Our mark is 銀幕, ginmaku — the silver screen, and the same two characters in Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

I came to Tokyo at twenty-three for a summer job at a Shibuya mini-theatre and the job never quite ended. Fifteen years of festivals later I still think the only review that counts is the one the room gives you: where the laugh lands, the moment three hundred people stop moving at once, whether anybody stays for the credits.

Cinepuuulse follows Asian cinema — Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand — across about a hundred and twenty sources. A good number of them are Spanish, French and Portuguese, because those countries programme this work seriously and write about it better than most of the English-language trade. Genre and art-house get the same seat here. I am not ranking them, and nothing is scored out of ten.

Each story is a headline, a short excerpt, one still and a link to the outlet that did the reporting. We never republish the piece, and the still belongs to its studio or its photographer. A Korean trade paper appears in Korean, a French review in French. We point at the work; we do not put words in anyone's mouth.

— Daren Wise, Tokyo

← Cinepuuulse Archive

RogerEbert.com

A Knock at the Door: Cristian Mungiu on “Fjord”

10.16Work

Cristian Mungiu ’s “ Fjord ” might well be next year’s Oscar winner for Best International Film. It was on track for that award after winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes in May.

Festivals & awards

Read at RogerEbert.com ↗

One letter a week, starting soon.

Latest

A Knock at the Door: Cristian Mungiu on “Fjord”

Related

JapanBusan International Film Festival builds momentum as an ‘A-list’ festival The Japan Times

TürkiyeYüreğini Eline Al ve Yürü: Kelle Koltukta Hayatlar Altyazı

AsiaAsian Film Awards Academy and Busan International Film Festival Co-Host Star-Studded “Hong Kong Night” Asian Film Awards Academy

AsiaAsian Film Academy Awards’ “International Film Camp 2026” Concludes Successfully Asian Film Awards Academy

EuropeBusan 2026: The Verdict The Film Verdict

Asia18th Boston Asian American Film Festival – Opening Film 2026 Asian Film Festivals