Min Byeong-kook (민병국)

'Possible Changes' shows gloomy life of 2 men

Source | 2005/03/19 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Can we really change? Are we allowed to embrace changes in everyday life? Is there really a way out in this confusing era where morality, sexuality and values get entangled in a way that defies clear judgment calls?

"Possible Changes", released yesterday, tackles such bewildering questions by zooming in on the gloomy, lonely lives of two men. Notable is the opening scene where Moon-ho (Jeong Chan) and Jong-kyu (Kim Yoo-seok) sit on the edge of a cliff and watch the sea together.

It is relatively easy to see that the cliff symbolizes the precarious situations forcing modern (or postmodern) people to find some solutions. The sea, accordingly, points to the ideal possibility that can reshape their frustrating life.

Clear-cut interpretation, however, stops right there. From this point on, director Min Byeong-kook, who had worked as an assistant director in the 1998 film "Power of Kangwon Province" with director Hong Sang-soo, tells a puzzling story whose theme is deeply elusive....| More

'The 2005 Jeonju International Film Festival' to screen a total of 20 Korean short-length films

Source | 2005/02/05 | 0 comments | Permalink |

A total of 380 Korean short-length films applied their screening at 'The 2005 Jeonju International Film Festival', which will be held from April 28 through May. 6.

The organizing committee of the Film Festival plans to screen by selecting a total of 20 films among these 380 films in 'Korean short-length's selection: critic week' section. 'Korean short-length's selection: critic week' has been gaining a number of popularity as it began as a form of non-competition from late 2002.

On one hand, the opening film of the 5th Jeonju International Film Festival by director Min Byeong-kook is his first feature debut film that feels like a monologue about one entity divided into many personas, much like how a dealt subject often gets excluded from the screen.

Everyday life began from somewhere far off dispersing itself like the poisonous elements in the air, settling inside the characters, and the characters stand below the sky, above the sea and by the cliff.

We have seen many such ...| More

`President's Barber' Gets Best Director Prize at Tokyo Film Festival

Source | 2004/11/02 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Local filmmaker Im Chan-sang received the prize for best director for his film "Hyoja-dong Ibalsa (The President's Barber)" at the 17th Tokyo International Film Festival on Sunday.
Another local film, "Kanunghan Pyonhwadul (Possible Changes)" by Min Byeong-kook won the Winds of Asia prize for young filmmakers.

The grand prize of the festival went to "Whiskey" by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll of Uruguay. The filmmakers received $100,000 in cash as part of the prize.

The special jury award was given to "Kekexili: Mountain Patrol" by Lu Chuan of China.

This year's six-member jury included local filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, as well as Piers Handling, director of Toronto International Film Festival....| More