Southeast Asian cinema

Southeast Asian cinema refers to the film industry and films produced in, and/or by natives of, Southeast Asia. By definition, it describes any films produced in Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Southeast Asian cinema is a sub-section of continental Asian cinema, which in turn comes under the umbrella term of World cinema, a term used in some anglophone countries to describe any foreign language films.

The far east as a cultural block includes East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Key figures

Burma

• Kyi Soe Tun – Burma's most prominent director. His films include Upstream and Blood.

Cambodia

• Haing S. Ngor – Academy Award-winning Cambodian-American actor (The Killing Fields)
• Rithy Panh – French-schooled filmmaker.
• Tim Pek -Australian film producer.
• Tea Lum Kun - Director of the highly acclaimed film The King Snake's Wife.

Indonesia

• Christine Hakim – Veteran actress (Whispering Sands).
• Dian Sastrowardoyo – Popular actress (Whispering Sands).
• Joko Anwar – Film critic and director (Janji Joni).
• Riri Riza – Director of Gie.
• Mira Lesmana - Producer (Gie).

Laos

• Som Ock Southiponh – Independent director, producer and screenwriter (Red Lotus).

Malaysia

• P. Ramlee – Leading man, screenwriter and director.
• U-Wei Bin Hajisaari - Director and screenwriter
• Abdul Razak Mohaideen – Director.
• Tsai Ming-liang
• Yasmin Ahmad
• Amir Muhammad
• Ho Yuhang
• James Lee
• Michael Chuah
• Tan Chui Mui
• Woo Ming Jin
• Azharr Rudin

Philippines

• Lino Brocka - Acclaimed Filipino director (Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag).
• Ishmael Bernal - Filipino director (Himala).
• Nora Aunor - Filipina Actress (Himala).
• Gerardo de Leon - Filipino director (Banaue).
• Rogelio de la Rosa - Pre-war Filipino matinee idol.
• Eddie Garcia - Veteran Filipino actor.
• Eddie Romero - National Artist
• Brillante Mendoza - Cannes-prize winning Filipino film director (Kinatay).

Singapore

• Eric Khoo – Acclaimed director (Be with Me).
• Jack Neo – Popular Singaporean actor and director (I Not Stupid).
• Royston Tan – Acclaimed filmmaker (15, 881)

Thailand

• Apichatpong Weerasethakul – Cannes-prize winning Thai avant garde director (Blissfully Yours, Tropical Malady).
• Chatrichalerm Yukol – Veteran director (The Legend of Suriyothai, King Naresuan).
• Nonzee Nimibutr – Director and producer who influenced the Thai industry's pan-Asian directions (Nang Nak, Jan Dara).
• The Pang Brothers – Although born in Hong Kong, these twin-brother filmmakers got their start in Thailand and made Bangkok Dangerous in 1999 and The Eye, a pan-Asian co-production in 2002.
• Pen-Ek Ratanaruang – "New wave" director (Last Life in the Universe, Invisible Waves).
• Tony Jaa – Action star (Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, Tom-Yum-Goong).
• Wisit Sasanatieng – "New wave" director (Tears of the Black Tiger, Citizen Dog)

Vietnam

• Tran Anh Hung – French-trained expatriate director of Cyclo and other films.
• Nguyen Vo Nghiem Minh – (Buffalo Boy)
• Dang Nhat Minh – (Girl on the River, Guava Season)
• Tony Bui – (Yellow Lotus, Green Dragon)
• Ringo Le - Vietnamese-American film director ("Saigon Love Story")
• Dustin Nguyen – Vietnamese-American actor.
• Johnny Tri Nguyen – Vietnamese-American stuntman and actor (Tom-Yum-Goong, Saigon Eclipse)

See also

• World cinema
• Asian cinema
• East Asian cinema
• South Asian cinema
• Middle Eastern cinema

Further reading

• Contemporary Asian Cinema, Anne Tereska Ciecko, editor. Berg, 2006. ISBN 1 84520237 6

External links

• Criticine.com - Manila-based scholarly journal on Southeast Asian cinema.
• Asian Film Archive - Singapore-based organization founded to preserve the film heritage of Singapore and Asian cinema.