When I Turned Nine (2004) - 아홉살 인생 (A-hob-sal In-saeng)

Off beat Sin Ha-gyoon Plays "The Devil's Game"

Source | 2007/12/12 | Permalink |

Sin Ha-gyoon – one of Korea's more daring and impressive actors – will next star in the thriller "The Devil's Game" alongside veteran actor BYEON Hee-bong. SIN's character – a poor artist – will be lured into a dark game involving a large sum of money and the exchange of bodies, made possible through technology. The film opens in January 2008.

YOON In-ho ("When I Turned Nine") directs and the cast also features LEE Hye-yeong ("Low Life") and Eun-seong ("Dasepo Naughty Girls" - "Dasepo Girl"). BYEON played the grandfather of the girl who was taken by the monster in The Hos.

SIN played eye-catching supporting roles in popular films like PARK Chan-wook's "JSA - Joint Security Area", and "Welcome to Dongmakgol". In addition, he has been outstanding in leading roles in critical acclaimed alternative films, portraying off beat characters, including "No Mercy for the Rude" and "Save the Green Planet".

Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)...| More

Feature Film Directorial Debut of Cannes Residence Program Selectee

Source | 2007/06/19 | Permalink |

Female Korean directors are in short supply, but their ranks gained a valuable addition with director KIM Hee-jung's debut feature film. "The Wonder Years" (YeolSesal, Sooa) depicts a high school girl who is unsatisfied with her life and mother, and creates an alternative take on her life.

KIM's short films got her noticed by the renowned Cannes Residence Program which selected her for their 2005 edition. There she developed "The Wonder Years", her first feature film.

The film premiered last week and offers an alternative for the big-budget summer fare. "The Wonder years" opened at ten in last weekend's box office.

Teenage actor LEE Se-yeong plays the protagonist girl. Her credentials include "Lovely Rivals" and "When I Turned Nine". The mother is played by CHOO Sang-mi ("On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate", "A Smile"").

Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)...| More

When I Turned Nine unexpected winner of Chunsa Film Art Awards

Source | 2004/11/25 | Permalink |

When I Turned Nine, a story about schoolchildren in rural Korea, came away the unexpected winner of the Chunsa Film Art Awards on November 19.

The film by YOON In-ho was presented withthe Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (LEE Man-hee), and the Child Acting Award (shared by LEE Se-yeong, KIM Seok, NAH A-hyeon and KIM Myeong-jae). Released in March 2004, When I Was Nine attracted 340,000 viewers and a warm critical reception upon its release.

Meanwhile Cannes Grand Prix-winner Old Boy by PARK Chan-wook was given the Best Actor award (CHOI Min-sik), Best Cinematography (JEONG Jeong-hoon), Editing (KIM Sang-beom), and a Special Jury Prize for PARK Chan-wook shared by Tae Guk Gi's KANG Je-gyu and Silmido's KANG Woo-seok.

Other awards presented included a tie for Best Actress between KIM Hye-soo (Hypnotized) and LEE Na-young (Someone Special); Best Supporting Actor to Jung Doo-hong (Fighter In the Wind); Best Supporting Actress to GOH Doo-shim (My Mother the Mermaid); Be...| More

`Lovely Rivals' Wins Over Local Audience's Hearts

Source | 2004/11/18 | Permalink |

By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter

A fight for love always sounds romantic, but what if the battle field is an elementary school and the two rivals in love are a female teacher and her 12-year-old student trying to win the heart of a good-looking teacher? A new local comedy successfully takes the funny factors from this exact situation and develops it as bitter sweet.

"Yosonsaeng VS Yojeja (Lovely Rivals)", directed by Jang Gyoo-seong, seems like a sequel for the director's previous comedy "My Teacher, Mr.Kim", since it is also set in a primary school and is about a teacher who doesn't have any affection towards his students but later finds the true meaning of teaching.

However, "Lovely Rivals" presents more uncontrived humor over the natural development of its story, delivered by main actress Yeom Jeong-ah from "Pomchoe-ui Chaegusong (The Big Swindle)" and "Changhwa, Hongryon (A Tale of Two Sisters)", and Lee Se-yeong from "Ahopsal Insaeng ('When I Turned Nine')".

Completely...| More

Life's Little Melodramas at Age 9

Source | 2004/03/25 | Permalink |

By Joon Soh
Staff Reporter

With their exaggerated relationships and overblown plots, there's something unrealistic, immature and, for many of us, slightly addictive about the romances portrayed in popular television dramas. "Ahopsal Insaeng (When I Turned Nine)", a new film opening today, literally brings out this childish side of melodramas in its look at life and love in an elementary school during the 1970s.

Though ostensibly a children's movie, "Nine" seems more of a film that adults would be interested in than younger viewers. A lot of the poignancy of the story stems from watching children maneuver the complicated waters of their feelings with the seriousness of adults.

The storyline follows your basic blueprint for romantic dramas. Yo-min (Kim Seok) comes from a poor family and has a mother with a disability but seems to have a good handle on his life and who he is. Endowed with an impressive ability to fight as well as a good head on his shoulders, Yo-min uses his ...| More