‘Contemporary Mellow Dramas’ showcases the work of filmmakers from East Asia who have found international acclaim for their deft construction of intimate dramas. These films — from Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan — embrace a considered style of storytelling, in which small human interactions are woven into insightful portraits of contemporary life.
Drawing on the last ten years of cinema, this program explores a style of filmmaking that focuses on quietude and quotidian detail in its storytelling. These ‘mellow dramas’ have somewhat ephemeral boundaries and are linked more by mood or feeling than by strict narrative connections or subject matter. They are characterised by a sense of melancholy, highlighting the vagaries of human relationships, family ties, and life in a growing metropolis.
The filmmakers behind these ‘mellow dramas’ are a mix of acclaimed veterans — including Hong Sang-soo, Ann Hui, and recent Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Koreeda — and emerging directors — such as Yang Mingming, Yui Kiyohara, and Jeon Go-Woon — whose voices are gaining greater prominence in the world of international cinema.
Program curated by Robert Hughes, Australian Cinémathèque.
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Image: ROU QING SHI (GIRLS ALWAYS HAPPY)
