Reviews of films (world cinema – especially Japanese and Korean) and occasionally dramas, book reviews, travel commentary, and once I get a digital camera (or an in-house darkroom) photography. Possibly other things as inspiration strikes.
Note: I do watch dramas (j and k mostly) and anime as well, and read a few manga/manhwas in between too, but I’m mostly film-focused on Otherwhere. I would love to recap some dramas or regularly reflect on some anime (like the awesome つり球/ Tsuritama) but I haven’t got time for everything.
Regular features:
- Trailer Weekly (posted Sundays): links to film trailers that have caught my eye for some reason or another. These will generally be films that have not yet screened and I myself am interested in seeing (though I might not, due to constraints of time and money). On occasion I will also include older film trailers.
- K-Directors (posted at the beginning of each month in 2012): The KCCUK (London) is showcasing Korean cinema in its “2012: Year of the 12 Directors” Korean Film Night programme this year. I will be posting details for each month here, including information on screening dates, synopses, trailers, film posters here.
- Events Post (posted at the beginning of each month): a round-up of events in the UK. The focus is on Japanese and Korean film screenings (film festivals, cinematic releases, TV), although occasionally I will include other types of events. Other Asian films will be listed as well, although I am unlikely to be as complete in the coverage (I keep a close eye on Japanese and Korean events, others I mostly stumble across). If you see anything you I should include, leave a message (either below or via a comment on the Events post).
Pages:
There are all kinds of pages on Otherwhere, but one you might find particularly useful is the yearly schedule for (South East) Asian Film Releases for the UK.
Languages: Deutsch, English, español, nederlands/vlaams. Just starting to learn 한국 and 日本語. Hopefully português in the near(er) future. And one day I might revive that high school français…
Location: Currently London-based, but occasionally swinging over to the European continent or Asia. And happily elsewhere, if the chance so arises.
Other: I’m a Third Culture Kid and a UWC alumni, just in case you care. 
aw too bad. I wanted to send you a PM and thought you’d have a contact form. I should have remember that we have way too many common points, and that’s an other proof! Just to let you know that I’m fine, and I did long for the time I could read your blog again (read: have some time for myself).
Hope the new year has begun well for you!
I haven’t yet gotten around to making a contact form… but I think in the comments I make on your blog you should able to see my email address? You can always send me a PM via email
It’s sounds like you’ve been terribly busy!
Great blog – thanks very much for the link to A Year of Reading the World. If you have any suggestions for the list, let me know…
Hi Ann – I’m a bit slow answering you, sorry! I’m happy to link your blog, I just love your project. Hopefully linking it from here will get you more hits and more reading recommendations!
I do have some suggestions:
New Zealand: The Bone People (Keri Hulme). Love this one (although it might be too experimental for some).
Also: Going West (Maurice Gee), which has the most amazing book trailer.
Australia (which you tackled already, but still have to suggest this): Remembering Babylon (David Malouf) – love this one a lot too, although it took more than one read to appreciate this novel.
South Africa: I’m a big fan of J.M. Coetzee, my favourite is, hands down, Age of Iron, I find it incredibly moving
Lebanon: Memory for Forgetfulness (Darwish Mahmoud) – very stream-of-consciousness, so not for everyone. I think it’s brilliant, but I tend towards modern/postmodern/experimental writing, which of course isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
India: The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga), From Heaven Lake or An Equal Music (Vikram Seth).
Argentina: Julio Cortázar – Hopscotch, his short stories, the quirky The Autonauts of the Cosmoroute, anything by him really!
Brazil: Avalovara (Osman Lins).
… I could go on…
I’ll try and find suggestions for your missing countries, since that would probably help you more!
By the way, I’ve got copies of some of the above, which I’d be happy to lend you!
Thanks very much – I’ll look into these and add them to the list. I love Coetzee too. I’m not taking on any writers I’ve read before otherwise he would definitely be an SA contender. Happy Sunday
Makes sense not to include Coetzee – your list would get very, very long if you included anyone and anything!
By the way, I think it’s very easy to miss the subscription option for your blog, I didn’t see it for the longest while. Perhaps do a separate page with subscription options (email, RSS, not sure if you are on Twitter?)?
Happy Sunday to you as well – it’s looking sunnier than yesterday fortunately!
Great idea – thanks. I’ll get on to that asap. Yes, I am on Twitter @annmorgan30.
Do you have an email we can send a press release to about an upcoming film release?
I sent you an email, which you can use for contacting me.
Alua, I realized I don’t have your email. I’m in the midst of planning the trip more thoroughly and would like to set out time for you!
You do! Check comments I have made on your blog – you’ll see the email.
And that’s where we all say, “Raine is an idiot….”
Or maybe “Raine has been really busy lately, has been doing a gazillion things and is still recovering from surgery so understandably she forgot about a tiny, irrelevant detail?”
Happens to everyone I think! I’ll check my calendar and email you later.
How very pleasant to stumble upon a woman writing about film, and East Asian film to boot!
Let’s talk Chinese film some day.
I kind of get what you mean! In our London Asian Film Society (basically a whole bunch of us who are London-based and blog on Asian film we see at all the festivals and events here) women are clearly the minority (meanwhile, TV drama blogging seems to be dominated by females).
Yeah, Chinese cinema…. one of the film cultures I need to explore more (I’ve got quite a few in past Trailer Weeklies posts that I want to see), because so far I’ve only reviewed 我十一 (Wo Shi Yi/11 Flowers) and 转山 (Zhuǎn shān/One Mile above aka Kora, China/Taiwan). I did recently watch She, a Chinese and Ufo before Her Eyes, and have some other films on review backlog – 竞雄女侠·秋瑾 (Woman Knight of Mirror Lake, China/Hong Kong), 我不卖身，我卖子宫 (Wo Bu Mai Shen Wo Mai Zi Gong/True Women for Sale, Hong Kong) and the Taiwanese 星空 (Starry Starry Night).
Seeing 女朋友。男朋友 (Nyeobung-u. Nambung-u/GF*BF, Taiwan) next week at the Pan-Asian Film Festival too, which I’m looking forward to.
Hi there,
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I love your blog! I really need to watch more Chinese/Taiwanese films for practice. I don’t watch many Chinese films these days now I’m not in China I don’t hear about new releases and end up not researching or finding out what’s out there. I’ll be rummaging through your archives to find out what I’ve missed recently. Are there any GOOD Chinese (preferably Mandarin) films you’d suggest?
Thanks
I have many more reviews of Japanese/Korean films than Chinese/Hong Kong or Taiwanese ones. The ones I have reviewed include Gf*Bf, One Mile Above, 11 Flowers, Big Blue Lake and A Simple Life (the last one is a must see), though I do have a whole lot which I’ve watched but haven’t had time to review yet (Ufo before Her Eyes; She, a Chinese; Lacuna; Woman Knight of Mirror Lake; True Women for Sale; Starry, Starry Night) and many more which I’d like to see (Honey Pupu, Winds of September, You Are the Apple of My Eye etc.).
You can also check past Trailer Weeklies, because I feature any films I want to see there and you’ll find a few more Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwanese films among them: Trailer Weekly Archive.
Also check out the Translating China project, they’ve held film events in the past. I also keep my eye on the film programme at the Cornerhouse in Manchester as they have a Chinese film strand in cooperation with the Chinese Film Forum. I try to list these kind of events on my monthly Events post as much as I can (i.e. if I hear about them). I haven’t yet finished the April Events post (later today), but the Asian Movies Meetup will screen Ocean Heaven (Hong Kong, 2010) this month (free event).
Hi there.
I nominated you for a liebster award on my blog. Basically just a way to show I like your blog! Thanks as ever, for all your support.
http://sketchesandscratches.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/acceptance-of-my-liebster-award/