A programme of six short films inspired by the legacy of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. This presentation starts with Cha’s Vidéoème before leading into a selection of contemporary artists’ films, placing them in dialogue while celebrating a diversity of voices. Though the architecture of the programme is conceptually framed as a palindrome in three dialectic … [Read More]
On Screen: Film and TV
Welcome to LKL’s Film & TV section. Here you can find our film reviews, general film news and articles about TV shows, as well as news of film screenings. You can find an index of our film reviews here. If you’re interested in Classic film, we’ve compiled an index of the free-to-view Korean Film Archive YouTube Channel here. LKL’s top 10 movies of the first decade of this century can be found here, and a poll of polls here. We’re still working on the lists for the second decade, but I’m guessing Parasite will feature prominently…
Screening: Voices of the Silenced (UK Premiere)
This film delves into the historical experiences of Park Soo-nam, born in colonial-era Japan, retracing the journey and the history of Zainichi Koreans in Japan. Through the lens of two 16mm documentary films shot since 1985 and the restoration of unreleased footage, spanning 100,000 feet, it resurrects the testimonies of witnesses. The film raises questions … [Read More]
Screening: Love Death Dog + Baek-gu (UK Premieres)
Love Death Dog | 러브 데스 도그 Directed by Gwon Dong-hyun and Kwon Sea-jung 19 min | 2023 | Korea | colour and b&w Korean with Eng Subs | Print source: Gwon Dong-hyun, Kwon Sea-jung Gwon Dong-hyun and Kwon Sea-jung have been collaborating on a long-term research project titled Love Death Dog City since 2020, … [Read More]
Activism and Post-Activism: Korean Documentary Cinema: 1981-2022, A lecture by Prof. Kim Jihoon
This lecture presents an overview of Activism and Post-Activism: Korean Documentary Cinema: 1981-2022 (Oxford University Press, 2024), the first-ever English-language monograph on Korean non-fiction film and video practices in the non-governmental and non-corporate sectors from their foundational period (early 1980s) to the present. Making tripartite connections between the socio-political history of Korea (from the 1980s … [Read More]
Next Sohee (다음 소희) – preview & theatrical release
Highschooler Sohee is required to complete an internship before she can graduate. She is placed in a local call centre with a stressful metric-driven environment so toxic it drives one of her colleagues to suicide. July Jung’s compelling drama exposes the harrowing impacts of capitalism, particularly on the young and disadvantaged. Content warning: Contains scenes … [Read More]
Jason Yu’s Sleep (잠) screening at Raindance, + Q&A
A happily married couple, Hyun-su and Soo-jin, peaceful lives are disrupted by the disturbing nocturnal behaviour of Hyun-su. As they strive to unravel the horrifying secret of the inexplicable actions that occur during his sleep, the film delves into the efforts of these two individuals. Sparklingly tense and ingeniously eerie, Jason Yu’s 2023 feature-length debut … [Read More]
UK screening premiere: Regardless of Us, at the ICA
Formally inventive and filled with striking monochrome compositions Regardless of Us is a complex and mysterious journey into the nature of memory, performance, and the very structures of reality. Featuring a rich and intriguing utilisation of off-screen space, Yoo’s tale of an actress attempting to recover her memory following a severe illness subtly probes at … [Read More]
Refugee Week screening: ‘Little Pyongyang’
Join Connect: North Korea for a fundraiser screening of the award-winning short film, ‘Little Pyongyang,’ followed by a Q&A session in conversation with the film’s director Roxy Rezvany, and members of the North Korean community. We will be discussing what has changed for the community since the film’s original release, the limits which the North … [Read More]
Marie Curie: original cast screening + Q&A
To celebrate the West End launch of the award-winning musical ‘Marie Curie‘, the Korean Cultural Centre will offer an opportunity to enjoy a full-length film of the musical with the original Korean cast. The performance being screened was recorded live and features Joo-hyun Ok and So-hyang Kim who both portrayed Marie Curie during the 2020 … [Read More]
The Roundup: Punishment (범죄도시 4) – UK theatrical release
‘Monster Cop’ Ma Seok-do (Don LEE) investigates an illegal online gambling business led by a former STS Baek (KIM Moo-yul) and an IT genius CEO Chang (LEE Dong-hwi). Ma proposes an unexpected alliance to Jang (PARK Ji-hwan) and begins hunting down the criminals. LONDON ODEON Haymarket / Wimbledon / Kingston CINEWORLD Leicester Square / O2 … [Read More]
Screening: The Flower in Hell (지옥화)
Join the KCCUK for a screening of “The Flower in Hell,” an early masterpiece by director Shin Sang-ok that vividly portrays the societal dynamics of post-war Korea. Set in a weary Seoul, the film follows a gripping love triangle involving Yeong-sik, leader of a munitions-stealing syndicate, Dong-sik, his searching brother, and Sonya, Yeong-sik’s unapologetic lover … [Read More]
Korean Documentary season at Sheffield’s Showroom Cinema
This season focuses on bringing contemporary Korean documentary to Sheffield and showing the breadth of films that are emerging in the Korean documentary market. Experience modern Korea through the lens of these captivating stories that explore diverse topics from cats to football, from North Korean politics to LGBTQ+ parenting. From the streets of Seoul to the forgotten countryside, each documentary … [Read More]
Korean films at Queer East 2024
After the Korea focus in last year’s festival it was perhaps a little bit to be expected that this year there would be less in the way of Korean content. So we have one South Korean feature film from 1967 (directed by Choi Eun-hee) and a handful of shorts; plus a 2016 feature by Korean … [Read More]
KCC film night: My Mother, the Mermaid (인어공주)
Na-young (Jeon Do-yeon) works at a post office and is sick and tired of being around her shamefully unyielding mother and her pushover father who’s excessively nice. The only thing that she can look forward to is her trip abroad in a few days. But one day, her father leaves home without any notice. Her … [Read More]
Exhuma (파묘) – UK theatrical release
A shaman is offered a large amount of money to move a tomb. He moves with his companion, Ji Gwan. After suffering from serial paranormal events, a wealthy family living in LA summons a young rising shaman duo Hwa-rim (KIM Go-eun) and Bong-gil (LEE Do-hyun) to save the newborn of the family. Once they arrive, … [Read More]
KCC screening: A Sister’s Garden (자매의 화원)
The Nam family leads a life of upper-middle class luxury. But this wealth lies on unstable foundations, and when the father dies suddenly, Jung-hee (Choi Eun-hee), as the new head of the family, finds herself with steep debts and no source of income. At last, she must decide on something that riskier than before. “A … [Read More]