Feathers in the Wind (2004) - 깃

2008/03/21 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

In the last few years, Korean films, TV dramas and pop music have become immensely popular abroad, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. This is the 25th in a series of essays by a select group of scholars and journalists looking at the spread of Korean pop culture in Southeast Asian countries and beyond. - Ed.

"Hallyu", or the Korean Wave, marks the long overdue re-emergence of Korean culture into the global arena. Korean culture's newfound international vogue situates South Korean cinema, TV melodramas, K-pop, and computer games as active participants in the transformation of world culture.

These "domestic" electronic audio-visual cultural creations are no longer limited to just the Korean peninsula and the global Korean diaspora despite that they are produced in the Korean language - a language that is not one of the globalized imperial languages such as English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese.

Despite this linguistic barrier, hallyu is now a recognized agent of gl...

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2008/02/26 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Acclaimed actor MOON Seong-geun will take the lead role in "Sahwa" (meaning 'Royal Massacre') a horror from Cannes winning director SONG Il-gon. MOON has been a notable figure in the Korean film industry since the 1990's, when he starred in films by top new wave directors, PARK Kwang-soo ("Black Republic"), JANG Sun-woo ("Road to the Racetrack"), and in LEE Chang-dong's debut film "Green Fish".

MOON also provided memorable performances in such films as HONG Sang-soo's "Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors" and PARK Chan-ok's "Jealousy is My Middle Name". He came late to his acting career, having first spent time as a business man in Saudi Arabia. Throughout the 90's he was deeply involved in supporting the Korean film industry and served as Vice-chairman of the Korean Film Council in 1999.

In SONG's fifth feature, a Chosun dynasty-set tale of bloody power games between rival families, MOON will play the central role of a king beset by curses and vengeful murders. Supporti...

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2008/01/09 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Director SONG Il-gon is in pre-production on his latest project, an historical horror set in the Joseon Dynasty. The film is being budgeted at around US$4 million and is titled Sahwa – meaning 'royal massacre'. No word on who will star in the feature and casting is currently ongoing.

The production company behind the film is Masulpiri Co. which produced "Family Matters" (2006), "A Tale of Two Sisters" (2003), and JEONG Jae-eun's "Take Care of My Cat" (2001).

"Sahwa" is about a bloody power game between rival families. When the Park family massacres the Shin family, and takes the throne, a child, Wan, is born to them that very same night of the killings. Seven years later, an attack on the king's family leaves everyone but young Wan dead. Wan grows deadly ill, and the king tries to save him but curses, strange happenings, and mysterious murders draw nearer.

The film will be SONG's fourth feature, following the critical success of "The Magicians" (2006), "Feathers in t...

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2007/02/14 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Experimental director SONG Il-gon is developing a film tentatively titled "Telephone Girl". The titular girl lives in the 1920-30s when Korea was modernizing, albeit, under Japanese colonial rule.

The story depicts the girl becoming a modern woman with a focus on the girl's romance. The girl is from humble descent and works as a switchboard operator.

The film is to be produced by new-comer JinJin Pictures, affiliated with art-house film distributor/exhibitor Dongsoong Art Center. JinJin Pictures will handle the production and distribution side. JinJin Pictures will also explore commercial opportunities and Telephone Girl is an exponent of the new direction with a budget of US$ 5 million.

Director SONG Il-gon directed the mainstream film "Spider Forest" in 2004. Outside Korea he is best known for his experimental low-budget films, which featured at International Film Festivals. He started attracting attention with his 2001 Flower Island, a selection of the Venice Film Festival...

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2006/05/30 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

This year's New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) will screen six Korean films. Song Il-gon has two of his films at the festival, "The Magicians" and Feathers in the Wind. The other titles are: A Bittersweet Life (Kim Ji-woon), "Blood Rain" (Kim Dae-seung), "Duelist" (Lee Myeong-se) and Welcome to Dongmakgol (Park Kwang-hyeon).

The fifth edition of the festival will be held from June 16 until July 1. The festival is organized by Subway Cinema. The New York based Subway Cinema strives for a greater exposure and appreciation of Asian cinema in the United States. The festival is covered by major international media and gained critical recognition.

Past winners of the Audience Award at the New York Asian Film Festival are the Korean films: My Sassy Girl (Kwak Jae-yong) and Please Teach Me English (Kim Seong-soo).

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

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