17 September – 24 September

For the first time, the Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival in association with the Media Resource Centre presents OzAsia On Screen, a selection of documentaries, shorts and feature films showcasing the scope of screen culture throughout the region.

Tickets $11/$9

Dir: Anh Hung Tran
Vietnam/France/Germany 2000 112mins 35mm
In this sumptuously photographed film, set amidst the creative milieu of artists and writers in contemporary Hanoi, three sisters meet on the anniversary of their mother’s death to prepare a memorial banquet in her honour. As they approach the anniversary of their father’s death one month later, the calm exteriors of their lives give way to more turbulent truths about their parents’ relationship and their own infidelities. From the award winning director of The Scent of Green Papaya and Cyclo.

Dir: Garin Nugroho
Indonesia/Austria 2006 120min 35mm
Combining traditional dance, gamelan music and puppet theatre into a strikingly modern creation, this lavish, operatic musical was inspired by the great classic of ancient Indian and South East-Asian literature, the Ramayana. When Setio and his wife Siti’s earthenware business collapses, Ludiro a ruthless butcher who controls the regions trading activities, abducts Siti and tries to seduce her. From the award winning director of Love and Eggs.

Dir: Safina Uberoi
Australia 2001 52mins 35mm
Safina has an Indian father who collects kitsch calendars, an Australian mother who hangs her knickers out to dry in front of the horrified neighbours, a self-styled Guru grandfather and a fiercely man-hating grandmother. This quirky documentary about an eccentric, multicultural upbringing unfolds into a complex commentary on the events of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 that tore the family apart.

Dir: Kay Rasool
Australia 2005 76mins DV
An Australian woman who has lived in the Punjab with her Pakistani husband for decades observes the private lives and thoughts of her young chef Nawaz and her maid Mehnaz. This close-up look at their courting rituals provides a rare glimpse into the workings of another society, while reminding us that whatever our differences, in affairs of the heart we all speak the same language.

Dir: Tresa Ponnor
Australia 2006 7:00 DV
On the most important night of her life Asha is suddenly left with no dress, no make-up and no ride to the school dance. Reluctantly, Asha accepts the help of her eccentric father and the local neighbours.

Dir: Johnny Tran
Australia 2008 7:30 DV
An examination of conflict and the familial ties that bind. As warring families clash in the suburbs of western Sydney, some try to break the cycle of violence. Winner of the 2008 Tropfest Bright Spark Award.

Dir: Khoa Do
Australia 2003 80mins 35mm
Journey into the world of Australian street kids, caught up in a cycle of homelessness, drugs and crime, where the only way out is hope. Director Khoa Do developed the story with a cast of non-professional actors who deliver an astonishing documentary authenticity and biting honesty to the film. Winner of the 2003 IF Independent Spirit Award.

Dir: Stephen Chow
Hong Kong 2008 86mins 35mm
Ti works hard at a construction site to make sure he can give his son Dicky the best education. With no money left to buy Dicky any toys, Ti goes to his favourite place – the junk yard! Finding a bizarre creature, he calls it CJ7 and gives it to his son to play with. But chaos breaks out when Dicky takes CJ7 to school. From the director and star of Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, this hilarious family comedy features all of Stephen Chow’s trademark slapstick antics.

6:30pm Sunday 21 September
Dir: Sharada Ramanathan
India 2005 117min 35mm
Telling the story of a Devadasi temple dancer, her search for an identity and her discovery of emancipation, this elegant and contemporary presentation of a tradition-bound India of the 1920s is a glorious mélange of stunning visuals and magnificent music. A gentle exploration of love in all its hues – physical, emotional and spiritual.

Q&A with Director Sharada Ramanathan after the film

Dir: Ahn Seul-ki
South Korea 2005 80mins DV
Filled with remorse after causing Dong-kyu’s memory loss, Si-nae provides him with shelter at her place. As she tries to help the teenage runaway recover from his amnesia, Si-nae’s small, one room shelter becomes crowded with an unlikely assortment of odd characters whom begin to form a de-facto family unit in this witty comedy about modern domestic life in Korea.