Road (2004) - 길 (Gil)

Space to breathe in days of heavy censorship

2008/07/24 | Source | Permalink |

The center was small enough that if you came late, all the tickets were sold out. We went so often we became friends with the center's projectionist.

Bae Chang-ho, director of "The Last Witness" and "Road"
"I was a college student and an aspiring film director in the early 1970s when I first visited the French Cultural Center.
The majority of us went because the number of foreign films imported to Korea was limited to 20 or so a year and most were commercial Hollywood films that were heavily edited by the government.
We really didn't have that many choices. The center presented a rare venue for auteurist films from the French New Wave cinema. I remember there was a screening room on the first floor called Salle Renoir. I don't know if the name referred to the French impressionist or his filmmaker son, Jean Renoir.
When you went there, you expected to meet certain people. These people later became noted directors, critics and French experts. It was also one of the few places wher...| More

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A backward glance for Mr. Bae

2008/05/27 | Source | Permalink |

Failures become most obvious in retrospect. The past allows you to see situations objectively. At least that's how life works for director Bae Chang-ho.

Currently, The Korean Association of Cinematheques is holding a "Retrospective on Bae Chang-ho" in Seoul Art Cinema in Jongno, central Seoul.

The featured films include Bae's debut work, "People in the Slum" (1982) and "Whale Hunting" (1984). The retrospective started last Tuesday and ends this Sunday.

"At first, opening a retrospective was a burden for me", Bae said. "On second thought, however, it was a chance to look back on my career from a third-person point of view".

Those films that Bae thought were failures based on audience attendance turned out to be significant for the lessons they taught him.

"Looking back relates to the future", the director said. "For future reference when making films, it's important to be in touch with what the public is interested in".

"Deep Blue Night" (1985), which plays tomorrow at...| More

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BAE Chang-ho's impressive oeuvre in the spotlight

2008/05/08 | Source | Permalink |

One of Korea's most influential directors BAE Chang-ho will be honoured with a retrospective of his entire body of films at the arthouse cinema Cinematheque in Seoul. The showcase will open on May 20 and close on the first of June.

BAE is one of the most successful directors of the 80s. In addition, his social dramas are critically acclaimed. Among his classics are "Whale Hunting" and "Our Happy Days of Youth" which was rereleased on DVD by Taehung Pictures Collection in 2006.

BAE continued his career in the 90s and "My Heart" (1999) is among his internationally better known films which garnered acclaim at international film festivals.

BAE is a prolific director and his latest film "Road" (Gil) was released in 2004. The film chronicles two troubled souls who encounter each other on a rural road. Road toured several international film festivals and won the major award at the 2005 Philadelphia International Film Festival.

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

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Movies With English Subtitles

2006/11/02 | Source | Permalink |

"Road" (Kil)

Sponge House

Through Nov. 8

Directed by Bae Chang-ho, the movie is set in the mid-1970s, in a street market that was held regularly in the countryside. It revolves around Tae-suk, a blacksmith who moves from one market to another in the southern part of the nation. On his trip, he encounters a girl named Shin-young, a factory worker from Seoul. While he helps her find her way to her hometown to to attend her father's funeral sand, Tae-suk finds out that she is a daughter of a man who ruined his life. The venue is in Chongno, downtown Seoul, between the south end of Insadong Street and the Chonggye Stream. For more information, call (02) 2285-2090 or visit http://www.spongehouse.com




The King and the Clown (Wangui Namja)

Seoul Selection Bookstore

11 a.m. Saturday

Directed by Lee Joon-ik, the film set in the Choson Kingdom during the late 15th century revolves around street clowns who become court jesters for the notorious tyrant King Yonsan. The v...| More

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Busan to Host Film and Cultural Festivals in October

2005/09/30 | Source | Permalink |

Busan, the country's largest port city, will host various kinds of festivals during the month of October this year. These include the 10th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), a cultural festival celebrating a summit of leaders from 21 countries for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference (APEC), and other events.

Here is a list of the various cultural festivals and events visitors can enjoy in Busan, "the city with a beautiful seascape", amid the heavy scent of autumn.

◇The 10th PIFF

The PIFF will mark its 10th anniversary of its founding as a representative international film festival in Asia, with many film buffs invited to this year's festival to experience more substantial content.

For this year's festival, a total of 307 films from 73 countries, classified into nine categories -- including "Windows of Asia", "New Waves", "World Cinema", and "A Retrospective Show of Korean Films" -- will be shown in the Nampo-dong and Haeundae areas in Busan.

In...| More

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