As autumn paints our eyes with shades of yellow and leaves wrap us in a cosy blanket, this September, Asian Movie Night is teaming up with KloosterKino to bring you the special animation short 'Monologue of Dreams'. This program explores the complex and universal themes portrayed through the lens of Asian storytellers. Through this journey, we will delve into symbolic and surreal elements, address the omnipresence of power dynamics, and engage in the discussion about the sense of belongings and self-healing, in collective and captivating ways.
Monologue of Dreams, curated by
Minhong YU and Maarten van Gageldonk, features eight diverse works hailing from South Korea, China, Japan, Iran, and Armenia, such as ‘Sensor Ship’(2021, KR), ‘The Song of Flying Leaves’(2023, AM&IR), ‘Bird in the Peninsula’(2022, JP&FR), ‘A Dog Under a Bridge’(2022, CN), ‘It’s A Gray, Gray World’(2022, IR), ‘Persona’(2022, KR), ‘Mui’(2021, CN), ‘I’m Late’(2021, JP&FR). All films are screened in their original language with English subtitles.
The short films will be screened in Amsterdam’s Filmhuis Cavia on September 8th and 9th, in Arnhem at Focus Filmtheater on September 12th and in Rotterdam at Kino on September 22nd.
Join us after the screening in Amsterdam at CAVIA on 8th and 9th September for
BoBo Nail Salon ‘From Heart to Fingertip’
![]()
BoBo Nail Salon program is an exploration of nail art and the experiences of women in the service industry. It aims to promote understanding of Asian culture and provoke contemplation not only about the position of Asian women in society across various cultural contexts but also about the broader societal context in which all women exist.
In this program, the artist, identifying herself as an Asian female, create an interactive and conversational space within the confines of a private setting, discussing the power dynamics between service providers and recipients. The project involves the nail art industry, which often perpetuates stereotypical impressions of Asian women. As a participant, you are required to offer a secret as payment, using something concealed within your heart, to exchange for the artist's meticulously designed nail art. You can select only one nail on which to have the art applied.
PROGRAM of CAVIA AmsterdamFriday 08.09.2023
19:00 Introduction
19:10 Film screening
19:55 Break
20:00 Film screening
20:40 BoBo Nail Salon
22:00 end
Saturday 09.059.2023
19:00 Introduction
19:10 Film screening
19:55 Break
20:00 Film screening
20:40 BoBo Nail Salon
22:00 end
TICKETS
€5,- / Cineville card free
It’s not possible to make reservations. Tickets can be bought at the bar half an hour before the film starts.
Filmhuis Cavia
PROGRAM of FOCUS ArnhemTuesday 12.09.2023
19:30 Short introduction
19:40 Screening of the program
21:00 End of screening
TICKETS
€11.00 (Korting €9.00, Student €5.00)
Cineville card free
Focus Filmtheater
PROGRAM of KINO RotterdamFriday 22.09.2023
19:30 Short introduction
19:40 Screening of the program
21:00 End of screening
TICKETS
€12.00 (CJP/Student €9.00, kind<12
€7.50)
Cineville card free
KINO
Supported by Gemeenten Arnhem, Prince Bernhard Cultuur Fonds, Amsterdam Fonds voor West.
Sensor Ship
dir. Jina Yoon / 2021 / KR / 2’ / EN subs
![]()
Pun is definitely intended! In this voyage of 'Sensor Ship', Jina Yoon creates a thought-provoking film using surrealist and grotesque illustrations of contorted bodies accompanied by a soothing voice.
The song of Flying Leaves
dir. Armine Anda / 2023 / AM & IR / 13’ / EN subs
![]()
Suna, a young girl, lives in a forest and sleeps in the leaves. One day, she meets a two-hundred-year-old man, who offers to pass on to her a hidden technique ... Armenian actress, writer, producer and director Armine Anda has crafted a beautiful meditative short with a teacher to remember.
Bird in the Peninsula
dir. Atsushi Wada / 2022 / FR & JP/ 16’ / EN subs
![]()
Seemingly a sly commentary on manhood standards and gender roles, Japanese director Atsushi Wada's latest short dips into a sort of ritual mysticism. Children dance to music under the supervision of their teacher. A young girl attends the scene and comes to disturb their ritual. Bird in the Peninsula received a Special Mention at the 2022 Berlinale.
A Dog Under a Bridge
dir. Rehoo Tang / 2022 / CN / 13’ / EN subs
![]()
"I'm a dog who lives in the park under a bridge. Awoooooooo!" A Dog Under a Bridge started with filmmaker Rehoo Tang walking under a bridge in China. There was a quiet, deserted, and wild park with people who seemed abandoned by society and who tried to eliminate the loneliness in their lives. To fit in, he imagined himself as a stray dog living alone. Rehoo Tang ended up winning the Jury Award for Best Graduation Film in Annecy.
It’s A Gray, Gray World
dir. Seyed Mohsen Pourmohseni Shakib / 2022 / IR / 6’ / EN subs
![]()
In a completely grey world, the colourful identity of a conservative young man is accidentally revealed by a playful boy. People are terrified of this, calling the police to arrest the young man. But the young man managed to escape, returning the next day to defend his right to freedom. An Iranian short with a vital message to the world, and the Iranian regime.
Persona
dir. Sujin Moon / 2022 / KR / 7’ / EN subs
![]()
Persona (noun) - the particular type of character that a person seems to have and that is often different from their real or private character. In her graduation short film, animator Moon Su-jin depicts the nightmarish process of being encroached on by the persona. Just how big is the gap between 'me' and 'my persona'? Persona was the first Korean animated short to compete for the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival.
Mui
dir. Weng Chon Wong / 2021 / CN / 8’ / EN subs
![]()
During a short bus trip, a young man and his elderly grandmother are confronted with horrible memories. Amidst grandma's usual nonstop nagging, it feels as if suffering will persist simultaneously in the past in the present. Coming from Macao director Weng Chon Wong, the film is a wonderfully weird mix of styles and emotions.
I’m Late
dir. Sawako Kabuki / 2021 / FR & JP / 11’ / EN subs
![]()
I'm Late focuses on an important but under-discussed topic. Known for her work on the female body, filmmaker Sawako Kabuki zooms in on the experience of being "late" with your period. Her trademark colourful style is again married here with her keen eye for vulnerability.
ABOUT
KlossterKino
KloosterKino is the place to be for animated shorts in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Three times a year we show the best animated shorts from all over the world in a friendly setting. The screenings take place in a historic cloister, which dates back to 1909, and are not subject to admission. KloosterKino shows work by young filmmakers, but also pays attention to classic animated film. Throughout the year we also work with other festivals and cultural organizations to arrange screenings of animated shorts.
Curator
Minhong Yu (1990), a Chinese-born curator, visual artist and cultural bridge-builder, currently resides in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She has obtained design and art degrees from Sandberg Instituut (Masters at Gerrit Rietveld Academie) and China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Living a life in-between two continents, Minhong embraces her dual cultural background, allowing it to inform and enrich her creative processes. Through her visual languages, she weaves a compelling dialogue between her Eastern roots and Western experiences, exploring the nuanced complexities of identity and the sense of belonging. Minhong is the creative producer from AMN. She is also a special events curator at the CinemAsia Film Festival and the guest curator for the Leiden Shorts and The One Minutes. She embraces unique perspectives and contributes to the collective tapestry of cultural exchange and understanding, with a specific focus on the Asian diaspora films of her peers.
Co-curator
Maarten van Gageldonk is the Head of Program of Kaboom Animation Festival, the largest animation festival in the Netherlands. He also teaches in the Master of Animation at the Master Institute of Visual Cultures (MIVC) in Den Bosch. In recent years he co-edited the book Animation and Memory (2020), published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Nail Artist
Bo Wen (1985) is a Chinese artist who currently resides in Amsterdam, pursuing her passion as a painter. Bo's artistic journey primarily unfolds on the canvas of oil and acrylic paintings, where she explores the themes of flora and nature. Bo crafts a space where the power of silence is unveiled, inviting viewers into moments of contemplation and reflection. Her canvases act as portals into her inner world, where the harmonious interplay between nature and emotion takes center stage in a profound and deeply personal discourse. In addition to her role as a painter, Bo will also play a unique role as a manicurist, she will offer an unconventional avenue for artistic expression.
