5 Asian films making their debut at Cannes Film Festival 2025
'A Pale View of Hills' (Ishikawa Kei)
Above A still from 'A Pale View of Hills' (Photo: IMDB)
Kei Ishikawa brings to life the first novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro; the film is the third of Ishiguro's books to be adapted for the screen, joining The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go . The story focuses on Japanese widow Etsuko, who is shown as living in England and navigating her experience of loss and war after leaving a shattered post-war Nagasaki. Ishiguro is an executive producer on the film and has publicly praised Ishikawa's poignant screenplay. The piece will premiere in the Un Certain Regard section this week and is set for wider release in the summer, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. 'Homebound' (Neeraj Ghaywan)
Above Bollywood actor Ishaan Khatter plays a lead role in 'Homebound'
Ten years after his Cannes debut with the award-winning Masaan, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan is returning to the French film festival. Homebound tells the story of childhood friends who pursue a police job that they believe will provide them with an essential sense of dignity and status. The narrative explores themes of friendship and survival, when the pair's bond is threatened as they inevitably clash due to their own desperation. Martin Scorsese joined the movie as an executive producer and went on to say that Ghaywan had crafted a significant contribution to Indian cinema. The piece will premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. 'Resurrection' (Bi Gan)
Above Chinese star Jackson Yee stars in Bi Gan's 'Resurrection'
Resurrection marks Gan's first entry into the festival's Official Competition, after his feature Long Day's Journey into Night premiered in the Un Certain Regard section in 2018. The film is set in 2068 and follows the life of a woman who becomes trapped in a surreal state, in which she stumbles upon the remains of an android. After developing a connection with the android through storytelling, she must decide whether to return to the real world or stay with her newfound companion. The piece will premiere in the Official Competition and is set for wider release later this year by early 2026. 'The Exit 8' (Genki Kawamura)
Above Kazunari Ninomiya in 'The Exit 8'
Renowned Japanese filmmaker Genki Kawamura takes a step further into the world of psychological storytelling in his latest venture. The Exit 8 is a live-action adaptation of the 2023 horror game The Exit 8 by Kotake Create; the game features looping corridors and a series of subtle differences. The movie will continue with this story, in which a trapped man will have to navigate through what appears to be an endless tunnel in order to find 'Exit 8', and must return back to the beginning should he spot any anomalies. The surreal piece is highly anticipated by the game's users looking forward to a new take on the game's intense premise. The piece will premiere in the Midnight Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival and is set for wider release from August 29, 2025.
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