Song Dong-yoon (송동윤)

'Unforgettable': Return to Innocence

Source | 2008/05/08 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

In tune with Family Month comes a heartwarming tale about cherished childhood memories, "Unforgettable". Set in an obscure village during the 1970s, the film captures the beauty of simplicity and signals a return to an age of innocence. The old becomes new ― the retro story will be like a breath of fresh air to computer game-addicted urbanites.

It's a small jewel of a film, where director Song Dong-yoon uses analog film rather than digital to immortalize the breathtaking natural scenery of Sindo. Mellow piano tunes compliment the visuals, though some of the overly dramatic soundtracks for touching moments are a bit cliche. Nevertheless, it shows how computer-generated imagery, no matter how glitzy or high-tech, cannot rival the sight of glistening, rolling hills on a sunny day or a golden sunset by the beach.

Korea's favorite child actor Yoo Seung-ho was much loved as the bratty city boy who learns to appreciate country life and his grandm...| More

[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Unforgettable' portrays inspiring journey from island to big city

Source | 2008/05/06 | 0 comments | Permalink |

On a remote island in South Jeolla Province, a dozen students share a single classroom. Deprived of modern technology, they hardly know the difference between a bicycle and a pair of glasses. As they see it, both have two circles, and that's that.

"Unforgettable" (Seoul-i boinya), directed by debut filmmaker Song Dong-yoon, brings back memories of pre-modern day Korea when islanders used to get by with a handful of basic tools, and rarely got out of their hometown.

Director Song, fortunately, has not fallen into the trap of stirring up romantic nostalgia. Instead, he employs a story-within-a-story structure, focusing on timeless educational issues such as what makes a good teacher and what is really needed for adventure-seeking students.

In the movie which will be released on Thursday, Gil-su (played by Lee Chang-hoon) is a dedicated teacher who wants to take his students on a field trip during the upcoming summer vacation. But his desire to offer students the rare chance to g...| More

Child actor YOO Seung-ho returns to the big screen

Source | 2008/04/21 | 0 comments | Permalink |

YOO Seung-ho is one of Korea's most popular child actors since the film The Way Home (Jibero) in which he played a spoiled city boy left with his grandmother in the country. YOO's next film will be "Unforgettable" (Seouli Bonya, English translation: "can you see Seoul?"), two years after his latest film "Hearty Paws" ("Heart is.".. - Maeumi).

The film reunites YOO with director SONG Dong-yoon, the two also collaborated on Woori Seonsaengnim in 2005. The Cinema Service production will be released on May 8.

Seouli Bonya is set in the seventies. A school on the island Sindo of the Korean west coast receives an invitation from a Seoul based candy factory. The invitation is only for twelve students, but all the students start fantasising about eating candy in Seoul. The film employs the 'dreams can come true' theme.

"The Way Home" was a surprise hit film in 2002. The drama's warm content of a spoilt boy learning from his modest and poor grandmother struck a cord with Korean audie...| More