Mother disappeared. Son faces the truth that was hidden for thirty years. In 1983, a twisted love story among a woman, a revolutionary, and a fraktsiya unfolds. A film about memory, Swallow explores what happens when hurtful memories pass back out of the deep pit and present their corpse. When Hoyeon’s mother inexplicably disappears, he … [Read More]
Director: Leesong Hee-il
Selected publications
- Chung Hye Seung, David Scott Diffrient: Movie Minorities: Transnational Rights Advocacy and South Korean Cinema, Rutgers University Press 2021
Love Without Boundaries: Shorts Night
Another chance to see Oh Suyeon’s Blind Alley, along with Leesong Hee-il’s first short and more: this evening should be good. Love Without Boundaries: Shorts Night Birkbeck Cinema, Thursday 25 July 2019 6:30 pm | Book here While homosexuality in South Korea is not illegal – outside of specific regulations relating to the military – … [Read More]
Love without Boundaries: No Regret
Leesong Hee-il’s White Night trilogy was the highlight of the 2013 London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. Here’s an opportunity to see an earlier film: No Regret (후회하지 않아) Director: Leesong Hee-il (2006, 114mins) Cast: Kim Nam-gil, Lee Yeong-hoon, Kim Jung-hwa, Cho Hyun-chul Thursday 11 July 2019 7:00 pm | Book here At 18, Su-min … [Read More]
LLGFF Festival Film Review: Leesong Hee-il’s White Night trilogy – seek it out if you can
It was not so long ago that writing an article on queer cinema in Korea was a real struggle, for want of source material. Adam Hartzell does an excellent job in his 2002 Film Journal article Queer Pal for the Straight Gal, referencing films such as Wanee and Junah, Bungee Jump, Memento Mori and others. … [Read More]
Lee Song Hee-il trilogy to screen at the BFI
Last year at the London Korean Film Festival we were scheduled to see White Night by Lee Song Hee-il (이송희일), but at the last minute the film was pulled so that it could have its European debut at the Berlin Festival in 2013. But now in compensation we are to see the film, together with … [Read More]
White Night pulled from LKFF 2012 programme
Sadly White Night (백야, LeeSong Hee-il 2012), the only queer-themed film on LKFF programme this year, has been pulled at the last minute. According to Otherwhere, the 70 minute feature was inspired by the real life case of a homophobic street assault. The film, which first showed at the Jeonju International Film Fest in April … [Read More]
Is Korean cinema’s heyday over?
Darcy has a thoughtful piece on his “What’s New” page, sensing a lack of dynamism in mainstream Korean cinema. While noting that Korean films in September took 83% of local box office, and Hollywood was beaten into third place by Japan, But you’ll have to forgive me if, despite the numbers, I feel a lack … [Read More]