Gruesome Asia
IIAS Horror debate
Screening of the Thai horror film Shutter and debate are organised by ASiA of the University of Amsterdam and International Institute for Asian Studies in association with Cinemasia.
Program Sunday April 2 in Rialto
14.30 hours film screening Shutter
16.15 hours intermission
16.30 - 17.30 debate Asian horror
Asian horror is a worldwide hit. In recent years, it has broken through local popularity into Hollywood remakes like Ring and The Grudge . Asian horror has emerged from cult status to become a brandname of its own. How can we explain the local and global attraction of Asian horror? What is the Asian and the horror of Asian horror? Is it the cruel destiny or the destined cruelty? The unleashed or the suppressed? The gory body or the ugly soul? Revenge of nature or revolt of technology? A personal exorcism or a social cleansing?
Shutter -- a blockbuster in Thailand directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom -- tells the story of photographer Tun and his girlfriend Jane who are haunted by tormented ghosts from the past. What do these ghosts signify, and how different are they from the ghosts we know from, for example, Poltergeist?
At times, ghosts are less horrible than human beings. Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer is a visual spectacle saturated with rape, violence and torture. But then, is there some truth in the speculation that perhaps, just perhaps, Asians are more cruel? Or, is there some trace of orientalism in our fascination for Asian horror, our longing for the alleged East as mysterious, dangerous and gruesome?
Following the screening of Shutter, experts in the field of Asian horror will try to answer these and other haunting questions... The panel members are: Jeroen de Kloet (IIAS) - moderator, Luk van Haute, Mark vd Tempel (AFFF), Yiufai Chow, Irene Stengs.