| Local Movies Thrive on Nationalism (Source) |
2006/07/19 |
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Korean movies thrive on nationalism as five of the 10 recent box-office local movies deal with nationalistic themes.
Heavy on anti-Japanese sentiment or rather on anti-foreign forces sentiment, "Hanbando (Korean Penisula)" is the latest among the nationalism-tinged films that have become box office hits.
Among the 10 most viewed films of all time, five deal with nationalistic issues: "TaeGukGi: The Brotherhood War" (2004), "Welcome to Dongmakgol" (2005), "Silmido" (2004), "Shiri" (1999) and "JSA - Joint Security Area" (2000).
Despite concerns over the film's controversial theme, "Hanbando" ranked top at the box office this week, dethroning hitherto Hollywood blockbusters such as "Superman Returns", and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" from local movie theaters.
According to KnJ Entertainment, the film's production company, "Hanbando" drew over 1.5 million moviegoers for five days since its release on July 13. It is currently sh... |More
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| South, North films offered at Moscow Fest (Source) |
2005/12/19 |
A film festival highlighting the cinematic works of South and North Korea is being held in Moscow, Russia as part of celebration of the 60th anniversary of Korea's independence from Japanese rule.
Organized by the Kyore Ilbo, a Moscow-based Korean-language newspaper, it is taking place at Moscow's Salute Hotel and will show the South and North Korean films including "Heaven's Soldiers " and "Fighter in the Wind".
The festival was launched Dec. 19 and will run until Dec. 21. ... |More
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| Moscow to Host Inter-Korean Film Festival (Source) |
2005/11/30 |
Moscow will host an inter-Korean film festival next month to mark the 60th anniversary of Korean liberation from Japanese rule.
The Gyeoreh Ilbo, a daily published by ethnic Koreans in Russia, said Wednesday that the festival will run from December 19th to the 21st.
On the schedule are the North Korean films "Girl Selling Flowers", "Empress Chung" and "Hong Kil-dong".
"Hong Kil-dong" is based on a famous 17-century novel about a farmer who fights government corruption and helps the poor. "Empress Chung" is an animated inter-Korean production about a traditional Korean folktale.
South Korean films at the festival will include the action-fantasy film "Heaven's Soldiers" and "Fighter in the Wind", the true story of Korean-Japanese Choi Bae-dal, who founded Kyokushin karate school as Matsutatsu Oyama.
During the festival period, the organizer will also show videos of Goryeo Dynasty relics and hold events on Korean liberation.
An invitation to the festival has been sent to... |More
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| Local Films With English Subtitles (Source) |
2005/10/20 |
Cine-Cafe Evenings
At 6:30 p.m. on Friday
Korea Foundation Cultural Center
This charity movie session will screen "Public Enemy 2", a story about the confrontation between a tough prosecutor and a criminal who used to be classmates. The session is held once a month at the venue, near City Hall Station on subway line 1 and 2. Another charity movie gathering titled "Cine-Cafe Mornings" is also held every second and fourth Wednesday from 9.30 a.m. at Samsung Raeminan Cultural Center near Anguk Station on subway line 3. On Oct. 26, it will screen "Untold Scandal", which looks at the sexual mores and practices during the late Choson Kingdom. Admission to each session is 10,000 won, which will be donated to a local charity organization. Details: 011-748-1972 or http://www.geocities.com/ekfprogram
Heaven's Soldiers (Chongun) (2005)
Seoul Selection Bookstore
Saturday at noon
Soldiers from North and South Korea are thrown back into 1592 to meet Lee Sun-sin, one of the m... |More
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| Star Billing for the Dear Leader (Source) |
2005/08/21 |
If you run a search via the portal site Naver of the 2004 documentary "A State Of Mind", which is set to open on August 26, star credit goes to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, right after director Daniel Gordon. The movie follows for eight months the lives of two girls, 13-year-old Hyon-sun and 11-year-old Song-yon, as they prepare for North Korea's notorious Mass Games marking the country's "victory" in the Korean War. The film gives an unfiltered insight into the lives of the two as they train to "present their proud image to General Kim Jong-il" in what passes for a middle-class family in Pyongyang.
In the end, Kim Jong-il is not the "star" of the film, but he does make an "appearance" as himself, being a documentary. So why the star billing? Dongsoong Art Center's film foundation, which handles local distribution, said it was due to the failure to update the film information from the movie's initial promotion, adding the center will ask Naver to make a correction.
Kim Jong-i... |More
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