Solace (2006) - 사랑할 때 이야기하는 것들 (Sa-lang-hal Ddae I-ya-gi-ha-neun Geot-deul)

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

Getting introduced to the friends is an important step in developing a relationship, and I was about to cross that threshold again in a noraebang, or singing room, the other day.
Surrounded by my dear one's youthful friends ? my man happens to be younger than I ? I was literally sweating in my business suit as I tried to look good in front of his buddies, who were all dressed in sweatshirts and jeans.
It was finally my turn to take the microphone, and I asked for a song by Kang Su-ji, who was in her prime when I was a teenager, singing intensely feminine songs that are perfect for such occasions.
"Oh, I know that song very well", said one younger person, who was kind enough to find the number for the karaoke machine.
Feeling relieved that I might overcome the age discrepancy, I took the microphone with confidence, only to feel my heart turn cold.
The version the young man had selected was a remake of the song by a 21st century boy band pretending to be a rock group.
The only ...

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2007/09/04 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Now in its 8th year, the Seoul International Film Festival, known as SENEF (the acronym comes from its original title, the Seoul Net and Film Festival) has evolved into Korea's most advanced cinematic event. It is also inviting some of the world's most innovative and renowned directors to its 10-day run which opens September 6th.
Japanese director Naomi Kawase, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year's 60th Cannes festival for The Mourning Forest, will make her first visit to Korea to present her film as the festival opener. After the screening the director will answer questions and talk with respected feminist film critic KIM Soyoung.

Other directors invited to present their films at the festival include Hollywood effects specialist Alan Chan with his own short film, Postcards from the Future, which is jointly opening the festival. Argentinean director Inés de Oliveira Cézar will attend with his feature, Foreigner, shot in the 2K HD format. Directors Pedro Aguilera (La I...

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2007/06/01 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

'In a sense I almost see "The Murmuring" as their coming-of-age film'.

Byeon Young-joo was young and confused when strangers gave her warm praise for her film without having seen it.
In 1994 at the age of 27, Byeon was fresh out of women's college with a law degree. That's when she first shot "The Murmuring", a feature documentary on Korean women forced by the Japanese army to become sex slaves during World War II.
When released the following year, her documentary helped mark the height of activist filmaking and feminism in Korea, the two civilian movements that were major achievements of the democratic struggles in 1980s Korea.
The response was overwhelming. Every student she met at film venues had heard of her. Yet most of them had not seen her film. In Korea, "The Murmuring" was seen by less than 10,000 people, while it drew more than 200,000 viewers when it opened in Japan.
"All of a sudden I felt like I was becoming Korea's Ken Loach", says Byeon, referring to a Britis...

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2007/05/28 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon won the best actress award at the Cannes film festival Sunday (May 27) for her role in "Secret Sunshine" depicting a woman struggling to rearrange her life after the tragic deaths of her husband and only son.

Jeon is the second actress from Korea to win an award at a major international film competition. Kang Soo-yeon won the best actress award at the 1987 Venice Film Festival for her role in "Surrogate Mother".

The 34-year-old actress was considered a favorite from early on, gaining acclaim for her powerful performance as a young mother whose life is suddenly torn apart. It was directed by Lee Chang-dong, a former Korean culture minister who previously was the director of award-winning local films like "Peppermint Candy" and "Oasis".

"I cannot believe it", Jeon said as she received the award.

"I heard there were many fascinating actresses who performed wonderfully, and I'm not sure if I'm entitled to stand here on behalf of them. I thank the Can...

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2007/05/07 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

In his latest film, set to compete at Cannes, director Lee Chang-dong achieves a thought-provoking drama that asks if hope exists

Life, they say, is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think. "Milyang" ("Secret Sunshine") amplifies the extreme tragedy of one vulnerable Korean woman's life; the movie also pushes viewers to think hard about life's cruel arbitrariness and an elusive, almost secretive, ray of hope.

The sheer dramatic power of "Secret Sunshine" comes from director Lee Chang-dong's ever-evolving storytelling techniques. The former culture and tourism minister is not unfamiliar with the dark side of life, as his much-celebrated films "Oasis" and "Peppermint Candy" richly testify. This time, Lee seems to have pushed his own limits with a plot and characterization that border on a mind-boggling turn of sad events that threaten to overwhelm and destroy the human spirit.

The fragile mind beset by a mercilessly harsh reality is represented by Shin-ae (...

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