Film "Sweet Dream" of 1936 Excavated in China

The film "Sweet Dream" (迷夢, 1936) directed by Yang Ju-nam, which has recently been discovered in China, will be released to the public.

The existence of "Sweet Dream" had been known only through archives. But a copy of the film has finally been unearthed, making it the oldest Korean film that still exists.

The Korean Film Archive (KFA) headed by Lee Hyo-in disclosed on Feb. 20 that three Korean films -- "Sweet Dream", "Spring of Korean Peninsula" (半島之春) and "Korea Strait" (朝蘚海峽) -- were discovered from the Chinese Film Archives in December of last year.

The KFA will release these films at the Old Film Theater of the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-dong, Seoul, from Mar. 2 to 5. To be released along with these films will be four films, including "A Troop Train" (1938), which were discovered in 2004 and were treated last year for permanent preservation; and four documentary films, including "News on the National Liberation".

"Sweet Dream", also known as "Illusion", portrays a story about a married woman who flirts with another man and leaves her home. It starred Mun Ye-bong, Jo Taek-won and Kim Han-I. It runs 47 minutes.

A KFA official said, ""Sweet Dream" outshines the film 'Free Woman', which was produced 20 years later, in terms of its expression of a woman's desire".

The film "Spring of Korean Peninsula" (1941) directed by Lee Byung-il depicts a story of love between a film producer and an actress. It starred Kim Il-hae, Kim So-young and Bok Hye-sook. It runs 84 minutes.

The film "Korea Strait" (1943) directed by Park Ki-chae has a pro-Japanese storyline, portraying a story about a lead character who volunteers to join the imperial Japanese Army. But the film is interesting because it is a representative melodramatic film produced in the 1940s. It runs 75 minutes. It starred Kim Il-hae, Nam Seung-min-I, Dok Eun-ki and Mun Ye-bong.