A Retrospective: Asia Society Summer Film Series 2012

Mongolian Ping Pong

Can a ping pong ball change your life? In Mongolian Ping Pong, 9-year-old Bilke’s discovery of a mysterious small white ball in the vast Mongolian steppes leads to a life-changing expedition to Beijing to return what he believes is the “national treasure of China”.

Selections from 2007 Summer Film series 

Crossing the Line

In 1962, a U.S. soldier sent to guard the peace in South Korea deserted his unit, walked across the most heavily fortified area on earth and defected to the Cold War enemy, the communist state of North Korea. He became a star of the North Korean propaganda machine, but then disappeared from the face of the earth. Now, after 45 years, the story of James Dresnok, the last American defector in North Korea, is being told for the first time. Crossing the Line follows Dresnok as he recalls his childhood, desertion, and life in the DPRK.

Filmmaker’s airfare is sponsored by Oscarichard Strategy & Design.

The Beauty Academy of Kabul

This engaging documentary tracks a unique aid project: a beauty school set up by American hairdressers  foraspiring hairdressers and beauticians in post-Taliban Afghanistan.  The film offers a rare glimpse into Afghan women’s lives and documents the moving and sometimes hilarious clash of cultures as women with very different experiences come to learn about one another over lipstick and curling irons.

Selection from 2009 Summer Film Series 

Captain Abu Raed

Airport janitor, Abu Raed is mistaken for a pilot and idolized by a group of children after he wears a discarded captain’s hat. Through reading and frequent encounters with travelers at Amman Airport, he tells the children vivid stories and takes them to colorful corners of the world, inspiring them to believe in their dreams. Meanwhile, rebellious teenager Murad,  is on a quest to prove Abu Raed a liar. Yet Abu Raed makes sacrifices to save his family and helps Murad discover new possibilities in life.

Selection from 2010 Summer Film Series 

Beijing Taxi

June 2, 2012, 7.30pm  (Director Q&A)                   

The lives of three Beijing taxi drivers as they navigate a quickly morphing city in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. They radiate a warm sense of humanity despite the struggles adapting to the new realities of life. Bai Jiwen belongs to the lost generation who came of age during the Cultural Revolution; Wei Caixia has aspirations of a free-spirited life and entrepreneurial success; and Yi Zhou, an affable and content man, holds on to the less ambitious, more traditional Beijinger’s lifestyle of the past.

Selection from 2011 Summer Film Series 

Toilet

Ray is a buttoned-up 30-something engineer, who appreciates order in details and collectable robot toys. After the sudden death of his mother, he moves back to his childhood home to care for his dysfunctional Eurasian family. Lisa, the teenage sister is obsessed with the air guitar world championships, while the piano virtuoso brother Maury suffers from social phobia and has not left the house in 4 years. The biggest oddity however lives upstairs – their Japanese grandmother Baachan who sighs each time she uses the bathroom. Her apparent indifference to her grandchildren makes Ray question if Baachan is even related to them. In his search for an answer, Ray discovers new meaning to the word “family”, one which transcends the boundaries of country and language.

*English subtitles are only available when the spoken language is not English

Download Summer Film Festival 2012 Brochure

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