Thanks to Jordan, a member of the LKL Facebook Group, for alerting me to news that I’ve been eagerly anticipating for 5 years: the international premiere (I think) of The Shaman Sorceress, Studio Meditation with Pencil’s adaptation of the short story by Kim Dong-ni. It is screening at the Annecy Festival, where previous releases by the studio have also screened. Also screening at the festival is a feature by Cho Kyung-hun, a North Korean-themed feature from Japan / Indonesia by Eiji Han Shimizu, plus six Korean shorts.
Thanks to the lockdown, these films are available online globally, but only until 30 June. The festival pass priced at EUR15 gets you access to the full programme.
Feature length animations
The Shaman Sorceress
Dir: Ahn Jae-hoon (2020, 85mins)
in the Feature Films Contrechamp in Competition streamThere is a painting called “The Shaman Sorceress” left at my home by a mute girl and her father. This picture is worth a thousand words. Mohwa, a shaman, lives with her mute daughter Nang-Yi and her husband, and has practiced shamanism her entire life. One day her son Wook-Yi returns home after several years away, as a converted Christian. This sparks a conflict and drives the family into tragedy. More info here
Beauty Water
Dir: Cho Kyung-hun (2020, 85mins)
in the Feature Films Contrechamp in Competition streamBeauty Water looks like a common skin cosmetic. But unlike other cosmetics, people can sculpt their skin with it like molding clay and change their appearance. An ordinary girl, Yaeji, comes across the ‘Beauty Water’ by chance, and her endless desire to be the most beautiful woman brings her unimaginable disaster. More info here
True North
Dir: Eiji Han Shimizu (2020, 01 h 33 min 25 s)
in the Feature film contrechamp streamAfter his father disappears and the rest of his family is sent to a notorious political prison camp in North Korea, a young boy must learn to survive the harsh conditions, find meaning in his perilous existence, and maybe even escape. More info here
Short animations
Ghosts
Dir: Park Jee-youn (2020, 09 min 55 s)
in the Competition L’officielle stream (Official 5)In the boredom of life, they became ghosts. The crows are after them. More info here
Sura
Dir: Jeong Hae-ji (2020, 05 min 36 s)
in the Graduation Films stream [Jury Distinction Award]A high school student. My best friend is pregnant. More info here
Nausea
Dir: Han Subien (2020, 04 min 05 s)
in the Graduation Films stream‘Kewpie’ manifest themselves as symptoms. A twisting body cannot accept errors. More info here
Boriya
Dir: Min Sung-ah (2019, 17 min 13 s)
in the Young Audiences strandLittle Boriya is bored. She would love to play with someone, but it’s harvest time and everyone is busy. Alone, under the river’s bridge, she will realise that life isn’t always how she imagined it to be. More info here
No Body
Dir: Ko Haemin (2019, 04 min 33 s)
in the Graduation short film streamAn autobiographical poetical story reflecting on the city and myself through 3 emotional chapters: excitement, frustration and hope. More info here
Jumping Moments
Dir: Justin Jinsoo Kim (2020, 02 min 42 s)
in the Graduation short film streamA physical space in a film is always frozen within a small fragment of time – a frame. The artist dynamically explores each space as the frames become combined, transformed, rearranged, and repeated. More info here
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