The Korean Film Council recently publicised on its website the new “Book to Film” initiative aimed at bringing together the film and the publishing industries. Of course, the practice adapting a book for the big screen is almost as old as the movie industry itself, and some of South Korea’s most successful movies have been … [Read More]
Director: Song Hae-sung
Song Hae-sung: A Better Tomorrow – not worth the time
I have a huge admiration for Alua at Otherwhere and Colette at Oriental Nightmares for dedicating the time and energy to writing reviews of Song Hae-seong’s remake of the classic A Better Tomorrow. I only had the enthusiasm to stay for the first half hour (which I found confusing and uninteresting) before deciding my time … [Read More]
One year, 12 directors, 59 films, 12 Q&As. What could be better?
The KCC have announced their lineup for their much anticipated “Year of the Twelve Directors” – a season unimaginable a few years ago. A very simple concept: four films by the same director, each month giving a mini-retrospective, followed by a Q&A with the director. And a very well-balanced programme it is, featuring veteran directors … [Read More]
Failan (파이란, 2001) review: an unlikely but poignant love story built on absence
An unconventional romance that rejects clichés by telling a love story between two people who never meet. In every aspect Failan is a ground breaking film, imaginatively conceived and expertly executed. Hollywood could never succeed in making a film which breaks your heart the way Failan does and let’s hope it never tries. [Read More]
The 2005 London Korean Film Festival programme
Here is the programme of films that screened in the 2005 London Korean Film Festival. Although this post’s datestamp is May 2005 so that it appears in the appropriate month of this site’s calendar archive, it is actually being uploaded in November 2015 (with subsequent edits), and is being posted for archival purposes. It’s nice … [Read More]