Film Korea: The Ghibliotheque guide to the wonderful world of Korean cinema

Explore the magical, mysterious world of Korean cinema, in this new book from the authors of Ghibliotheque.

From smash hits such as Parasite to cult favourites Oldboy, The Handmaiden and Train to Busan, Korean cinema is a hotbed of creative talent and the force behind the most exciting, captivating filmmaking in the world right now.

In this essential guide to the country’s cinematic story, Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham – authors and hosts of the hit podcast Ghibliotheque – guide you through the must-see films from a century of Korean movies.

Exploring 30 movies, from the breakout hits to deeper cuts, hidden gems and future classics, Film Korea is a gateway to everything you need to know about the white-hot world of Korean cinema. Combining reviews and director biographies with recommended further viewing and a catalogue of beautiful film stills and movie posters, this is your one-stop guide to an incredible, captivating artform.

LKL adds

The movies discussed in this book provide a nicely-judged perspective on Korean movies over the years:

• The Widow (미망인, Park Nam-ok, 1955)
• The Housemaid (하녀, Kim Ki-young, 1960)
• Aimless Bullet (오발탄, Yu Hyun-mok, 1961)
• Mother And A Guest (사랑방 손님과 어머니, Shin Sang-ok, 1961)
• A Day Off (휴일, Lee Man-hee, 1968)
• The March Of Fools (바보들의 행진, Ha Gil-jong, 1975)
• Suddenly In The Dark (깊은밤 갑자기, Ko Young-nam, 1981)
• Seopyeonje (서편제, Im Kwon-taek, 1993)
• Bad Movie (나쁜 영화, Jang Sun-woo, 1997)
• Christmas In August (8월의 크리스마스, Hur Jin-ho, 1998)
• Whispering Corridors (여고괴담, Park Ki-hyung, 1998)
• Shiri (쉬리, Kang Je-gyu, 1999)
• My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀, Kwak Jae-young, 2001)
• Waikiki Brothers (와이키키 브라더스, Yim Soon-rye, 2001)
• Take Care Of My Cat (고양이를 부탁해, Jeong Jae-eun, 2001)
• Save The Green Planet! (지구를 지켜라!, Jang Joon-hwan, 2003)
• A Tale Of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련, Kim Ji-woon, 2003)
• Oldboy (올드보이, Park Chan-wook, 2003)
• A Girl At My Door (도희야, July Jung, 2014)
• Right Now, Wrong Then (지금은맞고그때는틀리다, Hong Sangsoo, 2015)
• Veteran (베테랑, Ryu Seung-wan, 2015)
• The Truth Beneath (비밀은 없다, Lee Kyung-mi, 2016)
• The Wailing (곡성, Na Hong-jin, 2016)
• Train To Busan (부산행, Yeon Sang-ho, 2016)
• The World Of Us (우리들, Yoon Ga-eun, 2016)
• A Taxi Driver (택시운전사, Jang Hun, 2017)
• Burning (버닝, Lee Chang-dong, 2018)
• House Of Hummingbird (벌새, Kim Bora, 2018)
• Parasite (기생충, Bong Jioon-ho, 2019)
• Moving On (남매의 여름밤, Yoon Dan-bi, 2020)