Dasepo Girl (Movie - 2006)

Kim Ok-bin Named Best Actress at Sitges Film Fest

Source | 2009/10/12 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Actress Kim Ok-bin shared the award for Best Actress with Spain's Elena Anaya at the 42nd Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Spain.

The 23-year-old won the award, the festival announced Sunday, for her role in Park Chan-wook's "Thirst". Kim shared the award with Anaya for her role in "Hierro", a psychological thriller.

"Thirst", a thriller that won the jury prize at Cannes this year, is about a priest-turned-vampire (Song Kang-ho) struggling with his desire for blood and sex. Kim received critical acclaim for her portraying a femme fatale who seduces the bloodsucking priest.

In 2005, South Korea's Lee Young-ae won the award for "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance", also directed by Park.

Kim debuted through an online beauty contest hosted by Internet portal site Naver in 2004. Her filmography includes the comic period film "The Accidental Gangster and Mistaken Courtesan" and teen sex comedy "Dasepo Naughty Girls" ("Dasepo Girl" - 2006)...| More

Lee Jae-yong Cranks in on "Actresses"

Source | 2009/07/06 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Director Lee Jae-yong, best known for his elegant and erotic period drama "Untold Scandal" (2003), is in production on his latest film, a semi-improvisational ensemble piece with the working-title "Actresses".

The low-budget feature boasts six of Korea's top female stars, all of whom have agreed to work on a deferred payment basis. The film centers on a day-long fashion shoot in which all of the actresses will be playing themselves and sharing candid stories with the camera.

The cast includes KIM Ok-bin, star of PARK Chan-wook's "Thirst" and director Lee's previous feature "Dasepo Girl"; LEE Mi-sook, who starred in Lee's "Untold Scandal" and "An Affair", KIM Min-hee who starred in Lee's "Asako in Ruby Shoes", KO Hyeon-jeong, who recently starred in HONG Sang-soo's "Like You Know It All", CHOI Ji-woo ("Shadowless Sword") and veteran actress YOON Yeo-jeong (IM Sang-soo's "A Good Lawyer's Wife")

Produced by Moongcle Pictures, presented by Sponge Entertainment and distributed ...| More

The 8th Mise-en-Scene Short Film Festival Opens this Week

Source | 2009/06/26 | 0 comments | Permalink |

This year's Mise-en-scene Short Film festival will showcase a total of 120 films. The film festival whose focus is genre short films will feature films genres normally associated with feature length films.  These genres include horror, fantasy, love and even action.  It features 57 films in the official section and the invitation section for foreign films focuses on varied stories surrounding the topic of death.
 
Behind the scenes is a wealth of talent and Korean film alumi. The committee chair this year is director BONG Joon-ho ("Mother - 2009", "The Host") and head of jury is director KIM Dae-seung ("Bungee Jumping of their Own", "Blood Rain").  On the committee is directors PARK Chan-wook (The Revenge Trilogy, "Thirst"), RYOO Seung-wan ("The City of Violence", "Crying Fist"), KIM Ji-woon ("A Tale of Two Sisters", "The Good, The Bad, The Weird"), LEE Jae-yong ("Dasepo Girl", "Untold Scandal") and many other well known directors.
 
The Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival opens Wedn...| More

Park's 'Thirst' Is Riveting

Source | 2009/04/26 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Park Chan-wook's latest work "Thirst", like other great movies, makes you forget you're watching one, and you won't be able to stop it from shaking up every cell in your body unless you dart for the exit. Park-brand films are undoubtedly an acquired taste, and this vampire-priest story, slated to compete in Cannes next month, is certainly not for those with weak stomachs. Nor is it, despite being replete with tasteful humor only Song Kang-ho ("Secret Sunshine") can pull off and being the first South Korean film to be co-produced by a major Hollywood studio, for those seeking light-hearted entertainment.

This reporter admits having had to close her eyes and plug her ears for some of the extreme scenes, but still had the ultimate audiovisual experience discovering ironic amusement and empathizing with the protagonist's frenetic actions, disillusionment and despair, listless surrender and dissipation, and, finally, spiritual transformation.

In this...| More

Park Chan-wook Explores Self, Dream in 'Thirst'

2009/03/31 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Recently, celebrated cineastes like Lee Chang-dong ("Secret Sunshine") and top stars Jeon Do-yeon and "Rain", among many others, were seen visiting the set of Park Chan-wook's much talked-about feature, "Thirst". The film's trailer was revealed for the first time before the press, Tuesday, in Seoul, before its release April 30.

It was indeed novel to see the all-too-familiar, yet distinctly foreign, theme of Universal Pictures opening the impressionable clip. "Thirst" is the first South Korean film to be co-produced and distributed by a major Hollywood studio.

"I'm not so sure how it happened", Park told the crowded press room regarding Korean giant CJ Entertainment's partnership with Universal. In a video clip provided by organizers, Universal's Focus Features CEO James Shamus said he was "desperate to in some small way be part of this incredible filmmaking genius' work".

"I don't expect big results like grossing high in the American box off...| More