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Catchy works at Jeonju Film Fest

A scene from "Nader and Simin, a Separation". The Iranian family drama, directed by the 2009 Berlinale Silver Bear winner Asghar Farhadi, will open the 12th Jeonju International Film Festival on April 28. / Courtesy of JIFF

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By Lee Hyo-won

Like its iconic dish of mixed rice and vegetables, Jeonju becomes a "bibimbap" of indie films each year. The 12th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) will open April 28 for a nine-day run, ending May 6.

It will feature 190 films from 38 countries. Though the number of titles has decreased slightly from last year's edition, the festival has become more colorful with an increase in the number of participating nations.

As much as the film's countries of origin and topic matter have become more diverse festival-goers may find it more difficult to choose what to watch.

The opening film is an obvious choice. This year's event will kick off with a family drama from Iran, "Nader and Simin, a Separation", directed by the 2009 Berlinale Silver Bear winner Asghar Farhadi ("About Elly"). The director's previous work "Fireworks Wednesday" was presented at JIFF in 2007.

The story begins in the courtroom. Simin files for a divorce when her husband Nader refuses to leave the country with her in order to look after his sick father. Things take an unexpected turn when Nader hires a pregnant woman, Razieh, as a caregiver. While the film looks into a divide within a family, it also depicts bigger issues such as gender and class differences in a society.

Another family drama to check out is "Anything You Want" by Achero Manas, the Spanish filmmaker who directed JIFF's 2007 closing film "November". His latest work is about a father who is willing to do anything for his daughter after her mother dies.

Among films vying for prizes in the international competition section, festival programmers recommend the only local work that made the pool, Kim Kyung-man's "An Escalator in World Order". The documentary compiles clips from past government promotional videos to draw a unique view of Korea's modern history and an intriguing mosaic of images.

Another note-worthy collage-style documentary is one from the Philippines, "Why Is Yellow the Middle of the Rainbow?" by Kidlat Tahimik, a three-hour film that traces the past 10 years of the South Asian country from a deeply personal and individual perspective. Other works by Tahimik can be seen in the author's namesake retrospective section.

Another work from the Philippines is "Senior Year" by Jerrold Tarog, which recently competed at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. It traces the story of 10 seniors at a Manila high school.

This year's lineup also sees a hike in the number of documentaries according to the organizers, and moviegoers might be interested in films focusing on current events. In the wake of radiation fears from neighboring Japan, "Under Control" by Volker Sattel takes viewers on a tour of German and Austrian nuclear plants. The film, which makes its Asian premiere in Jeonju, may be about the technical aspects of nuclear power but does not compromise visual aesthetics.

"Train of Shadows" by Spanish director Jose Luis Guerin blurs the line between fiction and documentary, past and present, as it traces the unexpected death of an amateur filmmaker. This "mystery" story pays homage to early 20th-century black-and-white films and viewers may rediscover an overlooked experimental jewel of the 1990s.

The festival will also feature retrospective works by Korean directors. The section includes retro 1990s movies by Lee Myung-se, such as "First Love" starring the late actress Choi Jin-sil opposite funnyman Park Joong-hoon.

Tickets for screenings can be purchased in advance online. For more information on the festival visit www.jiff.or.kr.

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