The Chinese community was out in force tonight to see Tang Wei in Kim Tae-yong’s “Late Autumn” at the Festival. Most audiences have been predominantly European. Tonight it was 95% Chinese. It was completely sold out. [Read More]
Category: Festivals (page 42)
Sunny (써니, 2011) review: “it’s okay to cry”
In Sunny, director Kang Hyeong-cheol brings a freshness and vitality to a storyline that could easily have been clichéd and predictable. While it could never be considered deep, Sunny never tries to be, and instead successfully concentrates its efforts on mixing genuinely funny humour with truly moving drama, within an altogether engaging tale. [Read More]
Korean footnotes from Venice Biennale 2011
In previous biennales, Korean artists have had prominent solo exhibitions as collateral events to the main exhibition in the Giardini. We’ve had Atta Kim, Lee Ufan, and Chun Woo-jung in previous years, as well as participations in group shows. In 2011 I failed to find any Korean solo events. There were, however, three high profile … [Read More]
Getting to like Ryu Seung-wan
Catching up on my DVD pile, and getting to like Ryu Seung-wan. Looking forward to seeing some more next week at the #LKFF @koreanfilmfest [Read More]
Festival Film Review: Leafie, a Hen into the Wild
At last year’s LKFF the surprise success was the animation Green Days – which for me was the first Korean animation really to stand comparison with Japan’s Studio Ghibli. This year the story may well be the same, with another animation from a director making his first full-length feature. In a country where animation screenings … [Read More]
Festival visit: Ahn Eun-me Company – Princess Bari
In reviewing the amazing work of Ahn Eun-me I am always faced with a problem: how to convey in words the extraordinary visual and musical experience that is so unique to her. When writing about her Chunhyang in 2006 I was at a loss for words. Trying to convey the intensity of the visual and … [Read More]
The final schedule for the 2011 London Korean Film Festival
Here are the screening details for the 2011 London Korean Film Festival, including the screenings in Cambridge, Sheffield and Newcastle. For the events at the KCCUK, book by emailing [email protected]. London screenings and events Thurs 3 Nov 4:30pm SHINee – LKFF launch event – Odeon WE 7:30pm Opening gala War of the Arrows + Director … [Read More]
Lee Man-hee classic “A Day Off” + Mark Morris talk at KCC
Lee Man-hee’s classic film “A Day Off” (1969) will be screening as part of the London Korean Film Festival this year, with a talk by Dr Mark Morris. A Day Off is part of the Lee Man-hee DVD box set which might be in your to-watch pile. This is your opportunity to see it. The … [Read More]
Brick Lane to Earls Court – a city of Korean Design
The Korea Design pavilion now seems to be an established feature of the 100% Design London exhibition at Earls Court. Each year we see a mixture of familiar design names and also some new faces. Beyond the official KIDP-sponsored pavilion (shown above) you can usually find some independent Korean designers who have either made their … [Read More]
Korean Films at the 55th BFI London Film Festival
Two Korean films will be screening as part of the 55th BFI London Film Festival this month: Hong Sang-soo makes his regular appearance, while Kim Kyung-mook’s Stateless Things centres on the life of a North Korean illegal immigrant in Seoul. Hong Sang-soo: The Day He Arrives Fri 14 Oct | 20:45 | NFT 2 Sun … [Read More]
The LKFF 1-minute mobile phone short film competition
A special event for budding Park Chan-wooks out there: The London Korean Film Festival presents The One Minute Mobile Phone Short Film Competition Over the last two years there has been a boom in mobile phone technology which the filmmaking community has whole heartedly embraced. The use of camera phones and other mobile equipment particularly … [Read More]
Arrow, the Ultimate Weapon – the historical background
Kim Han-min’s Arrow the Ultimate Weapon is a high-energy historical action flick which will get the London Korean Film Festival 2011 off to a rip-roaring start. Without revealing too much about the plot, suffice it to say that enough baddies get what they deserve to make you feel reasonably good on emerging from the cinema. … [Read More]
Kim Han-min interview: history, resistance and the Korean spirit
Kim Han-min talks in depth about Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon, exploring Korean history, genre balance, sound design, and the recurring themes linking his work to Paradise Murdered and Handphone. [Read More]
Festival visit: Korea Calling at the Thames Festival 2011
Korea Calling this year was very well attended. The two-day event near the South Bank’s OXO Tower (Saturday September 10/Sunday September 11) formed part of the Thames Festival. This was the event’s fifth year, and there were plenty of features on when I visited on the Sunday. At the centre of Korea Calling was a … [Read More]
In pictures: Highlights of the Thames Festival 2011
The Sookmyung Gayageum Orchestra playing Wondergirls and SNSD. And their amazing body-popping dancer The Kukkiwon Taekondo demo team performing in the pouring rain. Amazing that no-one broke their neck The crazy K-pop lovers in their noraebang tent singing along to their favourite K-pop tunes The amazing enthusiasm & energy of the seemingly hundreds of young … [Read More]
London Korean Film Festival Announces 2011 Programme
Last night we were treated to a special preview screening of the opening film of this year’s London Korean Film Festival: Kim Han-min’s high-energy historical action film Arrow the Ultimate Weapon. It will get the festival off to a rip-roaring start, as The Man from Nowhere did last year. So the publicity campaign for the … [Read More]