This year at BFI Flare we have three films by Korean directors and one by a Korean American. The latter – The Wedding Banquet by director Andrew Ahn – has been chosen to open the festival and includes Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung among the cast. Londoners were introduced to Andrew Ahn’s work at Queer East last year, where his Spa Night (2016) screened at Hackney Wick Community Sauna and was followed by an optional sauna for the viewers.
As for the Korean directors, I don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to see any work by Divine Sung before, but a short by Lee Yujin – Butch Up! – screened at both Queer East and BFI Flare in 2023. Kangyu Garam’s drama Lucky, Apartment is, we think, her first non-documentary to screen in London. Hitherto, we’ve been able to see her documentary Candle Wave Feminists at LKFF 2017, while her contribution to After Me-too screened at LKFF 2021 and her Us, Day by Day appeared in a 2021 Sheffield focus on South Korean Women’s Cinema).
In addition, a Japanese short film by Korean director Hong Sunhye is included in a collection of short films.
Plenty to look forward to in March.
The Wedding Banquet
Dir: Andrew Ahn (USA 2025, 103min)
Cast: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-Chan, Joan Chen, Youn Yuh-Jung
Wednesday 19 March 2025 18:00 | Wednesday 19 March 2025 20:40 | Thursday 20 March 2025 15:15 | Sunday 30 March 2025 12:10 | Buy tickets
Lee and Angela are a couple struggling to fund another round of IVF after multiple unsuccessful attempts. Angela’s best friend Chris and his boyfriend Min, an art student from a wealthy Korean family, live in their guesthouse. With Min’s visa expiring and pressure mounting from his family, he makes a quid pro quo proposal to Angela: a green-card marriage in exchange for funds for the next IVF try. But this arrangement is soon complicated by the unexpected arrival of Min’s grandmother to organise their wedding banquet. Mixing concept comedy with a sincere affirmation on the idea of family, Ahn navigates complex emotions with nuance and elaborates on parenting as a constant learning process, delivering an ode to the compromises we make for love and the unexpectedly delightful paths they take us on. (text: Diana Cipriano)
Lucky, Apartment (럭키, 아파트)
Dir: Kangyu Ga-ram (South Korea 2024, 96min)
Cast: Sohn Suhyun, Park Gayoung
Sunday 23 March 2025 17:55 | Tuesday 25 March 2025 18:15 | Buy tickets
Seonwoo and Heeseo have put everything into their small flat and life together. After losing her job, Seonwoo finds herself at home every day, obsessing over a foul odour she cannot get rid of. A compelling portrayal of Korean residential politics, queer life partnerships and grief, Kangyu Garam’s drama is an immersive cinematic experience that evokes all the senses. (text: Rhianna Ilube)
Manok (이반리 장만옥)
Dir: Lee Yujin (South Korea 2025, 122min)
Cast: Yang Mal-bok, Sung Jae-yun, Park Wan-kyu
Sunday 23 March 2025 20:40 | Wednesday 26 March 2025 14:30 | Buy tickets
A generational clash with the younger queer community in Seoul causes lesbian elder Manok to retreat to her rural hometown, Iban-ri. But she walks straight into another chaotic battle, this time with her spiteful ex-husband who is also the town’s mayor. As she navigates old wounds and forms new allies, this heartwarming comedy proves that it is never too late to rewrite your homecoming story. (text: Wema Mumma)
Summer’s Camera (여름의 카메라)
Dir: Divine Sung (South Korea 2024, 82min)
Cast: Kim Sia, Kwak Mingyu
Monday 24 March 2025 18:10 | Tuesday 25 March 2025 15:10 | Buy tickets
Summer refuses to shoot the unfinished roll of film in her father’s camera. That is, until she finds herself captivated by Yeonwoo, her school’s football star. But when the roll is developed, Summer discovers her father’s own high-school relationship with Maru, a local hairdresser. As she experiences first love with Yeonwoo, Summer realises that Maru may be the key to helping her deal with her grief. (text: Grace Barber-Plentie)
Farewell, Saranghae, Farewell – included in the Day Dreamers programme of shorts
Dir: Sunhye Hong (Japan, 2024, 26min)
Thursday 20 March 2025 15:00 | Saturday 29 March 2025 11:00 | Buy tickets
In rural Japan, Naho dreams of moving to Korea to become a K-pop idol. It might just happen.