How to review the autobiography of one of Korean’s leading novelists, who has won accclaim both sides of the border; who has spent five years in prison as well as being a person of interest to the authorities for much of his professional career? The memoir makes for fascinating reading as literary history: most of … [Read More]
Tag: 5.18 Gwangju
Round and Around: an Audio-Visual Project by Jang Minseung and Jung Jaeil
This looks like an interesting project to kick of the Autumn at the KCC: Round and Around Audio-Visual Project by Jang Minseung and Jung Jaeil 27 September – 22 Octocber 2021 @ KCCUK The video plays for 90mins starting at 10:00 | 11:30 | 13:00 | 14:30 | 16:00 The Korean Cultural Centre UK is … [Read More]
Gwangju, 40 years on
Brother Anthony is using the time of social distancing to good effect, updating his website with many valuable materials. In readiness for the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju uprising, he has “translated some poems about the victims in Gwangju, written by a poet whose work nobody dares publish” any more. You can find these on … [Read More]
May Literature Night: Hwang Sok-yong’s The Old Garden
Continuing the KCC’s season of screen adaptations of Korean novels. May Literature Night: Hwang Sok-yong’s The Old Garden 30 May 2018, 19.00-21.00 Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK Entrance Free – Booking Essential. Apply to [email protected] or call 020 7004 2600 with your name and contact details by Thursday 10th May. The booking system utilises a … [Read More]
Screening: The Old Garden
Continuing the season of adaptations of Korean novels. LKL’s seven-year-old review of the novel can be found here. The Old Garden (오래된 정원) Director: Im Sang-soo (2007, 112 mins) Cast: Ji Jin-hi, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Eung-soo, Kim Hyun-ah Original novel by Hwang Sok-yong KCCUK, 24 May 2018 7:00 pm | Reserve via Eventbrite Anti-government protests … [Read More]
Excavator screens at the East End Film Festival
Yay! It’s that new word I learned at the Ansan Street Arts Festival last year, coming round again as the title of a movie, receiving its UK premiere as part of the East End Film Festival. Bizarrely, imdb and hancinema have the English title as Fork Lane. Poclain => 포크레인 => Fork Lane… Don’t you … [Read More]
Screening: Jang Sun-woo’s A Petal
It’ll be good to get another chance to see this classic movie. Thanks to the KCC for programming it. A Petal (꽃잎) Director: Jang Sun-woo (1996, 101 mins) Cast: Moon Sung-keun, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Young-ran, Yoo Soon-chul Original novel by Choe Yun 10 May 2018 7:00 pm, KCCUK. Book via EventBrite Stumbling along rivers and … [Read More]
Film review: A Taxi Driver
I went along to watch A Taxi Driver out of a sense of duty. What can be said about Gwangju, I thought, that hasn’t been said already? I’d rather see a documentary. Plus, Korean movies with foreign actors always raise slight alarm bells with me (Isabelle Huppert in Hong Sang-soo’s In Another Country left me … [Read More]
One Day, Maybe: Hull City of Culture work inspired by Gwangju
An intriguing project as part of Hull’s year as UK City of Culture. “Deep within a hidden office complex in Hull city centre, a mysterious new Korean technology company is about to change the way we view the world.” One Day, Maybe Created by dreamthinkspeak | Commissioned by Hull UK City of Culture 2017 Friday … [Read More]
6th LKFF 2017 Teaser: Jang Hoon’s Taxi Driver
How did we manage to squeeze in six teasers this year? Anyway, the latest is possibly one of the most anticipated Korean movies of the year so far. Here’s hoping it lives up to expectation. Taxi Driver (택시 운전사) Director: Jang Hoon, 2017, 137mins Cast: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yoo Hai-jin, Ryu Jun-yeol UK Premiere … [Read More]
Young In Hong’s 5100: Pentagon
Here are a few photos and a video from the two performances of Young In Hong’s work 5100: Pentagon on 4 June 2017 in the courtyard of the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly. The performers were all volunteers, of whom fewer turned up than expected because of the terrorist incident in the London bridge … [Read More]
Event news: 5100: Pentagon commemorates Gwangju in dance
As part of Block Universe, a week-long festival of performance art held in venues across London, a new work by Young In Hong is inspired by Gwangju. 5100: Pentagon — Young In Hong Sunday, 4 June 2017, 3pm, duration 15 minutes. Sunday, 4 June 2017, 3.40pm, duration 15 minutes. Courtyard, Royal Academy of Arts | … [Read More]
Korean performers needed for Hull City of Culture Gwangju project
dreamthinkspeak, pioneers of site responsive performance, are creating a new production entitled ONE DAY MAYBE as part of the HULL CITY of CULTURE programme of events. The production is scheduled for September this year. ONE DAY, MAYBE is inspired by the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in South Korea. The project casts an eye on the … [Read More]
Why Han Kang’s Human Acts is likely to be my book of the year
Han Kang: Human Acts Translated by Deborah Smith Portobello Books, 2016, 224pp Originally published as 소년이 온다, Changbi Publishers Inc, Seoul, 2014 Han Kang’s Human Acts hits the bookshelves in the UK just as The Vegetarian starts to make waves in the US. The latter book has already made its mark in the UK, making … [Read More]
Event news: launch of Han Kang’s Human Acts
Three separate opportunities to hear Han Kang talk about her newly-translated book, Human Acts – a Norwich appearance sandwiched in between two London ones. If you can’t wait to get hold of a copy of the book, Foyles (whose event is 13 Jan) claim they have “exclusive availability of Human Acts for a full month … [Read More]
March For The Beloved – in memory of Gwangju
On the anniversary of the 18 May 1980 uprising in Gwangju, here is song which became its unofficial anthem. It was written in 1982 by Kim Jong-ryul for his friends, a couple who were murdered in the uprising. The title is 임을 위한 행진곡 or “March for the beloved”, sometimes translated as “March for the … [Read More]