Where East Meets West: 5 Films at Busan Festival | Cinemaworld
Bridging the East and West through its distinctive programming of international stories, the Busan International Film Festival returns this year from 17 to 26 September. One of Asia’s most influential film festivals, BIFF has long been a platform for bold new voices and culturally resonant storytelling.
In celebration of the rich diversity of films the festival showcases, CinemaWorld is highlighting five remarkable films that have captured the hearts of audiences at past editions—films that reflect the emotional depth and creative spirit that define the BIFF experience and the vibrant storytelling landscape of Asian cinema.
Behind The Mountains (2023)
An Official Selection for the World Cinema category at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival. Gripping and tinged with surreality, Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia takes flight—both literally and metaphorically—in this fantastical drama about escaping the banality of life.
Rafik, a troubled man recently released from a four-year prison sentence for destroying his former workplace, emerges not broken but awakened. He’s convinced he can fly.
Determined to prove this to his young son Yassine, Rafik pulls him out of school and heads for the mountains, driven by an unshakable belief brought about by a man’s desperate need to be free.
Running To The Sky (2019)
Kyrgyz director Mirlan Abdykalykov returns after the debut of his first film Heavenly Nomadic (2015) with the coming-of-age story Running To The Sky (2019). E qually breathtaking in its capture of the mountainous steppes of Kyrgyzstan, the film tells the uplifting tale of 12-year-old Jekshen, a boy who outran ill fate.
Born to divorced parents and raised by an alcoholic father, Jekshen has only his girlfriend and a few of his father’s friends to lean on. But his unexpected talent for running opens the door to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he never saw coming.
Clinching the FIPRESCI Prize at Busan International Film Festival, 2019, Running To The Sky is an unpretentious film about a young boy’s struggle and determination.
Complicity (2018)
Nominated for the Window on Asian Cinema Award at Busan International Film Festival, 2018, Complicity follows the life-changing journey of an illegal Chinese immigrant in Japan.
As Cheng Liang attempts to carve a new life for himself under a false identity, an unexpected turn of event leads him to an apprenticeship with a master soba chef. Anchored by the delicate craft of soba-making, Cheng Liang begins to assimilate into his new life, bonding with his mentor and even starting a quiet romance with a local woman. But his newfound peace is disrupted when his masked identity inevitably emerges.
The Little Comrade (2018)
Set in 1950s Soviet-occupied Estonia, The Little Comrade explores the turbulence of Stalin’s reign through the innocent eyes of 6-year-old Leelo. When her mother is arrested before her eyes, she leaves Leelo with the parting words: “If you’re a good kid, I’ll be back soon.” Determined to hasten her mother’s return, Leelo does everything she can to behave.
But as days turn into weeks, and her mother remains missing, Leelo is left to navigate a world she no longer understands.
The film won the Busan Bank Award at the Busan International Film festival, 2018.
The Odd Job Men (2021)
A charming comedy that sparks conversation on themes of immigration, prejudice and masculinity, this Best Film Nominee (World Cinema) at the Busan International Film Festival 2021 tells the interwoven story of three men: Moha, Valero and Pep. Working for a small plumbing and electrical company on the outskirts of Barcelona, they’re the guys who enter homes to fix what’s broken—though their own emotional cracks often go unseen.
Moha, the youngest, is on a one-week trial to replace Pep, who’s about to retire. His arrival is met with resistance from Valero, who doubts that customers will accept Moha, a Moroccan, as part of the team.
Over six days, the trio butt heads, share small breakthroughs, and gradually forge unexpected bonds. Eccentric yet tender, the film shines a light on the people we often overlook—and reminds us of the humanness that connects us all.
All movies are available on CinemaWorld on Demand.
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