THE CHAMPAGNE flowed freely on the French Riviera on Sunday night as Swedish filmmaker Ruben Ostlund celebrated winning the Cannes Film Festival’s coveted Palme d’Or for his satirical drama “The Square”. French filmmaker Robin Campillo was feted with bubbly too for bringing home the Grand Jury Prize for his Aids drama “120 Beats Per Minute”. Sofia Coppola looked ecstatic at becoming only the second female in history to win the Best Director award for her interpretation of Thomas P Cullinan’s “The Beguiled”. 

And Australian actress Nicole Kidman, who appeared in four of the pictures screened at this year’s event including Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and Jane Campion’s “Top of the Lake”, was certainly happy to take home the “70th Anniversary Prize”, an award created especially for her.

Asian filmmakers, however, had little to celebrate. Indeed, their presence was hardly felt at this year’s festival and while there was one South Korean and one Japanese movie in the main competition, neither picked up a prize. Southeast Asia was equally poorly represented, with only one film in the parallel Director’s Fortnight, namely Mouly Surya’s “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts”. For the first time in the past several years, the absence of films from South Asia like India was notable.

Usually a filmmaking powerhouse, South Korea had four titles spread across all sections two of them directed by Hong Sang-Soo.

His black-and-whiter oeuvre “The Day After”, screened in the main competition, starred his muse Kim Min-hee in the role of Areum, a young woman who becomes involved with her philandering and very married boss.

In “Claire’s Camera”, which was filmed entirely in Cannes and screened out of competition, Kim plays Man-hee, a woman who works for a film sales agent. Fired by her boss for no apparent reason, she meets Claire (Isabelle Huppert), a teacher and poet who has comes to Cannes to watch her friend’s movie.

Naomi Kawase was back at the festival for the sixth time with “Radiance”, which screened in the main competition. Masatoshi Nagase, who previously worked with her in the commercially successful “An”, returned in the role of Nakamori, a photographer who is losing his eyesight. He meets Misako, a young woman who works as a writer of audio description of films for visually impaired people and who is facing problems after her descriptions fail to receive positive feedback.

The picture, which picked up the ecumenical prize, an independent award created by Christian filmmakers, is far from Kawase’s best. The story and shooting style failed to stand out, especially when compared to other titles in the main competition.

Screened in Un Certain Regard, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest science-fiction venture, “Before We Vanish” told an interesting story of alien parasites that take control of human bodies and prepare for an invasion.

Takashi Miike was also back in Cannes’ official selection, with Takuya Kimura starring in his latest bloody swordfighting film “Blade of the Immortal”, one of four movies he has made this year.

Based on the famous manga, Japanese superstar Kimura plays Manji, a cursed samurai who became immortal and suffers because of it. In the cinema version, he encounters Rin (Hana Sugisaka), a young girl who is seeking revenge on her parents’ murderers. Since Rin looks like his long-dead younger sister, Manji becomes her bodyguard and slaughters the whole gang of villains.

The only film from Mainland China this year was “Walking Past the Future” by Li Ruijun, whose previous “Fly with the Crane’”(2012) was screened in Venice. This was the director’s first time in Cannes and “Walking” was shown in the Un Certain Regard section. It’s centred on a family of migrant workers in Shenzhen who lose their jobs in a factory and move back to Gansu province, where they expect to start a new life but face problems instead.

Although no Thai movie was selected for this year’s event, the country did put in an appearance through Jean-Stephane Sauvaire’s prison drama “A Prayer Before Dawn”, which was shown at the festival’s Midnight Screening. Joe Cole plays a character based on Billy Moore, a drug-addicted British muay thai boxer who served time in Bangkok’s Klong Prem Prison.

While there is nothing new about the story of a loser trying to find redemption, the movie was well made and presents a very real image of Thailand’s prisons and prisoners, with authentic dialogue spoken by Thais.

While most Thai media only focused their attention on the Thai celebrities invited by festival sponsors to walk on the red carpet, those who deserved to be under the spotlight were ignored.

They included the Thai cast and crew of “A Prayer Before Dawn”, namely Vithaya Pansringram who plays the warden, Pornchanok Mabklang who plays the role of a transexual prisoner, and net idol Panya Yimumphai aka Keng Laiprang, who plays a prisoner. Keng was criticised on social media as being an inappropriate representative of Thailand but his first acting job proves that he has earned a place not just at the film industry but on the red carpet at Cannes.

Organised by Sozo, Sotsu Co and Asatsu-Dk, the event will feature the latest and greatest anime series, manga, novels, songs and artists from the industry along with booths offering related products and services straight from Japan.

The highlights include special screenings of the Hatsune Miku Expo 2016 Japan tour, and special stages for anime games such as Kuroko’s Basket the Movie Last Game, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Sword Art Online the Movie, and Attack on Titan season 2. There will also be a special Ultraman Hero Live Stage showcase.

Among the stars putting in an appearance at the event are Suwabe Junichi of Daiki Aomine fame. Sako Tomohisa, aka Shounen T, Chihiro Yonekura, May’n, Junichi Suwabe, Kanae Ito, Kengo Kawanishi, Reon Kurosaki, Yasuaki Takumi, Toru Furuya, Yui Ishikawa, and Yuuki Kuwahara.

No J-pop event would be complete without the cosplayers and several of them are flying in for the festival including Angie from Malaysia, Baozi & Hana from China and Hand Mon from Taiwan.

Find out more at http://www.AnimeFestival.Asia/bangkok17.

A historic mode of transport, they have survived China’s modernisation, and remain an integral part of city living — but for the drivers, life remains a struggle.

Near the lofty Forbidden City, where emperors once lived, a man surnamed Guo has worked as a rickshaw driver for 10 hours every day for the last 30 years.

The boom of cars, electric scooters, and, more recently, shared bikes, has not managed to kill his business.

“It hasn’t changed anything,” Guo said with a smile.

Appearing in China at the end of the 19th century, rickshaws originally had two wheels and were pulled by their driver on foot, with passengers seated at the back.

Today, most of the vehicles are tricycles. Some still have pedals and are propelled by physical force, but the majority are equipped with electric or gas engines.

A rickshaw driver waiting for customers in a touristic area in Beijing.  /AFP

The drivers must be licensed and operate within government-defined zones, mainly around scenic downtown lakes.

But others tinker with their own vehicles and work illegally, without licenses. They are targeted by police officers who accuse them of dangerous driving, traffic disruptions, and tourist scams.

Li Wei is among them. A young father hailing from the impoverished central Henan province, he drives from 8:00 pm until dawn.

Working in constant fear of being caught by the traffic police, Li speeds up when he sees a uniformed officer.

The 29-year-old has been caught six times in four years, each time having to pay a fine of 1,000 yuan ($145).

Unlicensed work also carries the risk of having the rickshaw — worth 2,000 yuan ($290)– confiscated.

But for Li the rewards are worth the gamble. On weekends, he takes home partygoers spilling out of bars, earning 500 yuan ($73) a night.

Though this is a hefty sum in China and his wife also works — she is an assistant at a clothing store — but they can still only afford a tiny, dilapidated apartment in Beijing.

His father, also a rickshaw driver, lives with them.

It has been four years since Li first took the job, and he confesses he is already tired of earning a living this way.

But having worked in factories and restaurants in Shanghai, he concedes that driving for a living is far better.

Asked what he would do instead, if he could, he shrugs his shoulders in defeat.

He explains: “I have no idea how I would make a living otherwise.”

The Korea Tourism Organisation is shipping in not just music and dance but also food, martial arts and drama, and it’s all free of charge.

The world-famous “silent” comedy show “Cookin’ Nanta” will be staged with five performances – Bibap Chef, Jump Show, Lotus, Pangshow and Sachoom.

“Cookin’ Nanta” is South Korea’s first non-verbal performance that integrates traditional rhythms, comedy and drama – in the kitchen.

You can sample some of Korea’s famous street foods and get a picture of yourself wearing a classic hanbok costume.

Travel agencies and airlines will be on hand offering discounts on trips and a chance to win roundtrip airfare for two aboard Asiana Airline and a stay in a Seoul hotel.

Book your tickets to the event at http://www.KoreaFestivalTicket.com. Learn more on the “KTO Thailand” Facebook page.

 The 52-year-old German was selected from among 26 finalists by a distinguished jury composed of leading figures from the worlds of design, architecture, journalism and museum curatorship.

Carving a distinct niche with his unique appreciation for wood, his work has proliferated across Europe, Asia, and America. Hewn from a massive 300-year-old oak uprooted during a storm, the large wooden containers that make up “Tree of Life 2” take their design cues from the forms, fissures, and fractures of the original tree. While careful carvings evince the artisan’s hand on the surface, the treatment of clay, earth, and stone powder combine with the wood’s natural tannic acid to give the objects a fitting organic finish. Replete with natural imperfections, these attributes eternalise the story of a fallen tree.

Reasserting the house’s long-standing commitment to creative excellence, the international Loewe Craft Prize showcases and celebrates the work of exceptionally talented artisans working in a range of craft-based professions.

Specifically, the Loewe Foundation aims to acknowledge works of craftsmanship that evince a clear artistic vision, precise execution, material honesty, a will to innovate, and the distinct hand of their author.

The new prize is an initiative of special significance to Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson. ‘Craft is the essence of Loewe. As a house, we are about craft in the purest sense of the word. That is where our modernity lies, and it will always be relevant.’ he explains.

“Craft is immensely important to me as an inspiration. So I wanted to create a platform to highlight things that are engineered by hand, by ceramists, basket-weavers, furniture designers, jewellery makers, and other people who work silently and are often under-appreciated. In reality, there is nothing harder than finding a way to make an object that has a formula of its own and speaks in the maker’s own language, creating a dialogue that didn’t exist before,” Anderson adds.

The winning work in Craft Prize 2017 is now on view in Madrid and will later travel to cities in Europe, Asia and the United States.

Working alongside Mulberry’s creative team, led by Johnny Coca, they are specialists who produce accessories that combine traditional leather-making techniques with contemporary innovation.

The support of British manufacturing is vital to Mulberry. In 2006 the brand established an apprenticeship programme in conjunction with a Somerset college, to train young students in leather goods manufacturing. Through this endeavour, and the commitment to the quality that “Made in England” represents, Mulberry is helping to build a legacy, train a new generation and invest in the future.

To celebrate passion and dedication for British craftsmanship during London Craft Week, Coca hosted a breakfast in Mulberry’s Kensington showroom during which he introduced guests to Mulberry craftsmen and discussed how the bags are designed and made.

Guests also previewed styles from the upcoming Autumn Winter 2017 collections including new bag the Amberley Hobo and new incarnations of Mulberry’s iconic Bayswater. Following the event guests each received a bespoke key ring inspired by designs exclusively developed for the Autumn Winter ’17 catwalk collection.

After the majestic restoration of the Trevi Fountain and of other five fountains, and following the opening to the public of the first floor of its headquarters at Palazzo della Civilta Italiana, Fendi reaffirms once again its full commitment to the promotion of culture.

“The art of Giuseppe Penone creates a new dialogue between history, the contemporary and the future. It is a further sign of a city that works, in many of its components, to give everyone back the right to freely enjoy the art and the benefits of scientific progress,” says Luca Bergamo, deputy mayor of the City of Rome.

The great sculpture “Foglie di pietra” (“Leaves of Stone”, 2016) is one of the Penone’s most complex artworks: two bronze trees – 18 and 9 metres tall respectively – interlace their branches, lifting 5 metres from the ground a sculpted marble block weighing 11 tonnes. Archaeology and ruins, history and biology are grafted one on the other and creating a permanent bond between nature and culture.

Installed in the architectural context of the city of Rome, the artwork activates a series of interpretations and associations between the various moments in the capital city’s history and recalls the illusionism and marvel of Baroque Rome.

Intimately linked to the history of Rome, “Foglie di pietra” is also deeply ingrained in the present and future of the city. This piece is in fact the first work of contemporary art to be permanently installed in the public spaces of Rome and it is bound to become a symbol of the identity of a constantly changing city that never loses the bond with its historical roots.

“We are extremely proud to donate this wonderful and incredible art piece by Giuseppe Penone to the city of Rome, its citizens and the million tourists who come visit the Eternal City every day. ‘Foglie di pietra’ embodies once again how tied we are to this city and the importance it carries in the history of Fendi. Penone is an Italian artist of international fame with whom we share the passion for creation, sublime savoir-faire and continuous dialogue between tradition and innovation,” Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive of Fendi said.

Don’t tell the generals

Documentary photographer Harit Srikhao’s exhibition “Whitewash”, opening on Saturday (June 3) at Gallery Ver on Bangkok’s Narathiwasrachanakharin Road Soi 22, has already won awards overseas for its portrayal of the most recent Thai coup.

It features about 20 large photo collages – the biggest topping two metres in height – and an installation of 40 photo-journal series on the 2014 coup and its impacts. Harit has said that history is “laundered” through sacred rituals and the concept of karma is used as a “political tool of dehumanisation”.

“Whitewash” won the Juror’s Prize at the Filter Photo Festival in the US and was acclaimed at this year’s Portfolio Review in Germany.

The Gallery Ver show continues through July 22. See the “GalleryVer” page on Facebook.

People making faces

Contorted faces and uncomfortable poses characterise the photos of Ao Kim Ngan, the Vietnamese artist who goes by the name Yatender. Her show “The Sheltering Place – Yatender” is at the Most Gallery on Charoen Krung Soi 26 through June 30.

Yatender frequently has her subjects contort their faces and bodies and obscures their heads in a bid to capture feelings and pursue a learning process about how we accept different limbs and features as parts of our bodies.

The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 2 to 6pm and on weekends from 11 to 4. Call (02) 639 6582 or visit http://www.MostGallery.com.

How to save a river

American conceptual artist Scott Kildall will introduce his environmental-art project “American Arts Incubator on River Health” at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre on June 2.

Kildall will be conducting workshops from June 3 to 22, examining the city’s rivers and canals, gauging pollution and mapping the collected data so it can be turned into sculptures.

The “Arts Incubator” exhibition will move to the centre’s fifth floor from June 22 to 30.

Learn more at http://www.BACC.or.th

The city from above

Bangkok’s Numthong Gallery – fresh from the Venice Biennale where an artist it represents, Somboon Hormtienthong, was in charge of the Thai Pavilion – is now hosting “Metrospection”, featuring the paintings of Kwanchai Lichaikul.

Kwanchai depicts the complex and chaotic modern metropolis from a bird’s-eye view. The detail in his large works is startling, mingling skyscrapers, decaying structures and the labyrinth of streets.

The show continues through June at the gallery on Soi Aree 5 off Phahonyothin Road. It’s open Monday to Saturday from 11 to 6. Get the details at http://www.GalleryNumthong.com.

There were plenty of giggles and hundreds of selfies being taken when French illustrator Jean Jullien opened an exhibition of his cheery artwork in Bangkok last week.

The cartoonish paintings and sculptures will remain on show in “The People Exhibition by Jean Jullien” in CentralWorld’s Groove Zone throughout the year.

French illustrator Jean Jullien onspect his handwork in the Goove Zone at CentralWorld. Photo courtesy of CentralWorld

Named among the world’s “Most Creative People” of 2015 by industry publication Advertising Age, Jullien is recognisable for his use of simple strokes and distinctive pastels to convey uplifting notions that still have deep if subtle meaning, even when infused with humour, as they usually are.

Among his array of remarkable talents is the inimitable ability to encapsulate everyday urban life with satirical humour that tends to be interpreted in varying ways in different places around the world.

The exhibition on the second-floor Art Wall has several amusing takes on life in Thailand, including our daily rituals.

“It’s called ‘The People Exhibition’ because of the local context, first and foremost,” says the London-based artist. “It has to do with the places people work, eat, drink, shop and walk.

“I always try to have a theme in my work, whether it’s obvious or not. I want to capture people being themselves, and to that I add my usual cast of characters. So it’s a mix of real and imagined people.

“I want to play around with the idea of what forms the mass of people. You have a single person, but ‘people’ means many. The diversity is what makes culture work and what makes it playful. And, when depicted in art, the results can be quite unexpected.”

“The People Exhibition by Jean Jullien” in CentralWorld’s Groove Zone throughout the year. Nation/Anan Chantarasoot

Jullien says he looks for the symbolic, the universal and the simple, “something everybody can understand easily and share, regardless of where they’re from and whether they’re keen observers of illustration.”

People behave differently in different cities and between coastlines and inland regions, he says.

“You think it’s the same country, but for example there are completely different ways to navigate around each city when you drive. The weather is different. Each place has its own unique history.”

Jullien’s father instilled in him a love of music and comics, while his mother taught him about the fine arts, including architecture and design. He graduated in graphic design from Le Paraclet school in France, where he was introduced to the work of graphic artists and illustrators such as Tomi Ungerer, Raymond Savignac and studio M/M Paris.

He continued his studies at London’s Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design and then earned his master’s degree in communication arts at the Royal College of Art.

Jullien’s signature style has made him one of the world’s most sought-after illustrators. His character-based pieces demonstrate that he’s a sharp observer of life and his surroundings, and usually funny in the way he depicts them in photographs, videos, costumes, books and posters and on clothing.

“The People Exhibition by Jean Jullien” in CentralWorld’s Groove Zone throughout the year. Nation/Anan Chantarasoot

He’s regularly tapped for advertising and design campaigns. His clients have included Nike, Stella Artois, Uniqlo, Eurostar, Verizon and TFL.

The most common subject in Jullien’s art is the relationship between modern society and technology, focusing on our increasing dependence on mobile phones and social networks.

He deals with the alienation people feel in urban settings, utilising irony and sarcasm to gently mock our mistaken belief that technology genuinely connects us with others, while what is actually happening is quite the opposite.

Jullien acknowledges that wit is essential in such interpretations of modern society, especially when commenting on politics. After the triple bomb attacks in Paris in 2015 he drew a peace symbol incorporating the Eiffel Tower into the familiar design. An expression of shock at the terrorist assault and solidarity with the French people, it became his most re-tweeted and shared artwork.

“The People Exhibition by Jean Jullien” in CentralWorld’s Groove Zone throughout the year. Nation/Anan Chantarasoot

The brush remains Jullien’s preferred graphic instrument.

“That goes back to the way I started working at St Martins in graphic design, but photography had a great influence on me at the same time.

“I was doing a little set, cutting up paper and stuff, and at first there were no black lines in it. I wanted it to look like an interesting drawing. I had to find a way to make it look more voluminous and layered once it was printed.

“So I used a paintbrush to do the lines – it not only creates shadows and gives the drawing more dimension, but there is also that nice element of obvious mistakes that I like. You try to draw a straight line, but it’s not perfect. With the brush, it’s very forgiving about the mistakes you make. And since then I’ve always done my art with a black brush pen!”

Jullien has made his Bangkok exhibition more exceptional by turning his classic characters into large sculptures with which visitors can interact directly.

The most notable piece is “Bright Idea”. It’s a five-metre-tall statue of a young man with a light bulb for a head, perching right out on Rama I Road in front of the mall.

Other pieces in the exhibition depicting characters are “Apple Ballet”, “iPhone Reflection of Oneself”, “Crossword Robot” and “Yellow Dog Awaits Its Owner”. These and other fun figures are stationed all over the first floor in Groove Zone, which has previously hosted successful exhibitions of the work of Tokidoki, Gary Baseman and Jeremy Ville.