A group of Korean film companies has committed to move to the city of Paju, outside of Seoul. A total of 18 production companies will move to a 170-acre stretch of land being developed in Paju, located 20 miles northwest of Seoul. The city, located close to the North Korean border, has been branded "Book City" thanks to a similar zone that has attracted many book publishers. The new development is expected to be completed by 2008.

Companies making the move include top production houses Sidus FNH, MK Pictures, iFilm Corp., LJ Film, Kim Ki-duk Film, Moho Films (headed by "Old Boy" director ...More

By Helene Hindberg

I had been looking forward with excitement to the press meeting in Cinemateket with one of the most distinguished directors in Korean film. Kim Ki-duk enjoys great recognition throughout Europe, and in the four most recent years he has become a downright festival darling, for instance at the NatFilm Festivalen 2005. Movies like The Isle (2000) and "Bad Guy" (2002) has accomplished to make movie watchers in most of the world find interest in Korean film in general and Kim Ki-duk's work in particular.

A quiet Tuesday morning five journalists appeared in Cinemateket to meet with the director and hopefully to become more insightful towards his work. In the room there were tables shaped in the form of a horseshoe, and Kim Ki-duk sat at the end of it. He looked very young and relaxed in a t-shirt, cap, and baggy pants. He radiated peace and a kind casual accommodating attitude which made the whole event seem more like a cosy chat at a café than an official press meeting.

Eiga: Why did you establish your own production company (Kim Ki-duk Film)?

Kim Ki-duk: I gradually felt a pressure to change my movies in a certain direction, which I wouldn't or couldn't relate to purely artistic. My movies aren't topping the box office and the company LJ Film would like to change this fact. They came up with different suggestions about for instance using famous actors for the roles, but it doesn't fit the kind of movies, I make. With my own company, I have complete artistic freedom and don't need to work out a compromise. It's also an advantage to have control over the economy because then I make more money (laughs). But on the other hand, I also need to find someone who can finance me. The Bow (Hwal, 2005) and 3-Iron (Bin-Jip/Tomme Huse, 2004) are both made with Japanese money. Anyway, the primary reaso...More

Movie 'Bin Jip - 3-Iron' has broken through box-office income $500,000 in Italy as the movie is gaining a good assessment from the Italian audience.

Since director Kim Ki-duk's 'Bin Jip - 3-Iron' has been released in 11 theaters throughout the Italian continent on past Dec. 3, last year, the movie appeared to have earned a total of $566,291 (approximately 590 million won) during 5 weeks up to Jan. 2, this year.

As 'Bin Jip' amplifies the movie's screening theaters over 20 since its release ...More

By Joon Soh
Staff Reporter

Six films by award-winning director Kim Ki-duk will be screened at Megabox Theater in the Convention and Exhibition (COEX) Center, Southern Seoul, from Nov. 1.

"Som (The Isle)", "Suchwiin Pulmyong (Address Unknown)", "Nabbun Namja (Bad Guy)", "Haean...More

Akram Khan grew up in the United Kingdom to Bangladeshi parents. Like many immigrant families, his parents valued the importance of learning about one's heritage, so his mother enrolled him in an academy, where at the age of 3, he began learning kathak, one of seven classic dance forms.
Today, he is one of London's most celebrated choreographers and the founder of the Akram Khan Company. He was in Korea recently to host a workshop for dancers, and to perform "ma", a modern dance piece that tells the story of a barren woman yearning for children, along with the story of Mr. Khan's search for life answers.
In the piece, a Pakistani vocalist, a percussionist on the mridangam, a South Indian drum, and a cellist set a haunting mood with a mix of ethnic and Western classical music.
As Mr. Khan's multicultural vision continues to expand and reach others, he said he'd like to one day collaborate with a certain Korean director to create a dance film.
"Modern dance has very human qualities. And of the seven classic dances, kathak is more imperfect, in a positive way", Khan told the audience at a Q&A session following his performance on Sunday for the Seoul International Dance Festival.
"I'm interested in human qualities. A lot of my reaction at seeing dancers in the West, it's a little bit arrogant. I like when there's a sense of humbleness. It gives more space for things to happ...More