NYAFF Goes 20: ‘Shin Ultraman,’ ‘#LookatMe,’ and ‘Big Night!’

With their return to a fully in-person festival, the 20th New York Asian Film Festival brings back a big big big catalog of new Asian cinema. The festival serves as a yearly summer ritual for me to see old friends gleefully soaking in the atmosphere at Walter Reade Theater. Every rendition of the festival always feels like it exists in spite of something. As if they were programming blockbuster films, courting sponsorship, and hosting filmmaker masterclasses in defiance of those that would scoff at the festival conceptually. At least that is how I felt for the last couple of years I have been attending. This year marks 20 years, but also marks a transition in significant growth. The atmosphere of warm comradery has been replaced with the mechanical efficiency of an organization. There are layers of volunteers weaving in and out of the theater to complete tasks, programmers splitting Q&A moderation for overlapping screenings at different venues, all of this to say that the NYAFF is not just a group of film enthusiasts anymore, they are a recognizable force.

This is reflected in the lineup comprising over 60 films from all over the Asian diaspora. From Singapore to Japan, Korea to the US, there is a lot of ground covered in the voices that speak in these films. Take for instance Ken Kwek’s #LookAtMe. The film focuses on a pair of twins, Sean and Ricky (both played by yao), and their mother Nancy (Pam Oei) dealing with Sean going to jail for 18 months for making a humorous video about a homophobic pastor. Sean acts in defense of Rick and points out the bigotry present within the church as well as Singapore in general. There are scenes of Ricky organizing a protest to release Sean, but he is warned by the police that meetings of more than 4 people in public spaces are illegal. The film, for how beautiful it paints its characters, does leave confusion in regards to Sean’s time in prison. There certainly is not a correct way to visualize abuse and corruption, but with the added mental illness angle, I was left unsure of Kwek’s intentions with that inclusion. Though the ending stumbles, it highlights the clear injustices happening today in Singapore. The filmmakers noted in a Q&A they are uncertain if the film will be able to screen to local audiences.

On the other end of the commercial spectrum is Shin Ultraman directed by Shinji Higuchi and written by Hideaki Anno. Piggybacking on a similar wave as 2016’s Shin Godzilla, the new Ultraman film reboots the title character in a world saturated with consequence. When there are giant monsters sprawling all over Japan, it would make sense that the Japanese government would be tasked as the ones to deal with that threat. Fortunately a giant humanoid alien nicknamed “Ultraman” fuses bodies with Shinji Kaminaga (Takumi Saitoh) to fight the invaders. One of the main draws of the film is that it serves as a reboot, so anyone could follow along regardless if they are familiar with the material. But going in having seen at least some episodes of the Shōwa era series can be invaluable when you hear the film. The film’s sound design is laced with old sound effects that would fit right in with any of the mid-century shows. When any of the kaiju yell, the sound is like something coming from a cardboard box. Ultraman’s signature Spacium Beam in action sounds like a small hollow ball hitting the pavement and bouncing far away as it ricochets all over the place. Much of the praise written here goes to the marriage of sound and image to make a relic of popular television into a believable exciting rendition of a superhero. Every day that Shin Ultraman does not have an international release is a day to pray for one.

From the Philippines is Big Night! directed by Jun Lana, a one-night journey for Dharna (Christian Bables) to clear his name from the suspected drug addict “watch list.” Being this funny yet scary speaks volumes about the real-life context in which this film was made. Considering the social injustices and conservative government ruled under President Bongbong Marcos (son of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos) it is no surprise that Lana holds no punches in showing a person being shot point blank within the first few opening minutes. But countering this is the laughter and hijinx that Dharna finds himself in when under the pressure of being killed in a similar manner. Dharna worries about his own life whilst also juggling his boyfriend’s needs, his distant family, and negotiating deals with corrupt politicians. Subtly as irony is where the film shines. There is a moment when local leader Madam Cynthia (Eugene Domingo) notices designer sunglasses on a corpse, she tries them on and briefly notes that they fit her perfectly, however, puts them back on as they are “for the dead.” Details like this exemplify how polite yet evil figures of authority can be cascading into the film’s finale which left me gutted. 

The New York Asian Film Festival holds no punches in showing films that provoke heavy discussion about the countries they come from. Some films are more successful than others, but when the programming works it really stands out. Coupled with music and free food, a visit to the 20th anniversary of the festival was time well spent. The most notable experience for me this year is recognizing how precious film watching is as a practice. Communal bonding with cinephiles for two weeks is one thing, seeing a film that may never be released outside of its country of origin is a whole other beast. Therein lies how crucial of an experience film festivals can be. You can see a film (good or bad) and share that once-in-a-lifetime event which will be yours forever. Whatever future NYAFF has in store for 2023, I will probably be there.