.

City of Life and Death was released in 2009 and it is about the aftermath of 2nd Sino-Japanese War (also known as the “The Rape of Nanking”). The movie stars Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Fan Wei and Hideo Nakaizumi. It stirs controversy upon its released in Mainland China due to the plot sympathetic portrayal of a Japanese soldier named Kadokawa.Despite criticism, the film was a success. It was also shown at the San Sebastian film festival and won the top prize in 2009.

Another film that will be in the SFIAAFF lineup is the classic shocking and disturbing 1960 Korean thriller film The Housemaid directed by Kum Ki-young. Although this is in black-and white, it has been fully restored and movie has been describe as one of the top three Korean films of all time. The movie stars Ju Jeung-nyeo and Kim Jin Kyu.

The 28Th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival will run from March 11-21, 2010 at different locations in San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Jose. This will also mark the 10th and final season of Chi-hui Yang tenure as the festival director. Over 100 narratives, full length documentaries and shorts will be offered that emphasize mainly on the increasing presence of Korean, Japan, Thailand and Philippines film.

Today’s Special starring Aasif Mandvi will open for the festival along with 11 Indian films such as Love Aaj Kal (Imtiaz Ali), Scene 32 (Shambhavi Kaul), Cooking With Stella (Dilip Mehta), Anjali (Maya Anand), A Days Work (Rajeev Dassani) and more. Filipino filmmaker Lino Brocka will have three films in the lineup including the documentary  Ninoy Aquino and the Rise of People Power as well. Other notable titles that will be included are Agrarian Utopia (Thailand), Missing Elly (Iran),Hana, Dul, Sed (Korea) James T. Hong and Yin-Ju Chen’s Lessons of the Blood, Stephanie Wang-Breal’s Wo Ai Ni Mommy,  Freida Lee Mock Lt. Watada and a US-Philippine co produced The Mountain Thief.

The event will close out with Arvin Chen’s Au Revoir Taipei.

S.F. International Asian American Film Festival participating theater includes San Francisco’s Sundance Kabuki, Landmark Clay, Castro Theater, and Viz Cinema. The ticket is about $12. For more info check out http://festival.asianamericanmedia.org/2010/