My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Stacking the Shelves (details)
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)
HAPPY THINGS:
1. CAAMFEST36 - film festival that highlights Asian related films and filmmakers
2. Watching the taped Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan
3. AND tea at a Crown and Crumpet event held at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel
Bought:
by Curtis Sittenfeld
-Short Stories, Women's Fiction
Amazon | Goodreads
FOR Reese Witherspoon's book club May pick (here).
For Review:
by Maddie Dawson
-Contemporary, Romance
courtesy of Amazon Kindle First -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
LOOKS and sounds cute.
AND watched: in theatre - part of CAAMFEST 36, celebrating Asian American film, music and food (details)
Director/Writer: Jason Chan, Christian Lee
Stars: Jason Chan, Mari Yamamoto, Masane Tsukayama, Rino Nakasone
-Drama, Romance, Japan, Singapore | imdb | my rating: 5
A Chinese Singaporean chef, formerly working in Tokyo, finds himself in Okinawa begging a disgruntled old chef to teach him traditional Okinawan food. A top Japanese food critic finds herself in Singapore on an eye opening discovery of Southeast Asian cuisine. In reality both are looking for each other after an emotional breakup years ago. Emotionally crippled by their breakup he searches her home-town for her but discovers instead the art of traditional Okinawan food. Through it he learns the incredible balance of two cultures: Chinese and Japanese - a balance they never had in their relationship. When she suddenly appears in Okinawa looking to find closure he cooks and serves her their final meal. Through it she discovers what she had been yearning for all these years.
LOVELY picture postcard scenes of Okinawa and great intro to this island in Japan. Also delicious-looking foodie moments. And romance in the midst as well.
Director: Adele Free Pham
Stars: Tippi Hedren, Kelvin Saint Pham, Charlie Vo, Olivett Robinson
-Documentary | website | my rating: 5
A fortuitous encounter with 20 Vietnamese refugee women and The Birds actress Tippi Hedren in 1975, sparks the Asian nail salon as we know it. In this hour long documentary, Nailed It presents a lineage of legacy moments in nails, like Mantrap, the first nail salon chain to cater to Black women in the hood. The democratization of the manicure fans the fire of Vietnamese “discount” nail salons blazing across the country. Through the international journey embarked upon by Nailed It director Adele Pham, this unique film captures an unforgettable and often hilarious saga born of tragedy, charting the rise, struggle, stereotypes, and steady hold Vietnamese Americans have on today’s $8 billion dollar nail industry.
HISTORY behind the nail salon industry and Vietnamese connection.
Director: Ye Na Kang
Stars: Seul Lee, Minyoung Lee
-Short, South Korea | my rating: 5
When the party’s all over, all she’s left with is empty pockets. After paying $170 for one cab ride during a night of partying, Mija and her friend struggle to uncover the driving force behind the excessive fare.
FUN crazy attempt of two students trying to solve a mystery cab ride.
Director: Mina Fitzpatrick
-Short, Documentary, Family, South Korea | imdb | my rating: 5
A short documentary about the social stigma against unwed mothers in Korea, and the long-term impacts of overseas adoption.
INTERESTING historical and contemporary look at this issue.
Director: Jihyun Park
-Short, LGBTQ, South Korea | my rating: 5
Yoo-Hee and Joo-Yeon fell in love in high school, but their school’s persecution of gays tore them apart. When meet again years later, sparks fly.
PEEK into the LGBTQ issue in South Korea.
Director/Writer: Atsuko Hirayanagi
Writers: Boris Frumin, Atsuko Hirayanagi
Stars: Shinobu Terajima, Josh Hartnett, Kaho Minami
-Comedy, Drama, Japan | imdb | my rating: 5
A lonely woman living in Tokyo decides to take an English class where she discovers her alter ego, Lucy.
SERIOUS life changes for a middle-aged woman in a modern Japan with office setting scenes to a trip to California.
Director/Screenplay: John Krasinski
Screenplay: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck,
Stars: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski
-Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi | imdb | my rating: 5
In a post-apocalyptic world, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing.
Oooooo. So quiet that you may feel uncomfortable eating popcorn during most of this film. Good suspense thriller with parts that can make you jump out of your seat. Got me thinking of parental love.
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently
Thanks for stopping by :-)
