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Words on Screen: Celebrating Paju the Bookcity — September daytime screenings at the KCC

You’ve read the book, now watch the film. September’s daytime screenings celebrate screen adaptations of books. And there are some classics.

The schedule is as follows:

Mondays 12 noon: The Old Garden. 3pm: The Old Potter
Tuesdays 12 noon: My Sassy Girl. 3pm: He Was Cool
Wednesdays 12 noon: Portrait of a Beauty. 3pm: A Road to Sampo
Thursdays 12 noon: Dance with the Wind. 3pm: JSA – Joint Security Area
Fridays 12 noon: Hwang Jin-yi. 3pm: The Shower

Daytime Screening September
Words on Screen: Celebrating Paju the Bookcity

Paju - the Bookcity
Paju - the Bookcity

September sees the KCCUK Library celebrating Paju the Book City with ten films adapted from either Korean novels or blogs. The ten films range widely from comedies to period dramas to romance.

Situated 30 kilometres outside Seoul and near the ‘Land of Promise’ otherwise known as Paju, the Bookcity, built 17 years ago looks to help promote and strengthen the Korean publishing industry. The original genesis of the project was to create a city, solely for the book industry devoted to the planning, producing and distributing of Korean literature. This mirco city looked to escape the confusing streets and ‘unwholesome’ architecture found in many of Korea’s cities which have resulted in a lack of community spirit. Bookcity looks to recreate a friendly and proactive community to create a more creative environment.

The Book Festival is not the only festival that Paju has to offer in September but also; The DMZ Documentary Film Festival, which is not a festival occupied solely with documentaries about the DMZ but looks to “focuses on the themes of peace, coexistence and reconciliation but welcomes all types of documentaries”. And the Yulgok Cultural Festival which is a culture festival held to worship the morals of Yi Yulgok, a Confucian scholar and leader of the Giho school of Joseon Dynasty. The festival is held in the Juam auditorium where the scholar’s tomb is. These are only a few of the festivals, the rest you can check out on the Paju homepage.

The screenings begin on September 5th till the end of the month in the KCCUK Library.

The Old Garden (2006)

The Old GardenAdapted from The Old Garden by Hwang Sok-yong
Dir: Im Sang-soo
Cast: Park Hye-sook, Ji Jin-hee, Yun Jung-ah
Genre: Drama
Cert: 12 (S.Korea)
Runtime: 112mins

Hyun-woo steps out of prison after a 17-year sentence for anti-government activities. During this time, everything has changed with even his fellow protesters becoming mundane. His mother then tells him of the death of Yoon-hee, the woman who loved and waited for all through his incarceration. Hyun-woo goes back to the place where the two had spent a few months together like a couple of honeymooners. He reminiscences about there love while discovering a secret Yoon-hee kept from him.

My Sassy Girl (2001)

My Sassy GirlAdapted from My Sassy Girl by Kim Ho-shik
Dir: Kwak Jae-yong
Cast: Jun Ji-hyun, Cha Tae-hyun
Genre: Romcom
Cert: 12 (S.Korea)
Runtime: 124mins

Based on a series of true internet stories posted by Ho-sik Kim describing his relationship with his girlfriend which was later transformed into a best-selling book. It describes the meeting of Kyun-woo who is shamed into assisting a drunken girl because the other passengers mistakenly think she is his girlfriend. Once he helps her, Kyun-woo develops a deep sense of responsibility for her which enables him to tolerate (somehow) the girls abuses.

Portrait of a Beauty (2008)

Portrait of a BeautyAdapted from Painter of the Wind by Lee Jeong-myeong
Dir: Jeon Yun-su
Cast: Kim Min-sun, Lee Sung-hun, Kim Nam-gil
Genre: Drama
Cert: 12
Runtime: 108mins

Portrait of a Beauty is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Jeon Yoon-soo. Adapted from the novel Painter of the Wind by Lee Jeong-myeong, the film portrays Joseon-era painter Shin Yoon-bok who is a very gifted painter but has to take the identity of her dead brother to live out her passion and keep her family honour. Yoon-bok becomes conflicted when she meets the love of her life and has to choose between her passion for painting and her love.

JSA – Joint Security Area (2000)

JSAAdapted from DMZ by Park Sang-yeon
Dir: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Young-ae, Lee Byung-hun
Genre: Drama
Cert: 15
Runtime: 110mins

A firefight occurs in the DMZ, with two North Korean soldiers being killed. The North claims that the incident was a flagrant attack by the South Koreans, while the South claims that one of their soldiers was kidnapped. In order to solve the dispute, the NNSC dispatches half-Korean half-Swiss Intelligence officer. With no cooperation from either side, the case appears to be unsolvable. However, she discovers some of the statements do not match which leads her to find a surprising and tragic truth.

The Shower (1978)

The ShowerAdapted from The Shower written by Hwang Soon-won
Dir: Ko Young-nam
Cast: Lee Young-su, Cho Yun-suk, Kim Sin-jae
Genre: Drama
Cert: 12 (S.Korea)
Runtime: 100mins

Country boy Suk-ie meets Yeon-ie, a girl from Seoul who has just transferred to his school. Suk-ie likes his pretty new classmate, but hides his true feelings and expresses his affection indirectly by picking on her. When she fails to show up at school for several days in a row, he becomes worried. After she returns to school, he secretly follows her. He rescues her from the mean antics of a group of boys, and the two strike up a friendship.

The Old Potter (1969)

The Old PotterAdapted from The Old Potter by Hwang Soon-won
Dir: Choi Ha-won
Cast: Kim Hee-ra, Hwan Hae, Yoon Jeong-hee
Genre: Drama
Cert: 15 (S.Korea)
Runtime: 95mins

A Drifter comes back to his hometown, sees pots and is reminded of his father. 60 year old Mr Song lives alone, focusing on making pots. He finds a young woman, Ok-su, on a snowy road, takes her in, saving her life. Mr Song is made fun of by his friend when he washes her clothes in a stream. When Ok-su wakes up, Mr Song asks her to stay if she wishes. They marry and have a son, Dang-son.

He Was Cool (2004)

He Was CoolAdapted from He Was Cool by Guiyeoni
Dir: Lee Hwan-kyung
Cast: Song Seung-heon, Jung Da-bin, Kim Ji-hye
Genre: Romcom
Cert: 12 (S.Korea)
Runtime: 114mins

Based on a novel by Guiyeoni where; Eun-sung, a high school student believes in no physical contact with the opposite sex until marriage. One day, while jumping the school wall to cut classes, Ye-won accidentally kisses Eun-sung. What follows is an opposites attract relationship between the sweet and clumsy Ye-won and the school bully Eun-sung.

A Road To Sampo (1975)

Road to SampoAdapted from A Road To Sampo by Hwang Seok-young
Dir: Lee Man-hui
Cast: Baek Il-seob, Jin Kyu Kim, Suk Mun
Genre: Drama
Cert: 12 (S.Korea)
Runtime: 95mins

Adapted from Hwang Seok-young’s novel, A Road to Sampo is the final and posthumous work of director Lee Man-hee. Young construction worker Young-dal meets a middle-aged man named Jeong, who is on his way back to his hometown after serving time in prison and wandering from one construction site to another. It has been ten years since Jeong has seen his hometown of Sampo. Young-dal and Jeong meet Baek-hwa, a runaway bar hostess, at a restaurant in town and the three of them begin their journey together.

Dance With The Wind (2004)

Dance with the WindAdapted from Dance With The Wind by Ji Seong-sa
Dir: Park Jeong-woo
Cast: Lee Seong-jae, Park Sol-min
Genre: Romance
Cert: 15 (S.Korea)
Runtime: 132mins

Policewoman Yeon-hwa is after Poong-shik, who is on the wanted list for a liaison with the wife of the police chief. She works undercover as a patient at the same hospital he’s in. While she seeks evidence, she finds out that he is a dance lover so she goes undercover and becomes his dance partner. Without noticing she quickly falls for his charms.

Hwang Jin-yi (2007)

Hwang Jin-yiAdapted from Hwang Jin-yi by Hong Seok-joung
Dir: Jang Yoon-hyeon
Cast: Song Hye-kyo, Yoo Ji-tae
Genre: Period Drama
Cast: 15 (S.Korea)
Runtime: 141mins

Hwang Jin Yi tells the story of a 16th-century geisha with the mindset of a modern 21st-century woman. Raised as an aristocrat in an era when class status dictated one’s destiny, Jin Yi discovers a shocking secret about her birth: she was born in the lower class. After much thought, she gives up her aristocratic status and becomes a geisha. She spends her first night with a man named Nom Yi, and gradually falls for him. Though she is constantly surrounded by an entourage of aristocratic men showering her with gifts and admiration, Jin Yi lives a solitary life of tragic isolation. She finds herself traveling a bumpy road, faced with a dilemma that will alter her destiny forever.

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