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Diary
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Written by Samuel Jamier
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Another blog freeze: I was taking a much need break in Morocco, away from all things Korean, so to speak.
Meanwhile... no less than 9 films were shown at the 62th Cannes Film Festival, and some of the major figures of the industry were present, not to mention the fact that director
Lee Chang-dong was a member of the jury this year. Impressive, considering the seemingless endless crisis that Korean cinema has been facing.
Faithful to their annual custom, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) has published a preamble to their Korean Cinema 2009: Korean Film Guide 2009 - Cannes Special Edition, a sort of guidebook that lists the theatrical releases of the first half of the year as well as upcoming films.
Here are the 9 films presented in Cannes this year:
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Read more... [Korean cinema in Cannes]
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Featured Events
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Written by Samuel Jamier
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From woman filmmaker to woman filmmaker: Yunah Hong and Yim soon-rye
Director Yim Soon-rye was here at The Korea Society last night for a screening of her documentary Keeping the Vision Alive (on the role that she and her fellow women directors play in the industry) and her short film The "Weight" of Her (a satire of the expectations Korean society places on women). She discussed the role of women filmmakers in Korea today in a no-nonsense conversation moderated by Yunah Hong. An interesting discussion overall, except that I was hoping for more comments on her first two feature films, Three Friends and the brilliant Waikiki Brothers... Regardless, some very insightful remarks on the women, filmmaking, and the Korean film industry in general.
With Yim Soon-rye. I didn't have much of a chance to speak with her... too bad.
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Diary
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Written by Samuel Jamier
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It's easy to tell what the marketing tean had in mind on this one.
Despite its less than original title, Yoon Jong-seok's Marine Boy has caught my (usually very divided) attention recently. Described as a "steamy" crime thriller involving drug-smuggling across the sea (as in: between Japan and Korea), this big-budget CJ production performed honorably at the South Korean box office earlier this year. Park Si-yeon's charms might have had something to do with it. And maybe Kim Kang-woo's six-pack and sweaty back did.
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Diary
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Written by Samuel Jamier
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Jeon Do-yeon: turning the pissed-off look (the French faire la gueule would work even better here) into a major thespian skill/art form. My own punctum of the brilliant My Dear Enemy (see some brief comments there), which will be played at the Tribeca Film Festival on Tuesday, April 28 at 7:30 PM (AMC Village VI), Thursday, April 30 at 9:45 PM (AMC Village VII), and Friday, May 1 at 5:45 PM (AMC Village VII). Not to be missed.
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Diary
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Written by Samuel Jamier
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Top of my watchlist would be more accurate... Arguably the most anticipated Korean film this year, Park Chan-wook's take on the vampire movie genre, Thirst (박쥐) will be released on April 30th in South Korea. Pictures from the film have been available here and there from various sources on the web, and it looks pretty good, maybe not as erotic as it was publicized (wait and see...). Interestingly, the film's gotten a distribution deal with Universal's Focus Features.
Thirst is about a priest who somehow (how, really?) finds himself with some vampire blood running through his Catholic veins. Trouble ensues, as coveting thy friend's wife is hardly the priestly thing to do (or think). Promising.
More pictures, this way:
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Read more... [On my watchlist: "Thirst]
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