Opening Cocktail
Wednesday May 1st
5:30 to 8 pm – Théâtre Plaza
Opening Cocktail to celebrate the launch of the 24th edition of Festival Accès Asie on May 1st !
Hosted by Darleen Wong, the event will kicks off Asian Heritage Month celebrations. The festivities will begin with a word of welcome from our guest of honor, Guy Sioui Durand. Excerpts from the Festival`s program will be presented throughout the evening, accompanied by sweets to enjoy sans moderation.
Along with some surprises, the evening will include the musician Yuki Isami who will perform an excerpt from her concert Brise japonaise, the dancers from Giri Kedaton, Indonesian music and dance ensemble who will share their repertoire and magician Yan Lee Chan who will conjure up a little stardust. And not least, DJs Interstellaire II and Me Float will keep guests moving to their electronic beat throughout the evening.
The entire Festival team is pleased to welcome you to the unveiling of this 24th edition for an evening of discovery and adventure.
KLEX à MTL
CINÉMA
Friday May 10th at 8pm
This year, KLEX à MTL will open Festival Accès Asie’s Perles d’ici series, its international exchange component. KLEX Festival (Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film, Video and Music), possibly the only long-running Malaysian festival dedicated to experimental cinema, video, and improvised music, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in November 2019.
KLEX à MTL presents a program of experimental short films and video art that have all been part of previous editions of KLEX. The works were selected by Siew-Wai Kok, Malaysian videographer and musician, co-founder and co-director of KLEX festival. Exchange, culturally and literally, is at the center of KLEX’s vision.
Works by Wuttin Chansataboot (Thailand), Toh Hun Ping (Singapore), Safwan Salleh(Malaysia), Low Pey Sien (Malaysia), Pauline Despi (Philippines), and Chloe Yap Mun Ee(Malaysia) will be presented for the first time in Montreal and, in some cases, for the first time in Canada and North America.
Havana Divas
CINÉMA
Saturday May 25th at 8pm
Gesù – Centre de créativité
Caridad Amaran and Georgina Wong learned the art of Cantonese opera 1930s Havana, Cuba, from their respective fathers. They join the Kwok-Kwong Opera Troupe in Havana in 1939. But the Castro revolution separated them. At ages 86 and 88, the two friends decide to visit the birth places of their fathers and to pay respect to their ancestors. They embark on a long and expensive journey wondering of they would ever complete it.
Filmed over a period of six years, Havana Divas traces the journey of these two «stage sisters» in the context of a Sino-Cuban history which, in 2017, celebrated the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the first Chinese in Cuba.
This evening’s performance and film will provide the audience with a perfect opportunity to learn about the beauty and elegance of the Chinese performing arts.
The documentary Havana Divas from S. Louisa Wei will be preceded by a performance of Beijing opera by Mr. Jing, from Jingju Quebec.
For more information : Festival Accès Montréal
