Crossroads of Youth is one of Korea’s earliest silent films, which would have at the time had narration by a byeonsa (the Korean equivalent of the Japanese benshi). The function of the byeonsa was to tell the story in the absence of diagetic dialogue (which in Western cinema was told through intertitles), in addition to … [Read More]
Venue: Barbican Centre (page 3)
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Crossroads of Youth: Korea’s oldest surviving silent film, at the Barbican
While the South Bank is getting much of the attention this weekend Korean culture-wise, don’t forget a repeat performance of Korea’s oldest surviving silent film. It was a big hit at the Thames Festival last year, and it returns to the Barbican on Thursday 2 August. Crossroads of Youth The Oldest Surviving Korean Silent Film … [Read More]
Sarah Chang plays Shostakovich at the Barbican
What a shame. Whenever Sarah Chang comes to London she seems to play Bruch. But this month, she’s playing Shostakovich 1 with Valery Gergiev and the LSO. Great programme. But it clashes with the E J-yong Q&A at the Apollo Piccadilly. Gergiev’s Pathétique, and the prospect of how he might approach the Sea Interludes, almost … [Read More]
Sarah Chang to play the Barbican: check out her shoes
Sarah Chang is a fairly regular visitor to London – she was at the Barbican in February this year doing a chamber music recital as part of the Great Performers series. She’s also a fairly regular soloist with London orchestras. She has just been on tour in Korea with the London Philharmonic. She’s returning to … [Read More]
Aigoo! Yu Hyun-mok, master of Korean realism, is so depressing
When asked to look back at his career, Yu Hyun-mok, one of the four greatest directors from the golden age of Korean film, said that he was proud of two achievements: That he was always an innovator; That he never filmed a melodramatic love story. In the latter achievement lies the key to Yu, as … [Read More]
London Korean Film Festival 2009
The schedule is up on the Barbican website, and it’s a great range of the latest hits together with a retrospective of one of the classic directors. Text from the Barbican website, where you can also buy tickets: Thursday 5 Nov, 7pm: Park Chan-wook: Thirst, with introduction by the director. I think this is the … [Read More]
Korea’s least-known best films?
Mark Morris from Cambridge University’s Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies discusses two films shown at the Barbican on Sunday. The International Buddhist Film Festival (IBFF) chose the Barbican Centre for its venue between 7-17 May. Two remarkable Korean films stood out among an eclectic mix of documentary and narrative films. The 1949 Hometown … [Read More]
Two rare Korean Buddhist films at the Barbican
International Buddhist Film Festival World Cinema with a Buddhist Edge Thu 7–Sun 17 May 2009 The world’s leading resource for Buddhist cinema, the US based IBFF comes to the UK, and the Barbican, for the first time. Part of The Many Faces of Buddhism series, the lineup of programmes here at IBFF 2009 LONDON includes … [Read More]
Aimless bullet, scary housemaid and Korea’s modern history
Two classic films from Korean cinema’s golden age provided a fascinating compare-and-contrast exercise last Monday night at the Barbican. Encouragingly, the films were better attended than the comparable double-bill last year (Madame Freedom and My Mother and her Guest). Maybe that reflects the growing literacy of UK audiences when it comes to Korean film. Or … [Read More]
Kim Ji-woon in London: bigger, faster
Following a screening of The Good, the Bad and the Weird, director Kim Ji-woon discussed influences, genre experimentation and working with stars in a lively Q&A chaired by Tony Rayns. Entertaining and informative, the session offered valuable insight into Kim’s creative process and Korean cinema’s growing UK audience. [Read More]
Stars launch Korean Film Festival
In what must be the biggest-budget launch of the KCC’s third London Korean Film Festival, director Kim Ji-woon and actor Lee Byung-hun were brought to London to introduce the flagship film of the festival, The Good the Bad and the Weird. Tony Rayns, the UK’s most established Korean film expert, was also there to celebrate. … [Read More]
The London Korean Film Festival 2008
The programme for the 2008 London Korean Film Festival has been announced. A great line-up with something for everyone. From the latest releases, there’s the biggest film of 2008 (The Good, the Bad and the Weird), plus one or two I’d forgotten about, but which with a bit of thought are obvious choices: last year’s … [Read More]
Starbucks morality: a review of Han Hyeong-mo’s Madame Freedom (1956)
Han Hyeong-mo: Madame Freedom (1956) Round 2 of the Korean classic film double bill… In Shin Sang-ok’s 1961 film which formed the first part of the double bill on 5 November, a widow cannot talk to a man outside her family, and is expected to obey her mother-in-law. Admittedly, the film is set in the … [Read More]
Brief Encounter with Chopin – Shin Sang-ok’s My Mother and Her Guest
Shin Sang-ok: My Mother and Her Guest (1961) It was a shame to see two of the most interesting films in the London Korean Film Festival — My Mother and Her Guest and Madame Freedom — so sparsely attended. The Barbican had generously allocated its largest screen (capacity 286) in anticipation of enthusiastic interest — … [Read More]
London Korean Film Festival 2007 programme details
Here’s the running order. Some commentary to follow tomorrow. Breath (숨) (12A) (2007) Dir Kim Ki-duk (김기덕) 84 min / Opening Gala Special Preview 19:30 / Introduced by special guest Ambassador Dr. Cho Yoon-Je of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea 2 Nov 07 / 19:30 / Cinema 1 The latest film from the … [Read More]
Myung-whun Chung in sell-out Barbican concert
If you’re prepared to turn up on the off-chance of there being returns, Myung-whun Chung is conducting the LSO tonight at the Barbican in what is becoming quite a popular coupling: Mozart and Bruckner. Piotr Anderszewski plays everybody’s favourite Mozart Piano Concerto — No 23, K488, while the meatier part of the programme is made … [Read More]