Bae Chang-ho (배창호)

2008/05/08 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

One of Korea's most influential directors BAE Chang-ho will be honoured with a retrospective of his entire body of films at the arthouse cinema Cinematheque in Seoul. The showcase will open on May 20 and close on the first of June.

BAE is one of the most successful directors of the 80s. In addition, his social dramas are critically acclaimed. Among his classics are "Whale Hunting" and "Our Happy Days of Youth" which was rereleased on DVD by Taehung Pictures Collection in 2006.

BAE continued his career in the 90s and "My Heart" (1999) is among his internationally better known films which garnered acclaim at international film festivals.

BAE is a prolific director and his latest film "Road" (Gil) was released in 2004. The film chronicles two troubled souls who encounter each other on a rural road. Road toured several international film festivals and won the major award at the 2005 Philadelphia International Film Festival.

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

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

2008/03/13 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Veteran actor Ahn Seong-gi returns with another leading role in comedy-caper "My New Partner", opening March 6 across Korea. AHN is a face familiar to audiences of all ages, with a screen career that spans some 50 years. By the mid-80's he was Korea's most bankable lead, starring in many of the decade's top films.

In "My New Partner", AHN plays Min-ho, a veteran police detective who winds up teaming with his estranged son Yeong-joon (played by JO Han-seon), a cold-hearted cop fresh on the job. The pair have a chance to mend their damaged relationship as they try to crack a big drug case in Busan.

Actor AHN has appeared in over 100 films, winning numerous awards and working with top directors such as IM Kwon-taek, BAE Chang-ho, LEE Chang-ho, PARK Kwang-su and LEE Myeong-se. His most recent films include "May 18" (2007), "Radio Star" (2006), "Hanbando" (2006), "Duelist" (2005) and "Silmido" (2003).

My New Parnter has already drawn positive reviews from the local press f...

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

2007/06/16 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Hwang Jin-i, a woman of erotic style and flamboyant intelligence, was excellent at writing poems and drawing and she ridiculed the patriarchal society in which she lived.
Any actress would want to play Hwang Jin-I -- the famous gisaeng is one of the most colorful characters in Korean history, along with Chang Hee-bin and Seong Chun-hyang.
Many movies, dramas and novels have dealt with the life of Hwang Jin-i. Directors have sought out only the most beautiful actresses to play the role.
Do Geum-bong, an actress famed for her sensual body, was the first to play the gisaeng in modern film, starring in "Hwang Jin-i - Movie - 1957" in 1957.
After that, Kang Sook-hee starred in "The Life of Hwang Jin-i (1961)", and Kim Ji-mi followed her in "Hwang Jin-i's First Love (1969)". Kim Ji-mi had a Westernized rather than a traditional Korean appearance.
Chang Mi-hee in "Hwang Jin-i (1986)", directed by Bae Chang-ho, was the most outstanding Hwang Jin-i character, since she was not portraye...

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

2007/04/12 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Acclaimed actress LEE Mi-sook has signed on to her first new project since the 2003 drama "...ing".

LEE first emerged as a star in the 1980s in films such as BAE Chang-ho's box-office hit "Whale Hunting" and LEE Doo-yong's "Mulberry Tree". After retiring from the cinema for close to a decade, she made a highly-praised return in 1998 in LEE Jae-yong's "An Affair". More recently, she won local awards for her performance in the period drama "Untold Scandal" (2003).

In her new film she will be joined by actress KIM Min-hee ("Asako in Ruby Shoes", "Surprise Party") in the second feature by director KWON Chil-in, who enjoyed a box-office hit with "Singles" in 2003. The film focuses on the work and love lives of three women of various generations.

LEE plays the fortysomething single mom Young-mi, who balances a professional career and an active love life. KIM takes on the role of Ami, a woman in her twenties who must decide between two men played by KIM Heung-soo and KIM Sung-...

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

2006/11/05 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

By Kim Hyun

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- Back with his 17th film, director Bae Chang-ho can't hide his excitement, although that kind of reaction is usually common among rookie directors. He watches his film with a theater audience then checks out the Internet to see how many stars the viewers gave him.


Not that he is expecting another box office record. The local legend of the 1980s who dominated the era with blockbusters like "Whale Hunting" and "Deep Blue Night" has returned with a low-budget movie that is playing in only three theaters across South Korea.

A top prize winner of last year's Philadelphia Film Festival, "Road" made its low-key local debut Thursday after two years of being without a distributor.

So, what is the story he waited so long to tell and is so eager to share?
"Being in my 50s, I came to think that maybe I know life a little now", Bae said in an interview at Cinecore, the only theater in Seoul showing his film.

"Road" tells the story of an old bla...

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?