Post-production: Editing

Film editing is a major facet in filmmaking that could sometimes be overlooked. As a film’s ‘first audience’ (Matthieu Laclau), the film editor has the vital job of finessing elements of a story, playing with different narrative structures and most importantly, forming an emotional connection between the film and the audience. As Thai filmmaker Lee Chatametikool aptly puts it, film editing is like doing ‘a final rewrite’ – bridging the world that exists on the script pages with the reality captured on camera. 

In this section, we select five films featuring two of the most prolific film editors working in Asian Cinema today. A film editor and director who oscillates between mainstream and art-house cinema, Lee Chatametikool is perhaps best known as a long-time collaborator with Palme d’Or-winning director Apichatpong Weerasethakul. French cinematographer and editor Matthieu Laclau’s love for independent Chinese films had led to his long-standing working relationship with auteur Jia Zhangke, with whom he has worked on five films, including the Golden Horse award-winning A Touch of Sin.

Aside from their works with established auteurs, both Lee Chatametikool and Matthieu Laclau also frequently team up with new independent filmmakers. The five selected films in this section are all debut and sophomore features by emerging directors from Thailand, Inner Mongolia, United Kingdom and France. Beyond looking into Chatametikool and Laclau’s distinct approaches to editing, we hope to shine light on the working relationships between experienced editors and budding directors, and the indispensable role editing plays in realising a director’s vision.

Alongside film screenings, we are honoured to have invited Lee Chatametikool and Matthieu Laclau to give a virtual masterclass, a talk and participate in an online panel with fellow filmmakers and the audience. Through which, they would share their experiences of working with both renowned and up-and-coming directors from different countries, and explore further possibilities in intercultural collaborations.

This section brings editing into the spotlight with two acclaimed editors in Asia – Matthieu LACLAU, who won Golden Horse Awards for Best Film Editing with the film A Touch of Sin, and Lee CHATAMETIKOOL, who is a long-time collaborator with Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL. Through screening selected debut and second features they edited, along with online masterclass and panel, LACLAU and CHATAMETIKOOL will  share their creative process and how they work with emerging directors.

Screenings in cinema

Editor

Lee CHATAMETIKOOL

Active in both independent and mainstream cinema, adept Thai film editor Lee Chatametikool is a long-time collaborator with Palme d’Or-winning director Apichatpong Weerasethakul. His notable works include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Ten Years Thailand under the “Ten Years International Project” and Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai’s So Long, My Son, among others. In 2010, Lee Chatametikool founded his co-production company, White Light Post, and in 2013, made his directorial debut, Concrete Clouds. He was also the post-production manager in Call Me By Your Name. In recent years, Lee Chatametikool is devoted to supporting and collaborating with young filmmakers across Southeast Asia, and is the editor of films like Looking for Kafka from Taiwan, Nakorn-Sawan from Thailand, the Singaporean feature film Pop Aye, Ròm from Vietnam and many more.

Mundane History

27/3 (Sat) 15:15 | iSQUARE

Anocha SUWICHAKORNPONG
Thailand|2009|DCP|82’

By the Time It Gets Dark

28/3 (Sun) 17:15 | iSQUARE

Anocha SUWICHAKORNPONG
Thailand, Netherlands, France, Qatar|2016|DCP|106

Q&A with the cinematographer LEUNG Ming-kai

Nakorn-Sawan

25/3 (Thur) 20:00 | HKAC

Puangsoi AKSORNSAWANGA
Thailand, Germany|2018|DCP|77’

Online Programme

Editor

Matthieu LACLAU

Matthieu LACLAU is a French editor who has been working in China since 2008. He studied Film Theory in Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle and received his Master’s degree in 2008. In 2013, he won the Golden Horse Best Editing for A Touch of Sin directed by Jia Zhangke and in 2017, the American Chlotrudis Awards Best Editing for Mountains May Depart directed by Jia Zhangke. He edited both feature films and documentaries, and often collaborates with young filmmakers. Recently, he edited Still Tomorrow by Fan Jian, Dragonfly Eyes by Xu Bing, Ash Is Purest White by Jia Zhangke, The Crossing by Bai Xue and A First Farewell by Wang Lina. In 2019, he completed the editing of two feature films selected in the Official Selection of the Cannes FF: The Wild Goose Lake directed by Diao Yinan (Competition), Nina Wu directed by Midi Z (Un Certain Regard) In 2020, he’s nominated for the Taipei Film Awards best editor for his work on Nina Wu and finished the editing of The Best Is Yet to Come, both selected in Venice FF (Orizzonti) and TIFF.

Online Masterclass - Editing

Free Programme

27/2 (Sat) 15:00 | Zoom

In the masterclass, Matthieu Laclau will use films that he has been involved in as examples to demonstrate the fundamentals of editing, the differences between fiction films and documentaries, and share his experiences of taking up different roles in the filmmaking process.

Online Panel

Free Programme

28/2 (Sun) 20:00 | Zoom

The panel will focus on the two established editors’ creative philosophy. Hosted by director Jun Li and joined by sound designer Cyrus Tang from Hong Kong, the filmmakers will discuss the importance of post-production in independent films and share their experiences of working with established and rising directors from different countries.

Online Screening

K

Free Programme

25 - 28/2 (Thur-Sun) | Vimeo

Darhad ERDENIBULAG、Emyr ap RICHARD
China, United Kingdom|2015|DCP|88’

28/2 (Sun) 17:00 | Zoom

Q&A with Matthieu LACLAU, hosted by CHAN Tze Woon & Eric TSANG

Fidaï

Free Programme

25 - 28/2 (Thur-Sun) | Vimeo

Damien OUNOURI
Algeria, France, China, Qatar, Kuwait, Germany|2012|DCP|83’

28/2 (Sun) 17:00 | Zoom

Q&A with Matthieu LACLAU, hosted by CHAN Tze Woon & Eric TSANG

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