Rotterdam International Film Festival

[Stephen Cremin]

I've been meaning to post the list of Rotterdam title since they were 
officially announced on Friday ... but they haven't put up all the films on 
their website yet which is crashing in a most spectacular fashion, the film 
database being offline more than online in the past few days.

You can't search for films from Thailand, Singapore and South Korea among 
Asian countries.  An interesting choice to ignore, if one sees this as 
counties which aren't priorities as Taiwan is searchable ... but I think 
I've worked out most of the titles from other sources.  More titles will of 
course be added before the event as negotiations are concluded so keep 
checking the site.

Anyway, assume this list isn't complete.  I specifically haven't included 
shorts or retrospective programmes unless the films are relatively recent, 
such as Fukasaku's THE GEISHA HOUSE.  My usual prejudices apply as to what 
is or is not an Asian film, without claiming to be consistent.

Rotterdam International Film Festival
  Tel: +31 10 890 9090
  Fax: +31 10 890 9091
  Email: tiger at iffrotterdam.nl
  Web: www.iffrotterdam.nl
  Dates: 26/1/2000 to 6/2/2000
2000	China	City Paradise (aka Paradise of the City)
2000	China	Paper
2000	China	Suzhou River
1999	China	Not One Less
1999	China	Seventeen Years
1999	China	Shower
1998	China	So Close to Paradise
1999	Hong Kong	Cross Harbor Tunnel
1999	Hong Kong	Longest Summer, The
1999	Hong Kong	Love Will Tear Us Apart
1999	Indonesia	Sri
1999	Japan	Audition
1999	Japan	Away with Words [Hong Kong if you like?]
1999	Japan	Barren Illusion
1999	Japan	Blue-Chong
1999	Japan	Charisma
1999	Japan	Dead or Alive
1999	Japan	Don?t Look Back
1999	Japan	Frame, The
1999	Japan	Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris
1999	Japan	Gemini
1999	Japan	Hazy Life
1999	Japan	Hysteric
1999	Japan	Jam Session: Official Bootleg of Kikujiro
1999	Japan	Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
1999	Japan	Kikujiro
1999	Japan	Kiss Me So Long I Can?t Breathe
1999	Japan	Ley Lines
1999	Japan	M/OTHER
1999	Japan	NN 891102
1999	Japan	Shikoku
1999	Japan	Tel Club
1999	Japan	Timeless Melody
1998	Japan	Dimension Travellers, The
1998	Japan	Geisha House, The
1998	Japan	Ring
1998	Japan	Tomie
1999	Japan	One Piece! (ie, theatrically released in 1999)
1999	Korea	Lies
1999	Korea	Uprising, The
1998	Korea	Picnic
1999	Singapore	Eating Air
1999	Taiwan	Darkness and Light
1998	Taiwan	Personals, The
2000	Thailand	Mysterious Object at Noon
1999	Thailand	6ixtynin9
1999	Thailand	Nang Nak

I'm wary to give my own opinion on the festival.  But just to say that I'm 
incredibly disappointed by the Hong Kong programme ... just what does that 
represent?  The festival of course is suffering enormously with the 
proximity of Berlin (which, judging by the rumours I'm picking up, should be 
a stellar year: HAPPY END, ISLAND TALES, JUBAKU, etc.)  Anyway, nice to see 
Penek (6IXTYNIN9) Ratanaruang and Zeze (HYSTERIC) Takehisa back on the 
festival circuit.  And good to see that Bandai have at last (presumably) 
subtitled THE DIMENSION TRAVELLERS...

For VCD collectors out there, incidentally, TOMIE will be released in Hong 
Kong cinemas on Thursday ... so a subtitled VCD might be on the way soon 
too.  It was among Mark Schilling's Best Ten of 1999.  Isomura's GIVE IT ALL 
and Baba's MESSENGERS came out on VCD with subtitles over the weekend.  I 
have a soft spot for both.

Stephen Cremin
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