From the category archives:

Im Kwon-taek

2010: a bumper year for Korean film?

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by Philip Gowman on 27 April, 2010

in Film,Hong Sang-soo,Im Kwon-taek,Im Sang-soo,Lee Chang-dong

Not so long ago, the Korean film industry seemed to be in the doldrums. Darcy, Twitch and others were sounding notes of gloom that Korean cinema had lost its way. But then things picked up again, with blockbusters such as Haeundai, and new indie films such as Breathless making the headlines and bringing in the [...]

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Come, Come, Come Upwards at the KCC

by Philip Gowman 7 April 2010
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To coincide with their exhibition of Buddhist art opening this week, the KCC’s film screenings this month have a Buddhist theme. First, on Thursday this week, 8 April, is Im Kwon-taek’s Come, Come, Come Upwards (아제 아제 바라아제) Synopsis: A high school girl student Soon-nyeo’s father, Buddhist monk Yun Bong, dies. The paternal pain is [...]

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LKL’s top 10 K-films of the noughties

by Philip Gowman 26 January 2010
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Mark Russell over at Korea Pop Wars led the way with his fascinating list of films of the decade – in which the biggest shock was that there was no Park Chan-wook. GI Korea also has a list, which redresses the balance somewhat. So here is mine. Over the years I’ve been reasonably diligent in [...]

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Chihwaseon at KCC

by Philip Gowman 23 September 2008
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The next screening at the KCC, on Thursday 25 September, is Chihwaseon (2002), Im Kwon-taek’s bio-pic of one of Korea’s most famous painters, Jang Seung-eop, also known as Owon. The film features two of Korea’s most well-known actors, Choi Min-sik as Owon and Ahn Sung-ki as his patron Kim Byung-moon. Synopsis: During the 1850s, KIM [...]

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Im Kwon-taek shines at KCC

by Matthew Jackson 31 March 2008
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Matthew Jackson’s impressions from last Thursday’s screening of “Beyond the Years” at the Korean Cultural Centre There is definitely something extra that you get out of going to see a film in the company of people that you do not necessarily know, in surroundings that are not quite the same as any other you are [...]

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Beyond the Years at the KCC

by Philip Gowman 16 March 2008

The KCC’s second monthly film screening will be Im Kwon-taek’s Beyond the Years (천년학). Im’s 100th film, it’s a sequel to his breakthrough movie from the early 1990s, Sopyonje. Here’s the KCC’s press release: KOREAN CULTURAL CENTRE UK, TRAFALGAR SQUARE Thursday, March 27th 2008, 7:00 PM As part of the Korean Film Night programme, and [...]

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Chuseok at the BM — part sprint, part marathon

by Philip Gowman 26 September 2007
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It is a commonplace observation that Korea is caught between two larger neighbours. Similarly, in marketing terms, the Korean events at the British Museum last Saturday were dwarfed by the blitzkrieg advertising for the Chinese “First Emperor” and the Japanese modern design exhibitions, both also at the British Museum at the same time. But although [...]

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Chung Sung-il: Im Kwon-taek

by Philip Gowman 20 May 2007
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(Seoul Selection, 2007) Together with its sister publication, the work on Kim Ki-young, this book is the fourth and fifth in KOFIC’s series of monographs on individual Korean directors. It’s also the first time that KOFIC has charged for them. The first three were available for free download from the KOFIC website: these are only [...]

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Im Kwon-taek reaches 100

by Philip Gowman 12 April 2007

With the nationwide release of Beyond the Years (천년학, aka Thousand Year Crane) in Korea today, Im Kwon-taek reaches an amazing milestone: his 100th film. And it’s supposedly his first love story, according to the Chosun – though it has to be said that devoted lovers have appeared in his earlier work – for example [...]

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Im Kwon-taek – The making of a Korean National Cinema

by Philip Gowman 1 December 2006
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David James & Kyung-hun Kim: (Wayne State UP, 2001) A wide-ranging collection of essays which usefully documents Im’s importance as a filmmaker, from his first attempt in the early 60s to his latest (at the time this book was published, Chunhyang was the most recent). Kim Kyung-hyun’s lucid account of Im’s career put in the [...]

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