We didn’t get around to writing any detailed reviews of the films that screened at the two big festivals in the autumn of 2023, so it’s time to try to pull some thoughts together before the memories fade entirely, jostled sideways by new ones. There were some sparkly new films which were fun to watch … [Read More]
On Screen: Film and TV (page 3)
The Sight and Sound top 100: what’s buried in the detail?
Back in December 2022, Sight and Sound released its updated list of The Greatest Films of All Time. This list, which was first presented in 1952, is prepared every ten years. For the first time, in this most recent iteration a Korean film made it into the top 100. There are no prizes for guessing … [Read More]
12.12 The Day gets a well-deserved third week in London cinemas
In the past few years the UK has benefited from a number of theatrical releases of recent Korean box office movies. Sometimes, the UK release has occurred while the movie is still showing in cinemas back in Korea, indicating a certain amount of confidence on the part of the distributors to invest in a title … [Read More]
Noryang: Deadly Sea – UK theatrical release
In 1598, the seven-year Imjin War nears an end as Wae invaders prepare to withdraw from Joseon. Admiral Yi Sun-shin leads an allied fleet of Joseon and Ming ships to annihilate the Wae army. Joseon, Ming, and Wae forces clash at Noryang Strait, the deadly sea where Admiral Yi fights his last valiant battle. Director: … [Read More]
[Manchester] Jane Jin Kaisen: Halmang, at esea contemporary
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Manchester’s esea contemporary presents internationally acclaimed artist and filmmaker Jane Jin Kaisen in her first UK solo show ‘Halmang’. Jane Jin Kaisen was born on the volcanic island of Jeju, fifty miles south of the Korean Peninsula’s coast. In this first UK solo exhibition of her work, Jane Jin Kaisen weaves oceanic cosmology and landscape … [Read More]
[Manchester] Jane Jin Kaisen: Community of Parting screenings
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Community of Parting (2019) traces a different approach to borders, translation, and aesthetic mediation by invoking the ancient shamanic myth of the Abandoned Princess Bari and engaging female Korean shamanism as an ethics and aesthetics of memory and mutual recognition across time and space. Rooted in oral storytelling and embodied by female shamans, the myth about … [Read More]
12.12 The Day (서울의 봄) Theatrical release
After the assassination of President Park, martial law has been declared. A coup d’état bursts out by Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwang and a private band of officers following him. Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-shin, an obstinate soldier who believes the military should not take political actions, fights against Chun Doo-gwang to stop him. According … [Read More]
Beyond Utopia – theatrical release
A suspenseful look at the lengths people will go to gain freedom, Beyond Utopia follows various individuals as they attempt to flee North Korea, one of the most oppressive places on Earth, a land they grew up believing was a paradise. At the film’s core are a mother desperate to reunite with the child she … [Read More]
Ghibliotheque’s Film Korea: a highly enjoyable introduction to the world of Korean cinema
Do you remember what it was like when you first discovered Korean film in all its diversity? For me, it was in about 2000. Christmas in August, Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?, Shiri and Lies were among my first DVD orders: a bewildering array of stuff was available, and I wanted to know … [Read More]
Foyle’s Korean Culture Month: Recipe for Farewell screening
The captivating true story from writer Kang Chang-rae’s essay-based Korean series, Recipe for Farewell is a heartwarming drama, portraying a man who writes a cooking diary for his ill wife. It premiered at the Busan International Film Festival (2022) and was screened at the Fribourg International Film Festival (2023). For one day only, it will … [Read More]
London Korean Film Festival 2023: the detailed schedule
Here’s one-page listing of all the films at the 2023 London Korean Film Festival. Click on the various links to go to the relevant page on the festival website for plot summaries and ticket details. Time Title Strand BFI = BFI Southbank | ICA = Institute of Contemporary Arts | PHC = Picturehouse Central | … [Read More]
Healing Hearts: The stories and voices of North Korean refugees
Three North Korean refugees will share their experiences in North and South Korea through different voices. Co-founder of Freedom Speakers International will share his experiences meeting with more than 500 North Koreans refugees and why North Korean refugees speak out. After the forum, attendees will also be invited to watch “You Don’t Know,” a documentary … [Read More]
Korean movies at LEAFF 2023 (updated)
This year, LEAFF presents a special Retrospective strand dedicated to the works of Director Chung Ji-Young (1946-), known to be the Ken Loach of South Korea. The cinema veteran is known for compelling storytelling based on real-life cases. 2023 marks the 40th anniversary since his directorial debut. In order to celebrate, LEAFF brings 8 of … [Read More]
Music, dance, discussion and documentary: an evening with Freedom Speakers International
In support of North Korean human rights, join Freedom Speakers International, Ooberfuse, and the Seoul Larkspur International Film Festival for a concert in London on October 21, 2023 from 5-8 p.m. at St. Giles Hotel #6. Music by Ooberfuse Live Talk Show discussion with North Korean refugees. North Korean human rights documentary: Mom`s strange land … [Read More]
K-rime: Timeless, Bottomless Bad Movie screening
Join us for a very rare screening of Jang Sun-woo’s Bad Movie, also known as Timeless, Bottomless Bad Movie (1997), a transgressive piece of cinéma vérité that turns its lens onto the homeless and runaway teens of ’90s Seoul as they sniff glue, commit random acts of violence, and feel a profound sense of loss … [Read More]
London Korean Film Festival announces 2023 dates and Special Focus strand
Details of the 2023 London Korean Film Festival are gradually coming out. BFI members may already have spotted, in the Oct-Nov catalogue, two LKFF screenings that will be at the BFI: Phantom (Lee Hae-young, 2023) on 4 Nov and Innocent Witness (Lee Han, 2019) on 5 Nov. Yesterday, the KCC officially announced the first round … [Read More]