"The Garden of Evening Mists" travels to Busan, Taipei film festivals

Hiroshi Abe and Angelica Lee star in "The Garden of Evening Mists".

17 Sep – After about a year since the movie version of "The Garden of Evening Mists" started production, it is finally ready for public screening.

Before opening in cinemas early next year, however, the movie will first charm international audiences at two separate film festivals, taking place in the following two months in South Korea and Taiwan.

First up, in October, it will make its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) under the 'A Window on Asian Cinema' category.

After that, in November, it will screen as the closing film at the 56th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival.

"We are immensely delighted that "The Garden of Evening Mists" will be screened during the Busan International Film Festival and Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. Over two thirds of the casts and crew of TGOEM comprised of Malaysians.

This signifies our potentials and capabilities in producing an International Film and we pride Astro Shaw for its commitment to nurture local talents for international exposure. Thus, we are excited to have a film which FINAS has supported to be showcased to the world," said Dato' Hans Isaac, Chairman of National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), in a press statement.

The Japanese garden that Angelica Lee's character created in "The Garden of Evening Mists" is built specifically for the movie in Cameron Highlands.

Helmed by award-winning Taiwanese director Tom Lin, from a script by Scottish BAFTA-winning screenwriter Richard Smith, the movie is adapted from Penang-born Tan Twan Eng's award-winning novel of the same name that was shortlisted for the 2012 Man Booker Prize, and won the 2013 Man Asian Literary Prize and the 2013 Walter Scott Prize.

Malaysian actress Angelica Lee, a.k.a. Lee Sinje, stars opposite Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe as Teoh Yun Ling, a woman who finds solace in Yugiri, the only Japanese garden in Malaya, while Abe plays Nakamura Aritomo, the garden's mysterious owner.

As Aritomo helps Teoh build a garden in memory of the latter's younger sister, Teoh Yun Hong (played by "Think Big Big's" Serene Lim), who died in the Japanese war camp, love begins to bloom between them, leading to the blossoming of a forbidden love affair.

Aside from Lee and Abe, the movie's star-studded cast includes Sylvia Chang ("Love Education"), David Oakes ("Cold Skin"), Julian Sands ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") and John Hannah ("The Mummy").

Release dates for other countries have yet to be set but it is confirmed that "The Garden of Evening Mists" will open in Malaysian cinemas in January 2020.