By Tom Eckert
One thing that the 2016 OzAsia festival’s Cinema program can be proud of is its diversity, in many facets.
The program respects a wide range of geographical locations from subcontinental India in Psycho Raman, to the mountains of Tibet in Paths of the Soul and the metropolises of Korea in Train to Busan.
This diversity is especially admirable in the context of the modern geopolitical climate. The aforementioned Paths of the Soul notably juxtaposes traditional Tibetan Script with the seal of approval from the China’s State Administration of Press, Film and Television. As well as this there is the fiercely traditional Kazakh film Stranger, critical of past Soviet actions within the country with Russia’s own Under Electric Clouds.
The scale too varies widely. The Chinese Mayor seeks to portray the rise of China into the global powerhouse it is today compared with the microcosm of River (GTSNGBO) which examines Chinese Tibetan rural groups through the eyes of a young girl.
Finally it is also good to see an array of producers from a celebration of the acclaimed Johnnie To, who is even visiting to present a masterclass, to a celebration of up-and-comers both from here and abroad as will be seen in Freshwave where a collection of Hong Kong film makers will bring their work to an international audience. As well as directors from our very own Flinders University students in Continental Shift.
This program at it’s very heart provides ample volumes of what this festival should be about. The celebration of diversity in Australia.
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