Scenes from director Yosep Anggi Noen's "The Sea Speaks His Name" (left) and director Eddie Cahyono's "Ibuku"

By Margareth Theresia
Photos = Busan International Film Festival

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) screens works from around the world to link filmmakers and audiences but offscreen, it also supports the development of those aspiring to make movies.

BIFF helps train emerging talent through the Asian Film Academy and connects projects in the planning and development stages with potential partners in production and investment partners through the Asian Project Market (APM).

Two Indonesian films whose directors have long-standing ties with BIFF were selected for the Competition section of this year's festival: "The Sea Speaks His Name" directed by Yosep Anggi Noen and "Ibuku" by Eddie Cahyono.

Both are the first Indonesian entries in the section, which was launched last year, and show the directors' connections with the festival that date back to the two's early years and development of their cinematic careers.

A photo call for "The Sea Speaks His Name" is held on Oct. 11 at Busan Cinema Center in the city's Haeundae-gu District.

First visiting Busan in 2007 to study at the academy, Noen returned this year as a director whose work was selected for the Competition section and to serve as a mentor at the Chanel X BIFF Asian Film Academy. Nearly two decades after studying film in Busan, he shared his know-how with the next generation of filmmakers.

Over the years, Noen has expanded his cinematic vision to the global stage. His debut feature "Peculiar Vacation and Other Illnesses" (2012) was screened at the Locarno Film Festival of Switzerland and received a special mention in the Dragon & Tiger section of the Vancouver International Film Festival of Canada.

In 2013, his bond with Busan continued after he won BIFF's Sunjae Award, which recognizes the best in Korean and Asian short films, and a decade later, he returned to the festival with the crime drama "24 Hours with Gaspar."

His Competition entry this year, "The Sea Speaks His Name," also has a narrative connection to Korea. Set in Indonesia in 1991 at a time when the country had been under decades of authoritarian rule, the film follows Laut, a college student who joins the student movement inspired by pro-democracy crusades in Korea and the Philippines, as well as the lives of his fellow activists and the families they leave behind.

At an Oct. 12 news conference at Busan Cinema Center in Busan's Haeundae-gu District, Noen commented on the influence that such movements in Gwangju and the Philippines had on each other.

"The courage to pursue freedom of expression and democracy spreads from one place to another," he said. "The voices of young people are growing louder, and that is exactly what we are trying to capture."

"The Sea Speaks His Name" made its world premiere on Oct. 11 at BIFF. Its release in Indonesia comes later this month.

This is a scene from the news conference for "Ibuku" on Oct. 9 at Busan Cinema Center in Busan's Haeundae-gu District.

While Noen's ties to Busan began with the Asian Film Academy, director Cahyono's "Ibuku" reached BIFF's Competition section through the APM. This Indonesian-Japanese movie was selected for production at the 2015 APM and its completion came 11 years later, making its debut at this year's festival.

"Ibuku" is about a woman who flees abroad to escape domestic violence and her mother who tries to go see her. Through their relationship, the film examines the lives of women struggling with poverty and violence and the hardships faced by the families of migrant workers.

At an Oct. 9 news conference at Busan Cinema Center, Cahyono said people are often forced to seek employment abroad because their government fails to provide jobs. While writing the story of migrant workers and their families left behind, he said he paid extra attention to how women live.

BIFF will conclude its 31st edition on Oct. 15 with a grand finale at the closing ceremony. The event's major honors will be presented including its top prize, the Busan Award for Best Film.

margareth@korea.kr