I thought I ought to see at least one Korean animation as part of the recent film festival, so I took pot luck with the one that best fitted my Saturday schedule and ended up watching Pororo to the Cookie Castle. In the foyer of the Odeon Covent Garden was a 4-foot high penguin, beside … [Read More]
Category: Festivals (page 44)
BBC news video on recent London Korean Film Festival
A quick interview with Kwak Kyung-taek and Roger Clark, and a quick preview of King and the Clown, to be featured at the BFI London Film Festival. The presenter mentions that there are two other Korean films at the BFI festival. I can only find the one short film. If anyone can spot the other … [Read More]
Get your preview ticket for the Oscars now
The booking lines open today for the BFI London Film Festival. If you want to see Korea’s entry for the foreign language Oscars, the King and the Clown, book soon. I always find these film festivals a bit crazy. All those films during working hours when people with jobs can’t go to see them, and … [Read More]
Kwak Kyung-taek’s next film a lower-budget romance
At last night’s Q&A following a packed showing of Typhoon (queue above), director Kwak Kyung-taek confirmed that his next film will have a slightly smaller budget than his last, which had disappointing box office result despite its large budget. It will be a romance, and Kwak is talking to Lee Jung-jae, the hero of Typhoon, … [Read More]
A surprise Korean film festival (the KCC’s first)
The cinema’s booked, the distributors have agreed to release their valuable prints, and now, with precision-honed timing and a week to go, the well-oiled marketing machine swings into action. The BAKS and PACSF lists are peppered, other private mailing lists barraged, but whether it makes the Time Out copy deadline, who knows. And so it … [Read More]
Slim pickings at the 50th BFI London Film Festival
This year’s programme has just been published. I’ve searched the website (and the brochure which thudded onto my doormat this morning), but I can’t find much of interest to K-film fans. On the plus side, there’s the King and the Clown (review on Darcy’s site here). Good news. (Oct 19). This film had originally been … [Read More]
Kingston Korean Festival 2006
The annual celebration of Independence Day (15 August) Kingston Korean Festival 2006 Saturday 12 August 2006, 10:00am – 6:30pm Fairfield Recreation Ground, Kingston Admission £1.00 (includes raffle ticket) More Information: Korean Residents Society 020 8605 0050 The event, which is open to everyone, is organised by the Korean Residents Association, which is committed to enriching … [Read More]
Your feedback from the London Korean Film Festival 2006
Thanks to those of you who replied to LKL’s audience survey of those who attended the 2006 London Korean Film Festival. I’ve passed your detailed comments on to the organisers, Tae-min and Jase, and here is a summary of what you said. Your favourite film of the festival? Dan loved Love is a Crazy Thing, … [Read More]
Prof Kim Chang-nam: history & characteristics of modern Korean culture
(SOAS, 5 June 2006, 7pm: the concluding event of the London Korean Festival 2006) I’m more reluctant than usual to make this post. The ground covered in Professor Kim’s hugely stimulating conclusion to the London Korean Festival was more than extensive, and left the audience wanting to ask tons of questions. To condense a hundred … [Read More]
Exhibition Visit: Traditional yet Contemporary
Air Gallery, London, May 29 – June 3 2006 As Stephanie Seung-min Kim says in her article introducing the exhibition, “…culture can only be seen in a clear light when compared with other cultures. I believe that is why Korean ceramic works have to be judged more in an international setting.” The exhibition demonstrated the … [Read More]
Review: Oh! Youran – performance at V&A Korean day, 27 May
I’m sorry I didn’t manage to get to all of the performance of Oh! Youran. For me, Saturday afternoon is not the best time for a theatrical performance, but I guess given the generosity of the V&A in hosting this event in their lecture theatre, certain compromises have to be made in terms of logistics. … [Read More]
Festival film review: Love is a Crazy Thing (연애)
I dreamt last night that I was interviewed about my reactions upon seeing Love is a Crazy Thing (OH Seok-geun, 2005) which screened yesterday evening at the Korean Film festival 2006. Well, actually, it was more of a nightmare. This is how the interview went. CJ Entertainment: Did this film entertain you? Me: No Sorry? … [Read More]
Korean Ceramics – Traditional Yet Contemporary
One of the highlights of this year’s Korean festival is likely to be the exhibition at Air Gallery, 32 Dover Street, London W1S 4NE, 29 May 2006 – 3 June 2006 — juxtaposing the work of contemporary British potters with the work of modern Korean ceramic artists. Stephanie Seungmin Kim, curator of the show, explains. … [Read More]
Festival film Review: Lost in Love (사랑을 놓치다)
Dir: Chu Chang-min 2006. Stars: Sol Kyung-gu Thu 25 May 2006, 8:50pm, Prince Charles Cinema “Dull, dull, dull” is how I thought this review would read as I watched the first half of this film last night. It got better, but not much. This is a story about a non-relationship. There were some great observations … [Read More]
Festival film Review: Princess Aurora (오로라 공주) (18)
Dir: Bang Eun-jin, 2005 Mon 22 May 2006, 8:30pm, Prince Charles Cinema A whydunnit rather than a whodunnit. From the start, the perpetrator of these rather fun and sometimes gruesome murders is not in doubt, and the film sustains interest by drawing you into why the murders are committed. At first you think the motivation … [Read More]
Gig review: Crying Nut play the Mean Fiddler
What can one say about Crying Nut? Anarchic, mad, joyous. They opened the 2006 London Korean Festival last night in great style. While most of the audience was Korean, it was good to see some unaccompanied westerners at the gig, who seemed to be enjoying the show. Maybe they were there to support the backup … [Read More]