Southeast Asia Cinema at HIFF
The Hawaii International Film Festival is in its 37th year and will run from November 2-12, 2017. Several Southeast Asian films are on the lineup, so check out the summaries and showtimes below to make sure you don’t miss out!
Bad Genius (ฉลาดเกมส์โกง)
(Thailand, 2017, 130 min)
Lynn is a genius. A straight-A student, she wins a scholarship to a prestigious high school. But when she discovers that her family can’t afford the school’s hidden fees, she takes matters into her own hands, devising a lucrative cheating scheme to keep her rich fellow students’ grades up. But when the opportunity arises for Lynn to make scores of cash cheating on an international university entrance exam, how bad will this genius become? And can she stand the heat?
Nov 4, 6pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Nov 9, 6pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak)
(Indonesia, 2017, 93 min)
In the deserted hills of an Indonesian island, Marlina, a young widow, is attacked and robbed for her cattle. To defend herself, she kills several men in the gang. Seeking justice, she goes on a journey for empowerment and redemption. But the road is long especially when the ghost of her headless victim begins to haunt her.
Nov 5, 3:15pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Nov 10, 3:15pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Samui Song
(Thailand, 2017, 108 min)
Viyada, a Thai soap opera actress in her mid-30s, finds herself increasingly pressured by her husband Jerome, a rich foreigner entirely devoted to a charismatic cult leader called The Holy One (Vithaya Pansringarm from ONLY GOD FORGIVES). Viyada has no other choice than to take the most drastic measures in order to escape once and for all from their influence. SAMUI SONG is a gripping thriller and latest film from festival favorite Pen-ek Ratanaruang (LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE).
Nov 10, 6:30pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Nov 12, 7:00pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Satan’s Slaves (Pengabdi Setan)
(Indonesia, 2017, 101 min)
Director Joko Anwar is perhaps the preeminent horror and thriller genre director in Indonesia (THE FORBIDDEN DOOR, MODUS ANOMALI). His latest is a remake of the 1980 cult hit PENGABDI SETAN — Rini (Tara Basro) is trying to keep her family together after her mother dies from a long-term illness. However, things start to go awry when the dead mother starts appearing in random parts of the house. This unique haunted house story supplants Muslim themes over the usual Christian tropes in western horror films!
Nov 8, 8:30pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Nov 10, 9:00pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18
Those Long Haired Nights (Mga Gabing Kasinghaba Ng Hair Ko)
(Philippines, 2017, 72 min)
Loosely based on true events, three transgender women — Hopeless romantic Tuesday, wise Amanda and recklessly ambitious Barbie — share a chaotic night of misguided love, a christening and drug dealing on the road to realizing their dreams in Manila’s red light Burgos district. THOSE LONG HAIRED NIGHTS is lushly photographed under the neon backdrop of Manila nights, with tour-de-force acting from the entire cast.
Nov 4, 6:45pm — Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18