Born to Fight, Overture, Baytong at Deauville

The Overture and Born to Fight are in competition at the French Asian Film Festival in Deauville.

The festival is featuring around 40 films during its four-day run.

The Overture, a historical musical melodrama, is in the general competition while Born to Fight, a gritty, nationalistic actioner from Ong-Bak stunt coordinator Panna Rittakai is competing in a special Action Asia category.

Also from Thailand will be Nonzee Nimibutr's sometimes humorous tale of Buddhist-Muslim conflict, Baytong, showing in a non-competing "Panorama" screening.

The horror trilogy, Three Extremes, featuring works by Takeshi Miike, Park Chan Wook and Fruit Chan, will also be screened.

Other films in competition include the drama Charon directed by Gen Takahashi, Lakeside Murder Case by Shinji Aoyama and a low-budget controversial horror Marebito by Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On, The Grudge).

From China there's Electric Shadows, "a heart-warming tale" by first-time female director Xiao Jiang and The World by Jia Zahngke, the Taiwanese romantic comedy Holiday Dreaming from Fun-chun Hsu and This Charming Girl, shot entirely by hand-held camera by Korean newcomer Lee Yoon-ki.

From India comes the "visually poetic" Chased by Dreams by Bengali director Buddhadeb Dasgupta.

The festival will also pay homage to Takeshi Miike, screening his films including Audition and Dead or Alive.

Takeshi Kitano also will be present with his grim historical drama, Blood and Bones.

Violence -- and laughs -- will be dispensed in screenings of Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle.

Tribute will also be paid to the Indonesian actress and producer Christine Hakim.


(Cross-published at Rotten Tomatoes)