Hanbando (2006) - 한반도 (Han-ban-do)

2008/05/06 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Upcoming South Korean feature "Crossing", a harrowing tale about a North Korean family's desperate struggle to survive, screened at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. last week. Those in attendance included House International Relations Committee specialists Dennis Halpin and Doug Anderson, Peter Beck, executive director of the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, KIM Sung-min, a former N.K. refugee and close to 100 foreign journalists.

Halpin, a Republican, called the film a "masterpiece" in its portrayal of human suffering under dictatorship, putting it on par with the "Diary of Anne Frank". Beck called "Crossing" the best film ever made on the subject of North Korean defectors. Several in the audience reportedly broke into tears as they watched the family's sad plight.

Based on the real-life accounts of numerous North Korean refugees, the film centers on a family of three, the husband, Yong-soo, his wife, and their 11-year-old son. When Yong-soo's wife...

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2008/04/22 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Local film weekly magazine, Cine 21, provided its annual list of the most powerful players in the Korean film industry, with CJ Entertainment president KIM Joo-seong at the top for the first time. With the industry taking a downturn last year, CJ Ent. has grown to become the key investor and distributor for many of the biggest projects expected out this year, including "Modern Boy" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird".

In second place was CHA Seung-jae of SIDUS FNH, switching from the top spot last year and the year before. In third was Cinema Service founder and director KANG Woo-suk, ("Silmido", "Hanbando", and the upcoming Kang Chul-joon). Mediaplex CEO KIM woo-taek came in fourth while "The Host" helmer BONG Joon-ho was in fifth place.

The ranking are voted on by 85 leading film industry representatives. Other notables included MK Pictures producer SHIM Jae-myung at no.6, Lotte Entertainment CEO KIM Kwang-seop at 7, top Korean actor SONG Kang-ho at 8 and director PARK C...

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2008/03/13 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Veteran actor Ahn Seong-gi returns with another leading role in comedy-caper "My New Partner", opening March 6 across Korea. AHN is a face familiar to audiences of all ages, with a screen career that spans some 50 years. By the mid-80's he was Korea's most bankable lead, starring in many of the decade's top films.

In "My New Partner", AHN plays Min-ho, a veteran police detective who winds up teaming with his estranged son Yeong-joon (played by JO Han-seon), a cold-hearted cop fresh on the job. The pair have a chance to mend their damaged relationship as they try to crack a big drug case in Busan.

Actor AHN has appeared in over 100 films, winning numerous awards and working with top directors such as IM Kwon-taek, BAE Chang-ho, LEE Chang-ho, PARK Kwang-su and LEE Myeong-se. His most recent films include "May 18" (2007), "Radio Star" (2006), "Hanbando" (2006), "Duelist" (2005) and "Silmido" (2003).

My New Parnter has already drawn positive reviews from the local press f...

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2007/10/09 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

In 2004 Seoul's Daehangno (a hub for the theater arts in Korea) was a bundle of energy with the introduction of "Yeongeukyeolgeon" or "A Hot War of Plays", a theatrical festival that featured beloved Korean productions from the 1980s including "Cheongchunyechan" or "Glorious Youth" and "Guangaekmodok" or "Blasphemy on the Audience" It was as if there was a renaissance in Korean theater.
It didn't last. The festival disappeared, lingering only as a legendary event in the memory of its participants.
However, it seems as though a new era has begun in Daehangno, now that actor Jo Jae-hyeon (known for his roles in films like "Hanbando" or "The Han Peninsula", as well as plays and television dramas), stands at the center of a 2008 revival of Yeongeukyeolgeon. Jo is participating, not only as a famous face to promote the festival but also as a producer, public relations figure and actor. His new title, printed on his business card, is "2008 Yeongeukyeolgeon Programmer". The JoongAng Ilbo m...

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2007/08/13 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

The recent turnaround in Korea's movie industry is helping local producers of computer graphics (CG) to challenge the world. "D-War", a sci-fi monster flick produced completely with Korean CG technology, is expected to record five million viewers in just 10 days of release. In addition, Korean software garnered rave reviews at the world's top CG show this week. In other words, a Korean CG company has formally thrown down the gauntlet to Hollywood.

"The Host" was last year's biggest blockbuster, drawing over 13 million movie fans. Its computer graphics, considered to have played a major role in the success of the film, were all done in the U.S. The visual effects in "D-War", on the other hand, were made totally by domestic CG company Younggu Art.

The highlight of "D-War" is when an extremely real-looking imoogi, or Korean serpent, terrorizes downtown L.A. and snakes up a skyscraper. The dynamic scene was made possible by linking an imoogi made by 3-D CG technology with actual shot...

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