Udine FEFF 26 closed with Zhang Yimou

On Thursday 2 May the legendary Chinese director received the Golden Mulberry and hosted a masterclass.

The last two days are packed with unmissable titles: from cult Philippine comedy Becky and Badette

to the world premiere of high-octane Hong Kong actioner Customs Frontline!

A whole year of preparation for nine days of programming: nine joyful, intense days which, once the countdown starts, slip away at the speed of light... Yes, it's already time to announce the Closing Night of FEFF 26. Actually, scratch that - it's already time to announce the Closing Day, because the flames will be burning brightly right from the morning. And what flames they'll be. Thursday the 2nd of May 2024 is more than just a space on the calendar: it's the date when Zhang Yimou will be taking the stage at the Teatro Nuovo “Giovanni da Udine” theatre!

When we talk about him, we're talking about a legend - an auteur around whom there is a "before" and an "after". Talking about him means talking about two Golden Lions in Venice, a Golden Bear in Berlin, a Grand Prix in Cannes and three Oscar nominations - and that's not even all. Talking about him means talking about the giant of cinema who on Thursday the 2nd of May will be receiving the Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Award on the stage of the Teatro Nuovo "Giovanni da Udine" theatre and will also be hosting a masterclass which will be open to all!

“For us,” say FEFF founders Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, “Zhang Yimou's cinema represents two absolutely fundamental turning points. The first was the one that opened our eyes to the cinematic wonders of mainland China when we were little more than kids. The second is that it was one of the sparks, one of the driving forces, which first brought our festival to life! That's why presenting Zhang Yimou with the Golden Mulberry means something more than just recognition of his genius: it's also our way of saying "Thank you, maestro" and of symbolically giving him back some of what he has given to us."

A leading member of the "Fifth Generation", the famously creative group of filmmakers who revolutionised the aesthetics of 1980s China, Zhang Yimou has always pursued a free and total vision of cinema, identifying his own personal aesthetic in the push towards change. A cinema that, without ever surrendering its auteur essence and thematic depth, manages to use the most diverse languages, expressing itself through, and above all going beyond, genres: from rural drama and wuxia to period thrillers and big budget blockbusters. A cinema where individual stories have always been and continue to be a cultural, ethical and political mirror of collective history.

Over the years the FEFF has documented the nuances of Zhang Yimou's gaze multiple times (Red Sorghum, Under the Hawthorn Tree, Cliff Walkers and Full River Red were all screened in Udine) and will be doing so again this year with the presentation of three titles: thriller Under the Light (Wednesday the 1st of May at 14:30) and the world premiere of the restored versions of Raise the Red Lantern (Thursday the 2nd of May at 9:30, as a prelude to the masterclass) and To Live (Thursday the 2nd of May at 19:30 immediately after the award ceremony).

And obviously, the last two days of the twenty-sixth edition will also be packed full of unmissable titles: from Herman Yau's gripping actioner Customs Frontline, with which FEFF 26 will officially close on Thursday the 2nd of May, and Japanese samurai movie Bushido, scheduled for Wednesday the 1st of May, to Filipino cult comedy Becky and Badette which, also on the 1st of May, will be bringing one of the FEFF's dearest friends back to Udine: Eugene Domingo!

Press Office / Far East Film Festival 26

Gianmatteo Pellizzari & Ippolita Nigris Cosattini

+39 0432 299545

feff@cecudine.org - stampafareastfilm@gmail.com

All the eighth and ninth day, minute by minute!!

WEDNESDAY THE 1st OF MAY

8.30

RAID ON THE LETHAL ZONE

Directed by Herman Yau

(China, 2023)

While extreme weather causes floods and landslides, a gang of drug dealers awaits delivery of a large consignment of narcotics. Meanwhile, another gang is preparing to ambush them. The border guards are forced to take on both gangs, and the battles between the three groups and the fury of the elements make for a thrilling mix of disaster movie, action and detective story.

10.25

GOLD BOY

Directed by Kaneko Shusuke

(Japan, 2023)

It was supposed to be the perfect crime... but there's a witness. In fact, there are three. In Gold Boy, Noboru knocks off his in-laws so he can avoid a divorce and continue enjoying his wife's money. But the murder is filmed by three teenagers. Should they report the crime or blackmail the murderer? The three are in no doubt, and with chilling cunning opt for blackmail. But Noboru fights back, until the situation explodes in an unexpected climax.

12.45

WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER

Directed by Kevin Mayuga

(Philippines, 2023)

During the lockdown, a young man lives in a super-cool hotel, his bills paid by his wealthy mother. A small-time drug dealer who dreams of obtaining a visa for the US, he gets mixed up with four rich kids whose parents are big shots and helps them organise an illegal party on the hotel's terrace...

14.00 - Visionario

MADAME FREEDOM

Directed by Han Hyeong-mo

(South Korea, 1956/4k restoration 2022)

14.30

UNDER THE LIGHT

Directed by Zhang Yimou

(China, 2023)

After a bomb explodes, a policeman is tasked with investigating the accusations made by the bomber, but his investigations are hindered by a web of vested interests... With Zhang Yimou's unmistakable stylistic opulence and the incredible performances of its excellent cast, this new film from the maestro takes the cover off the pervasive corruption in an imaginary Chinese city.

16.20 - Visionario

THE WEDDING DAY

Directed by Lee Byeong-il

(South Korea, 1956/2k restoration 2007)

16.50

Becky and Badette

Directed by Jun Robles Lana

(Philippines, 2023)

Childhood friends and failed aspiring artists, the decidedly straight Becky and Badette (magnificent comic actresses Eugene Domingo and Pokwang) are a pair of losers. After being teased at their high school reunion, they get drunk and declare on the mic that they're a lesbian couple. The next day they discover that the news has gone viral and that they've become LGBTQ+ heroines. And their careers finally take off!

17.55 - Visionario

ROSY LIFE

Directed by Kim Hong-jun

(South Korea, 1994/4k restoration 2022)

19.15

BUSHIDO

Directed by Shiraishi Kazuya

(Japan, 2024)

Tense atmospheres, flashes of violence and emotional abysses: this is Bushido, samurai cinema Shiraishi style! His take on the genre follows the decline of Yanagida, a samurai accused of theft, and his redemption through revenge. But revenge is dangerous both for those who carry it out and for those around them. Between the reflective rhythms of go and explosions of rage, will Yanagida manage to win back his life without it costing him more than he hopes to regain?

19.45 - Visionario

THE WOMAN OF WRATH

Directed by Tseng Chuang-hsiang

(Taiwan, 1984/2k restoration)

21.40

ALI TOPAN

Directed by Sidharta Tata

(Indonesia, 2023)

The Princess and the Bad Boy with the heart of gold: a timeless fairy tale that never goes out of fashion. Anna, daughter of a rich family, falls in love with tough but charming Topan. Anna's parents don't approve and the lovers are forced to flee. From a famous Indonesian novel, a celebration of young love and romantic escape.

THURSDAY THE 2nd OF MAY

9.30

RAISE THE RED LANTERN

Directed by Zhang Yimou

(China, 1991/4k restoration 2024)

The wives of rich Chen - including young Songlian (Gong Li) - compete for their husband's attentions in an incessant and ruthless game of power... The masterpiece that definitively launched the name of Zhang Yimou in the West after Red Sorghum and Ju Dou.

11.35

Masterclass with Zhang Yimou

14.00 - Visionario

MONEY

Directed by Kim So-dong

(South Korea, 1958/4k restoration 2022)

14.30

REVERSI

Directed by Adrian Teh

(Malaysia, 2024)

Akid has inherited her family's gift of being able to travel back in time. That might sound like a privilege but it really isn't, because the gift can't be used either for making yourself rich or for changing the past...

16.20 - Visionario

THE FLOWER IN HELL

Directed by Shin Sang-ok

(South Korea, 1958/4k restoration 2020)

16.55

ICHIKO

Directed by Toda Akihiro

(Japan, 2023)

Ichiko Kawanabe receives a marriage proposal. Ichiko Kawanabe happily accepts. Ichiko Kawanabe disappears the next day. Ichiko Kawanabe doesn't exist, or rather has had multiple identities and lived multiple lives. Why does this young woman constantly change life? What's she afraid of? What is she running away from?

19.30

TO LIVE

Directed by Zhang Yimou

(China, 1994/4k restoration 2024)

The history of twentieth-century China as seen through the eyes of four generations. Zhang Yimou's wonderful tribute to the strength and resilience of his people as they grapple with the storms of the passing years...

22.10

CUSTOMS FRONTLINE

Directed by Herman Yau

(Hong Kong, 2024)

When the coast guard seize a ship carrying an arsenal of weapons from Thailand, it's not long before a gang of smugglers organise an attack to recover the loot, leaving death and destruction in their wake - and the secret services and customs authorities go on the counterattack. Top-of-the-range action that comes packing absolutely everything that makes for spectacular cinema!