Tokyo pop or Shanghai blues? Restored classics at the 18th Five Flavors. Festival pass sales start now!
A cult Japanese action film, a slapstick masterpiece from Fragrant Harbor, the comedy that inspired “Lost in Translation”, and a legendary manifesto of the Hong Kong New Wave! This year at Five Flavours, we will showcase iconic films, some of which have never been screened in Poland before. And... the day has come! Starting today, passes for this year's festival are available – both for the onsite and online editions.
Screenings of film classics from digitally restored copies are increasingly becoming a staple of international film festival programs, and the 18th Five Flavours is no exception! We are proud to share our love for outstanding, timeless works that have achieved legendary status, becoming an integral part of world cinema. These films, created by bold and unconventional filmmakers who defied the norms and explored new ways of the art of cinema, are well worth discovering. By revisiting these masterpieces, we can all embark on extraordinary journeys and gain a deeper understanding of film history, as well as the flow of inspiration between artists from all corners of the globe.
The screening of “Shanghai Blues” will mark the first encounter between the Five Flavours audience and Tsui Hark, a visionary artist who revolutionized global popular cinema. Seijun Suzuki's visual experiments continue to challenge and inspire filmmakers to this day with “Branded to Kill” showcasing the timeless appeal of the noir genre. “Nomad” paved the way for Hong Kong New Wave filmmakers in the early 1980s, and without “Tokyo Pop”, it's likely Sofia Coppola would never have made “Lost in Translation”.
We invite you to discover these gems!
Shanghai Blues
Shanghai zhi ye
dir. Tsui Hark
Hong Kong, 1984, 103’
[only in theaters]
It's 1937, and Japanese bombs are raining down on Shanghai. Two strangers find shelter under a bridge, waiting for the danger to pass. In the darkness, they can't even see each other's faces, but they make a promise to meet again when the horrors of war are over. Ten years later, in post-war Shanghai, they unknowingly live close to one another. Will fate give them a second chance to reunite?
It's hard to believe that this is Tsui Hark's first film to be ever shown at Five Flavours. With his energy and creativity, this giant of Hong Kong cinema revolutionized the industry, particularly in action films, though he also excelled in making light romantic comedies. A film of its unique charm, “Shanghai Blues” enthralls through its fast slapstick pace, vibrant music, and colors – it will surely lift the spirits of the viewers!
The film will be shown from a restored 4K copy.
Branded to Kill
Koroshi no rakuin
dir. Seijun Suzuki
Japan, 1967, 91’
[theater screenings + online]
Hanada has two weaknesses – women and the smell of boiling rice. As a professional hitman, he is nearly unmatched, ranking third among Tokyo's top assassins. However, when he fails a job, he becomes the target himself, descending into a spiral of obsession. “Branded to Kill” is the magnum opus of Seijun Suzuki, a master of B-grade cinema who, after filming this film, was fired from Nikkatsu Studios for making films that “make no sense nor money”. Six decades after its release, Suzuki's masterpiece – an iconic homage to noir cinema – returns. In erotically charged, melancholic frames it delivers a solid dose of gangster cinema while skillfully playing with the genre's conventions.
The film will be shown from a restored 4K copy.
Tokyo Pop
dir. Fran Rubel Kuzui
Japan, USA, 1988, 99’
[theater screenings + online]
Wendy leaves New York in search of herself in Tokyo. She hopes to make a musical career in Japan, but the dream of becoming 'big in Japan' won't come easy. She doesn't speak the language, cultural differences create barriers around her, and the neon-lit Tokyo throws numerous challenges her way. Fortunately, it's the ‘bubble era,’ a time when Tokyo is in love with the West – a period when anything seems possible, even “Tokyo Pop”. In her cult comedy, Fran Kuzui portrays a 1980s city where it's easy to get lost, but even more rewarding to find yourself.
The film will be shown from a restored 4K copy.
Nomad
Lie huo qing chun
reż. Patrick Tam
Hong Kong, 1982, 96’
[only in theaters]
Young lovers soak up everything 1980s Hong Kong has to offer. Hungry for excitement and open to new experiences, they wander the city's streets as if they own them. But Hong Kong proves too small to satisfy their growing desires, so they seek more on the beaches of nearby islands. As they reinvent their own summer of love, the specter of disaster looms in the distance. “Nomad” is both a portrait of awakened sexual energy and the political tensions simmering beneath it, as well as a New Wave manifesto in which Patrick Tam foreshadows the arrival of a new era in Hong Kong cinema, just before the global rise of Wong Kar Wai and John Woo.
The film will be shown from a restored 4K copy.
Passes for the 18th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival are available!
Buy the Pass
The 18th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival will take place in a hybrid form:
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Online, available across Poland: 13 November - 1 December 2024
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in theatres: 13-20 November 2023, Warsaw, Kino Muranów, Kinoteka
There are two types of passes available:
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Five Flavours Pass Onsite+Online for 380.00 PLN – allows admission to all film screenings (with the exception of the opening ceremony) during the festival in the cinemas as well as access to all films on the festival VOD platform. The programme will include at least 40 feature films. The number of passes is limited.
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Five Flavours Online pass for 200.00 PLN – allows to watch all, 32, films available on the festival VOD platform. The number of online passes is unlimited and will also be available for sale during the festival.
