An interesting documentary coming in Bermondsey later this month: The Great North Korean Picture Show (2012) A Documentary Feature Film by Lynn Lee & James Leong Korean/English with English Subtitles, 93 MIN 26 October 2013, 1.40 PM Shortwave Cinema | 10 Bermondsey Square | London SE1 3UN | TEL: 020 7357 6845 ADMISSION: tbc SHORT … [Read More]
Category: Documentaries (page 10)
Yodok Stories – Documentary screening and Q&A
Amnesty International UK is a regular host of events which shine the spotlight on human rights abuses in North Korea. This coming Tuesday you have an opportunity to watch a documentary about the notorious Yodok camp, followed by Q&A with a former prisoner there. Yodok Stories – Documentary screening and Q&A An evening of North … [Read More]
The Ghosts of Jeju to screen at SOAS
Those who are eager to watch Jiseul (and here’s hoping it will be getting a London screening soon) will want to watch this documentary to fill in some of the background. It also provides context to the protests about the Gangjeong naval base. The Ghosts of Jeju Dir: Regis Tremblay, 2013, 80 mins Brunei Gallery, … [Read More]
Crossing – the defector documentary by Kim Tae-gyun – screens at Amnesty International
A quick note of an upcoming film screening at Amnesty International: Crossing (크로싱, dir Kim Tae-gyun, South Korea, 2008) Cast: Cha In-pyo, Seo Young-hwa, Shin Myeong-cheol Venue: Amnesty International UK, The Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA Date: Mon 24 Jun 2013, 7.00 pm The film details the tragic plight … [Read More]
The Korean War in Colour screens at SOAS
Something slightly different for SOAS’s evening Korean Studies seminar this time: a documentary film screening, with Q&A with the director, in this 60th anniversary year of the 1953 armistice. The Korean War in Colour Stewart Binns (Documentary Filmmaker) Date: 10 May 2013, 5:15 – 7:00 PM Venue: Russell Square, College Buildings, Room 4418 Film screening … [Read More]
John Sweeney in BBC Panorama North Korea Undercover
“I compromised the LSE and my tour guides, and all I could produce was a lousy tourist video,” would be a suitable slogan for the T-shirt of tonight’s BBC Panorama programme. OK, so they also interviewed BR Myers, John Everard and a defector or two, but really it was not worth all the hype and … [Read More]
Twinsters – what a compelling story
On February 21, 2013, Samantha, an American actor living in Los Angeles, received a message via Facebook that would drastically change her life. It was from Anaïs, a French fashion design student living in London. Anaïs’ friends viewed a YouTube video featuring Samantha. They were immediately blown away by the identical appearance of Samantha & … [Read More]
Couleur de peau: Miel, aka Approved for Adoption, screens at Leeds Young Film Fest
If it wasn’t for the fact that London has a date with Moon So-ri this Thursday, I’d be leaving work early, getting on a train to Leeds and sitting down to watch this film. I do hope it comes to London at some stage. It’s the animated autobiography of a Korean adoptee in Belgium. Korean … [Read More]
Captain Kang screens at CinemAsia
Back in 2011, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam gave us the wonderful Planet of Snail. This month, another Amsterdam film festival, CinemAsia, will be screening a new Korean documentary – Captain Kang, which premiered at Busan 2012. Captain Kang (강선장) Director: Won Ho-yeon (원호연) South Korea, 2012, HDcam, 75′ Sunday 7 April, 13.20 This … [Read More]
Extreme School? Teenage education exchange on the TV
I’m not sure that it’s appropriate to call the particular school in South Korea “extreme”. Pupils showing respect and working hard shouldn’t be regarded as extreme. Rather, wouldn’t it be nice if the behaviour of the two Swansea kids was regarded as extreme? On CBBC, 21 March at 4:30pm Extreme School: South Korea Two year … [Read More]
Camp 14 – Total Control Zone at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival
One of the most prominent publications last year on the subject of North Korea was Escape from Camp 14 – the story of an escapee from one of North Korea’s death camps. While such a story is rare in itself, what makes Shin Dong-hyuk’s tale more remarkable is that he was actually born in one … [Read More]
Kung Fu Grandma: documentary by a London-based Korean director screens at LSFF
Some of you may be focused on Wembley Arena right now, but others may well already be planning your diaries for the New Year. If so, make a note of 12 January at the Roxy: the London Short Film Festival, featuring Kung Fu Grandma, a short by Jeong-One Park. Jeong-One Park grew up in Seoul … [Read More]
The Defector: Escape from North Korea — a new documentary to screen at IDFA Amsterdam
Last year the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam featured the moving South Korean documentary Planet of Snail. This year the interest is north of the border, with a new documentary on North Korean defectors by award-winning film-maker Ann Shin. The Defector: Escape from North Korea Ann Shin, Canada, 2012, color, HDcam, 71′ THE DEFECTOR: … [Read More]
Mosaic Films launch their new project: Nothing to Envy – the animation
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE PEOPLE OF NORTH KOREA? An event hosted by Mosaic Films to launch their new project Nothing to Envy Friday, 5 October 2012 from 18:30 to 21:30 (BST) London, United Kingdom We are developing an animated feature film about real lives in North Korea, to be written and directed … [Read More]
Planet of Snail: amusing, touching and life-affirming
Soon-ho: What are you doing? Young-chan: I’m talking to the tree Soon-ho: Is it fun? Young-chan: We’re on a date Soon-ho: Can I join in? Soon-ho interrupts her husband who has been tenderly running his fingers over the trunk of a pine tree, feeling the contours of every crevice in the bark. The conversation, at … [Read More]
Planet of Snail: “one of the most life-affirming viewing experiences I’ve ever had” says Twitch
If like me you were bored by the recent release of Kim Ki-duk’s self-indulgent documentary and professional suicide note Arirang, you can expect something a lot better from Yi Seung-jun’s documentary Planet of Snail. If the K-pop bash at the Dome this Saturday is not your thing, a civilised time can be had at the … [Read More]