Korean movies are riding a wave of popularity, with noticible artistic and commercial appeal brought on by a new generation of stylish directors grabbing prizes in major international film festivals. For foreign residents in Korea, two events provide a chance to enjoy some quality offerings - with English subtitles.
Ewha Womans University is to hold the first Ewha Korean Film Festival Nov. 2-4 at the International Education Building (LG Convention Hall) inside its campus in western Seoul.
"The first Ewha Korean Film Festival will provide Korean films, which received critical acclaim overseas and domestically, to the international community with English subtitles", organizers said in a statement.
Ewha Womans University stressed that this is the first film festival to offer all Korean films with English subtitles.
"This will enable the international community in Seoul to view contemporary Korean films in a theatre-setting and learn about Korean culture", it noted.
To be screened are eight high-profile Korean features: "Taegukgi" (Kang Je-gyu, 2004), "Old Boy" (Park Chan-wook, 2003), "Failan" (Song Hae-seong, 2001), "2009 Lost Memories" (Yi Shi-myeong, 2001), "Oasis" (Yi Chang-dong, 2003), "Waikiki Brothers" (Yim Sun-rye, 2001), "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring" (Kim Ki-duk, 2003) and "The Repatriation" (Kim Dong-won, 2004).
This film festival will go the extra mile and bring three of the prominent Korean film directors to the forum for "Meet the Director" program for each evening's screening. At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, director Park Chan-wook will share his thoughts about movies with the audience, followed by the same sessions for director Yim Sun-rye at 8 p.m. on Wednesday and for director Kim Dong-won at 8:10 p.m. on Thursday.
The Korea Film Archive, an agency which aims to preserve Korean film-related data, is offering "New Korean Connection", a special screening of 25 Korean films with English subtitles, targeting expats in Korea.
The admission is free, and the screening starts from today and goes through Nov. 5 at the agency's headquarters in Seocho-dong, Seoul.
Major films include "Peppermint Candy" (Lee Chang-dong, 1999), "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" (Park Chan-wook, 2002), "Woman is the Future of Man" (Hong Sang-soo, 2004), "The Isle" (Kim Ki-duk, 2000), "Happy End" (Jeong Ji-woo, 2000), "Save the Green Planet" (Jang Joon-hwan, 2003), "Memories of Murder" (Bong Joon-ho, 2003), "A Tale of Two Sisters" (Kim Ji-won, 2003), and Ardor (Byeon Yeong-joo, 2002).
For further information about Ewha Korean Film Festival, call (02) 3277-3427, and for New Korean Connection, call (02) 521-6213 or visit www.koreafilm.or.kr.
By Yang Sung-jin
|
Related movies/dramas
|
English 
US$5 off (order min. US$5)
