Description

Kamila Andini is a mother and filmmaker based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Her concern of social culture, gender equality and environmental issues fuels her passion to make films with a distinctive perspective of telling a story. In 2011, she released her debut feature film ‘The Mirror Never Lies’, which portrays the life of sea wanderer in Indonesian ocean. And in 2017, she released her second feature ‘The Seen and Unseen’; a cinematic universe of dualism based on Balinese philosophy Sekala Niskala. Both films had traveled through more than 50 film festivals around the world and received about 30 awards nationally and Internationally, including Grand Prix winner best feature film in Berlinale Generation kplus 2018. She also creates some short films to show her voice and vision in filmmaking. After ‘Following Diana’, ‘Memoria’, and ‘Sekar’, her last short film ‘Back home’, was part of an omnibus for Japan based production ‘Angel Sign’. Lately, she is also expanding her directing works into theatre. Her debut theatre work based on her second film; ‘The Seen and Unseen’ was performed at Esplanade Singapore 2018 and Asia Topa Melbourne 2019. And the latest one is a monologue, stage and virtual performance, ‘Nusa yang hilang’. Her third feature film, “Yuni,” an Indonesian, Singapore, French, Australian production, will have its world premiere in the Platform Competition of the Toronto International Film Festival. She is also working on her fourth feature; an intimate film, set in 1960’s, unfolding the right and wrong of a woman’s life. ‘Before, Now and Then’ (working title), is now in production stage.

In solidarity with the CAUT censure of the University of Toronto (see censureuoft.ca), the event is hosted by the Toronto Film and Media Seminar and supported by the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the Asian Institute, University of Toronto. This event is organized in the spirit of commitments to anti-racism, gender, and religion equity.

Description

‘Poetic Visions: Focus on Le Bao’ is an online film webinar highlighting the earlier works of Vietnamese filmmaker Le Bao’s short films, ‘Coal’ and ‘Scent.’ Join us as the dialogue uncovers Le Bao’s interest and ideals pertaining to cinema, the gritty realities and emotional nuances of his films.
The webinar will be in conversation with Le Bao and Thy Phu, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Toronto, Scarborough, with English – Vietnamese interpretation. The session will be moderated by Leong Puiyee, Senior Manager and film programmer at Objectifs.

ABOUT THE FILMS:

‘Coal’
Confined in a small space, a father struggles with his drug addiction while his son tries hard to take care of him. Feeling distressed, the son decides to sell their pigs to earn some money in order to send his father to rehab. However the father tries to hinder the son and the pigs start to escape.

‘Scent’
Two homeless and pregnant girls adrift in life and in a canal, meet. When one disappears, what’s left is the memory of the emotional ties they have formed, and the brief scent of the other.

The event is co-hosted by the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Minnesota and Objectifs and supported by the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto.

Le Bao’s films will be made available to watch for free on the Objectifs Film Library from OCT 4 to OCT 24, 11:59pm. You will receive the screening links upon registration.

PLEASE NOTE: This event does not include a live screening of the two short films; attendees are encouraged to watch them prior to the webinar.

‘Taste,’ Le Bao’s first feature will be screening at the Asian Film Archive from October 23 – November 5, 2021. For more details, visit https://www.asianfilmarchive.org/