The BFI has announced a new season of films which dovetails with this year’s London Korean Film Festival (details of which can be found here). The text of the BFI press release is set out below, followed by a listing in chronological order of all the screenings and special talks, together with links to the BFI pages where you can get the tickets.
BFI Film Season: Echoes in Time — Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema
The BFI Southbank programme for late October and November 2024 begins with Echoes in Time: Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema, a major new season running from 28 October to 31 December. Programmed by Young Jin Eric Choi and Goran Topalovic, Echoes in Time will focus on two groundbreaking periods in the Korean cinema timeline, when huge technical, stylistic and thematic innovations took place: the golden age of the 1960s and the New Korean Cinema movement (1996 to 2003).
Both periods gave birth to seminal works across a wide range of genres, successfully combining genre thrills with arthouse sensibilities. Although South Korean cinema didn’t break out into the global mainstream until the Cannes and Oscar success of Parasite (and on the small screen with Squid Game), it had been producing remarkable films for decades, despite unique historic and socio-economic challenges, and this season will serve as a perfect entry point and introduction for audiences to the rich legacy of Korean cinema.
Titles screenings in October and November will include Aimless Bullet (Yu Hyun-mok, 1961), A Woman Judge (Hong Eun-won, 1961), The Marines Who Never Returned (Lee Man-hee, 1963), Let’s Meet at Walkerhill (Han Hyeong-mo, 1966), A Swordsman in the Twilight (Chung Chang-wha, 1967), Nowhere to Hide (Lee Myung-se, 1999), The Contact (Chang Yoon-hyun, 1997), Shiri (Kang Jae-gyu, 1999), Joint Security Area (Park Chan-wook, 2000), Take Care of My Cat (Jeong Jae-Eun, 2001) and Save the Green Planet! (Jang Joon-hwan, 2003). A screening of Save the Green Planet! on 30 October will be followed by Q&A with director Jang Joon-hwan, while programmers Young Jin Eric Choi and Goran Topalovic will also introduce several films in October.
This landmark season, which features many titles rarely screened in the UK, was prepared in collaboration with the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year; featured in the programme are 12 digital restorations and 5 digital remasters supervised by KOFA, as well as unique 35mm prints from its archival collection. The season is also presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) and the Korean Film Council. The KCCUK hosts the annual London Korean Film Festival, which returns for its 19th edition from 1 to 13 November.
| Time | Event | Strand | Tickets |
| Mon 28 Oct 18:10 | A Woman Judge (Dir: Hong Eun-won, 1962, 86 min) + intro by season programmer Young Jin Eric Choi | Golden Age | Link |
| Mon 28 Oct 20:25 | Nowhere to Hide (Dir: Lee Myung-se, 1999, 113 min) + intro by season programmer Goran Topalovic | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Tue 29 Oct 17:50 | The Marines Who Never Returned (Dir: Lee Man-hee, 1963, 110 min) + intro and talk by season programmer Young Jin Eric Choi | Golden Age | Link |
| Tue 29 Oct 20:55 | A Swordsman in the Twilight (Dir: Chung Chang-wha, 1967, 95 min) + intro by season programmer Goran Topalovic | Golden Age | Link |
| Wed 30 Oct 17:50 | Save the Green Planet! (Dir: Jang Joon-hwan, 2003, 118 min) + Q&A with director Jang Joon-hwan | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Wed 30 Oct 21:00 | Mist (Dir: Kim Soo-yong, 1967, 78 min) + intro by season programmer Young Jin Eric Choi | Golden Age | Link |
| Thu 31 Oct 17:50 | Aimless Bullet (Dir: Yu Hyun-mok, 1961, 111 min) + discussion with season programmers Young Jin Eric Choi and Goran Topalovic | Golden Age | Link |
| Thu 31 Oct 21:00 | The Empty Dream (Dir: Yu Hyun-mok, 1965, 72 min) + intro by season programmer Goran Topalovic | Golden Age | Link |
| Sat 02 Nov 13:00 | The Empty Dream (Dir: Yu Hyun-mok, 1965, 72 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Sat 02 Nov 17:50 | Shiri (Dir: Kang Jae-gyu, 1999, 125 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Wed 06 Nov 20:40 | Let’s Meet at Walkerhill (Dir: Han Hyeong-mo, 1966, 96 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Thu 07 Nov 20:50 | Joint Security Area (Dir: Park Chan-wook, 2000, 109 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Fri 08 Nov 20:30 | The Contact (Dir: Chang Yoon-hyun, 1997, 107 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Sat 09 Nov 12:40 | A Woman Judge (Dir: Hong Eun-won, 1962, 86 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Sun 10 Nov 16:10 | Aimless Bullet (Dir: Yu Hyun-mok, 1961, 111 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Sun 10 Nov 18:20 | The Marines Who Never Returned (Dir: Lee Man-hee, 1963, 110 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Wed 13 Nov 20:40 | The Empty Dream (Dir: Yu Hyun-mok, 1965, 72 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Thu 14 Nov 20:30 | Take Care of My Cat (Dir: Jeong Jae-eun, 2001, 112 min) + intro | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Fri 15 Nov 18:20 | Let’s Meet at Walkerhill (Dir: Han Hyeong-mo, 1966, 96 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Fri 15 Nov 20:45 | Waikiki Brothers (Dir: Yim Soon-rye, 2001, 109 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Sat 16 Nov 15:00 | Nowhere to Hide (Dir: Lee Myung-se, 1999, 113 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Sat 16 Nov 20:30 | Shiri (Dir: Kang Jae-gyu, 1999, 125 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Sun 17 Nov 18:30 | The Contact (Dir: Chang Yoon-hyun, 1997, 107 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Mon 18 Nov 20:50 | A Woman Judge (Dir: Hong Eun-won, 1962, 86 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Thu 21 Nov 18:20 | A Swordsman in the Twilight (Dir: Chung Chang-wha, 1967, 80 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Sat 23 Nov 18:20 | Joint Security Area (Dir: Park Chan-wook, 2000, 109 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Sun 24 Nov 18:20 | Take Care of My Cat (Dir: Jeong Jae-eun, 2001, 112 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Mon 25 Nov 18:20 | Mist (Dir: Kim Soo-yong, 1967, 78 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Wed 27 Nov 20:40 | Aimless Bullet (Dir: Yu Hyun-mok, 1961, 111 min) | Golden Age | Link |
| Fri 29 Nov 18:00 | Waikiki Brothers (Dir: Yim Soon-rye, 2001, 109 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Sat 30 Nov 20:30 | Save the Green Planet! (Dir: Jang Joon-hwan, 2003, 118 min) | New Korean Cinema | Link |
| Sun 01 Dec 11:40 | The Coachman (Dir: Kang Dae-jin, 1961, 97 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Sun 01 Dec 15:20 | Mother and a Guest (Dir: Shin Sang-ok, 1961, 103 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Mon 02 Dec 18:20 | Goryeojang (Dir: Kim Ki-young, 1963, 89 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Mon 02 Dec 20:45 | The Devil’s Stairway (Dir: Lee Man-hee, 1964, 110 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Wed 04 Dec 18:15 | Memento Mori (Dir: Kim Tae-yong, Min Kyu-dong, 1998, 98 min) + intro by Yi Wang, Director and Programmer of Queer East | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Wed 04 Dec 20:55 | Christmas in August (Dir: Hur Jin-ho, 1998, 97 min) + intro by Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Thu 05 Dec 18:20 | Steve Choe – Key Scholar Lecture: Laugh Together, Weep Alone: South Korean Cinema’s Ethical Ambiguities (90 min) | Lecture | BFI |
| Thu 05 Dec 20:40 | Oldboy (Dir: Park Chan-wook, 2003, 121 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Fri 06 Dec 20:40 | The Day a Pig Fell into the Well (Dir: Hong Sang-soo, 1996, 117 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sat 07 Dec 20:50 | The Seashore Village (Dir: Kim Soo-yong, 1965, 91 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Sun 08 Dec 18:15 | The Quiet Family (Dir: Kim Jee-woon, 1998, 98 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Mon 09 Dec 18:30 | Jinhee Choi – New Writings: Forever Girls (90 min) | Lecture | BFI |
| Mon 09 Dec 20:40 | A Bloodthirsty Killer (Dir: Lee Yong-min, 1965, 94 min) + intro by Professor Jinhee Choi, King’s College London | Golden Age | BFI |
| Tue 10 Dec 18:10 | Die Bad (Dir: Ryoo Seung-wan, 2000, 91 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sat 14 Dec 12:40 | Mother and a Guest (Dir: Shin Sang-ok, 1961, 103 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Sat 14 Dec 15:20 | The Quiet Family (Dir: Kim Jee-woon, 1998, 98 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sat 14 Dec 20:45 | A Bloodthirsty Killer (Dir: Lee Yong-min, 1965, 94 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Mon 16 Dec 18:15 | The Devil’s Stairway (Dir: Lee Man-hee, 1964, 110 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Mon 16 Dec 20:50 | The Coachman (Dir: Kang Dae-jin, 1961, 97 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Wed 18 Dec 18:00 | Christmas in August (Dir: Hur Jin-ho, 1998, 97 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Thu 19 Dec 18:10 | Oldboy (Dir: Park Chan-wook, 2003, 121 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Thu 19 Dec 20:50 | Barking Dogs Never Bite (Dir: Bong Joon-ho, 2000, 111 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Fri 20 Dec 18:00 | The Day a Pig Fell into the Well (Dir: Hong Sang-soo, 1996, 117 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Fri 20 Dec 20:35 | Untold Scandal (Dir: E J-yong, 2003, 124 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sat 21 Dec 15:00 | The Seashore Village (Dir: Kim Soo-yong, 1965, 91 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Sat 21 Dec 17:50 | Peppermint Candy (Dir: Lee Chang-dong, 1998, 131 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sat 21 Dec 20:50 | Goryeojang (Dir: Kim Ki-young, 1963, 89 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Sun 22 Dec 15:00 | The Foul King (Dir: Kim Jee-woon, 2000, 112 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sun 22 Dec 18:00 | Oldboy (Dir: Park Chan-wook, 2003, 121 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Mon 23 Dec 20:45 | Memento Mori (Dir: Kim Tae-yong, Min Kyu-dong, 1999, 99 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Fri 27 Dec 18:20 | The Coachman (Dir: Kang Dae-jin, 1961, 97 min) | Golden Age | BFI |
| Fri 27 Dec 20:50 | Die Bad (Dir: Ryoo Seung-wan, 2000, 91 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sat 28 Dec 18:00 | The Foul King (Dir: Kim Jee-woon, 2000, 112 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sun 29 Dec 15:00 | Untold Scandal (Dir: E J-yong, 2003, 124 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Sun 29 Dec 18:20 | Peppermint Candy (Dir: Lee Chang-dong, 1998, 131 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Mon 30 Dec 18:00 | Barking Dogs Never Bite (Dir: Bong Joon-ho, 2000, 111 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |
| Mon 30 Dec 20:35 | Oldboy (Dir: Park Chan-wook, 2003, 121 min) | New Korean Cinema | BFI |