Side by Side: Out of a South Korean Orphanage and Into the World weaves the stories of nine inter-country adoptees—selected out of 100 original interviews— as they recall their families of origin, their relinquishment to orphanages, and their adoptions and lives abroad. Starkly minimalist, Side by Side is composed entirely of intensely intimate, first-person narratives, filmed in Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York City, Paris, Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Melbourne.
This extraordinary documentary will be available for free streaming for three days, July 18-20.
Co-director and Producer Glenn Morey will join the Korea Society for a director’s talk on July 20.
Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), this program will be conducted virtually. Streaming and live webcast will be provided free of charge at the specified date and time. A limited number of viewing links will be provided to the people who sign up through the form below. Those unable to view the live session will have the opportunity to watch the recorded video or listen to the podcast soon after.
Glenn Morey has worked in film since 1981 as a writer, creative director, commercial and documentary filmmaker, including as an Executive Producer for the Mustapha Khan documentary film, House on Fire: Black America Responds to AIDS, featuring Julian Bond, Rep. Maxine Waters, Kweisi Mfume, Maya Angelou, and many other African-American leaders; awarded Best Documentary for the Houston International Film Festival, broadcast on PBS and selected for a number of international film festivals. As the CEO of the Morey Group of branding, advertising, and online publishing companies, he is the recipient of hundreds of creative advertising awards, as well as recognition by Adweek and Advertising Age magazines. Glenn’s personal story as an inter-country adoptee from South Korea, was the initial motivating and creative force behind Side by Side.
The Korea Society is proud to co-present the U.S. premier of South Korean Documentary Film, The Wandering Chef, during the Margaret Mead Film Festival at the American Museum of Natural History.
Jiho Im is a world-class chef who wanders the mountainous Korean peninsula on foot for unorthodox ingredients—acorns, weeds, and moss. Along his way, he cooks meals and develops deep relationships with the elders he meets. When one of his closest friends dies, he faces the challenge of his lifetime: cooking a 108-course feast in her honor for her family.
Famed producer Won Dong-Yeon–the creative force behind Along with the Gods and Masquerade–speaks to the state of Korean film today and intricacies of the film industry at home. He also reflects on the power of Korean directors, producers and actors for the global box office.
Co-Sponsor:
Korean Film Today with Won Dong-Yeon
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2019 | 6 PM
The Korea Society 350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, NY 10017
A tribute to the Peace Corps program in Korea, 1966-1981. It includes photos of Peace Corps Volunteers in service, set over the song “A Simple Prayer.”
Director Yoon Jong Bin’s latest film, The Spy Gone North, starring Hwang Jung-min, Lee Sung-min, Cho Jin-woong, and Ju Ji-hoon, portrays the true story of former South Korean agent, Park Chae-seo. The film premiered in the Midnight Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2018.
Synopsis Set in 1993, with tensions running high in South Korea amid rumors surrounding North Korea’s nuclear weapon development, Park Seok Young is recruited by the National Security Agency to infiltrate the North Korean elite under the codename “Heuk-geum-seong” (Black Venus). He poses as a businessman seeking opportunities in North Korea, hiding his identity from even his family to approach Lee Myeong-Un, a high-ranking North Korean official residing in Beijing. As Seok Yeong manages to earn the trust of North Korean power players, he gets wind of a covert deal between the South and North Korean governments. Seok Young feels conflicted over risking everything for his country, given this new information.
NY Premiere Director Yoon Jong-bin’s The Spy Gone North (공작, 2018)
About the DirectorAbout the SpeakerABOUT THE MODERATOR
Yoon Jong-bin is a South Korean film director known for his detailed portrayals of corruption and crime within society. He made his successful feature film debut in 2005, with the release of The Unforgiven, winning many awards at the 2005 Busan International Film Festival. He is also widely known for his film, Nameless Gangster: Rules of Time, which covered the topic of the Korean government’s declaration of war against organized crime in 1990. The film was a major success, topping the list of ten most watched films in South Korea for the first quarter of 2012.
Charles Bramesco is a film and television critic living in Brooklyn. His work has appeared in the Guardian, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Newsweek, Forbes, Nylon, Vulture, The A.V. Club, Indiewire, The Dissolve, Vox and Pitchfork. His favorite film is Boogie Nights.
Samuel Jamier is the executive director of The New York Asian Film Festival, North America’s leading festival of popular Asian cinema, “the world’s best-curated program of new and classic Asian cinema” (Indiewire), conceived and produced by Subway Cinema (and held at Film Society of Lincoln Center and SVA Theatre), a film and culture nonprofit which he also heads since 2015. He is also the founder of Windwellers Films and Citizen Pain Releasing Productions, a film producer, and a partner at the Hong Kong based film sales agency Good Move Media.
Until July 2013, he was senior film programmer and curator at Japan Society, responsible for the selection and organization of all films, series and festivals, and was in charge of its acclaimed Japanese Film Festival, Japan Cuts, for several years. Previously, he was senior programmer at The Korea Society, where he designed and executed cultural programming initiatives including an annual program of public lectures and workshops on topics ranging from foreign policy and corporate symposia to Korean cinema and traditional performing arts, hosted by heads of state, senior government officials, business leaders, university professors, authors, film directors and actors, as well as living national treasures.
Samuel Jamier earned doctoral, MA and BA degrees in English Literature, Comparative Literature, and Medieval Philosophy, with Honors, from the Sorbonne Nouvelle University; is an Agrégation Laureate in Modern English Literature; and a graduate from the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. He also completed postgraduate studies at Tokyo University, Japan and King’s College in London, England.
He is of Korean descent, and grew up in Brittany, France.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
Accomplished film, television, and theater director Jang Jin speaks at The Korea Society. The creative talent behind films such as Good Morning President and Welcome to Dongmakgol, Director Jang shares his experience working in various sectors of the Korean entertainment industry.
Director’s Talk with Jang Jin
Moderated by Samuel Jamier
Friday, April 13, 2018 | 6:30 PM
The Korea Society Fellow, Patron and Corporate members: FREE with registration
Jang Jin (born in 1971 in Seoul, Korea) is an accomplished South Korean film director, theater director, playwright, screenwriter, film producer, and mastermind of the television show Saturday Night Live Korea. He also played as Director for the opening and closing ceremony of 2014 Asian Game in Incheon, Korea.
Started acting in his freshman year of high school, his passion in acting led him to major in theater studies at Seoul Institute of the Arts. He then stared working full-time as a brilliant theater director in Korea and later his career brought him to the top of Korea’s directors. Considered one of the most distinctive voices to emerge from the 1990s Korean cinema renaissance, Jang’s unique filmmaking style mixes unconventional storylines, quirky characters, dry and subversive humor, comic twists, sharp puns, stagy presentation, a keen observation of society, and humanism.
In 2015, the International Film Festival Rotterdam honored Jang with a retrospective. Tony Rayns wrote that the director “is best known for one thing: satire. He doesn’t respect institutions, powerful individuals or dogmas of any kind. He believes, endearingly, that satirical comedy might change society more effectively than throwing Molotov cocktails.”
2016
8th Festival International Du Film Policier Du Beaune: Grand Prix (Man on the High Heels)
2012
30th Fajr International Film Festival International Cinema Competition (Eastern Vista, Asian Cinema): Crystal Simorgh for Best Screenplay (Romantic Heaven)
2009
MBC Drama Awards: Special Award for Radio Show Segment (Standard FM Radio Book Club)
2009
5th Korea Green Foundation’s People Who Brightened Our World: Person of the Year
2005
4th Korean Film Awards: Best Screenplay (Welcome to Dongmakgol)
2004
5th Busan Film Critics Awards: Best Screenplay (Someone Special)
2000
36th Baeksang Arts Awards: Best Screenplay (The Spy)
His recent works include ‘The Ice (2016 / theater)’, ‘Flower’s Secret (2015 / theater)’, ‘We Are Brothers (2014 / film)’, ‘Man on High Heels (2014 / film)’, ‘December: Unfinished Song (2013 / theater), ‘Romantic Heaven (2011 / film)’, etc.
Samuel Jamier is the executive director of The New York Asian Film Festival, North America’s leading festival of popular Asian cinema, “the world’s best-curated program of new and classic Asian cinema” (Indiewire), conceived and produced by Subway Cinema (and held at Film Society of Lincoln Center and SVA Theatre), a film and culture nonprofit which he also heads since 2015. He is also the founder of Windwellers Films and Citizen Pain Releasing Productions, a film producer, and a partner at the Hong Kong based film sales agency Good Move Media.
Until July 2013, he was senior film programmer and curator at Japan Society, responsible for the selection and organization of all films, series and festivals, and was in charge of its acclaimed Japanese Film Festival, Japan Cuts, for several years. Previously, he was senior programmer at The Korea Society, where he designed and executed cultural programming initiatives including an annual program of public lectures and workshops on topics ranging from foreign policy and corporate symposia to Korean cinema and traditional performing arts, hosted by heads of state, senior government officials, business leaders, university professors, authors, film directors and actors, as well as living national treasures.
Samuel Jamier earned doctoral, MA and BA degrees in English Literature, Comparative Literature, and Medieval Philosophy, with Honors, from the Sorbonne Nouvelle University; is an Agrégation Laureate in Modern English Literature; and a graduate from the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. He also completed postgraduate studies at Tokyo University, Japan and King’s College in London, England.
He is of Korean descent, and grew up in Brittany, France.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
The 15th Annual New York Korean Film Festival Announces Upcoming Program
for November 3rd to November 5th, 2017 at the Museum of the Moving Image.
The New York Korean Film Festival returns to the Museum for its yearly celebration of the best in Korean cinema. This 15th edition of the Festival includes a wide range of genres, with action thrillers, comedies, romance, documentary, social drama, melodrama, and the madcap science fiction and social critique of Bong Joon-ho.
Fabricated City (조작된 도시) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | 7 PM Dir. Park Kwang-hyun. 2017, 126 mins. DCP.
A paranoid thriller with a high-tech edge, Park Kwang-hyun’s (Welcome to Dongmakgol) latest film pits a team of skilled video gamers against a mysterious underworld organization in a battle that rages through both the physical and digital worlds. When Kwon Yu (Ji Chang-wook), a former tae kwon do star turned video game addict, is framed for murder, his gamer friends come to his aid and in the process uncover a vast, murderous conspiracy. This nonstop thrill ride of a movie mixes jaw-dropping action scenes with pointed commentary about socioeconomic inequality in today’s Korea. Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter calls it “an updated version of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy set in the world of online video games…. Featuring a fast-paced plot and a snappy visual style, Park’s absorbing third feature should appeal equally to high-tech enthusiasts and action film fans.” (Description by Tom Vick, film curator, Freer and Sackler Galleries)
A Quiet Dream (춘몽) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2017 | 3 PM Dir. Zhang Lu, 2016, 98 mins. DCP
With Han Ye-ri, Yang Ik-june, Park Jung-bum, Yoon Jong-bin. In Korean with English subtitles. The loveable opening film of the 2016 Busan Film Festival follows three goofballs vying for the affection of the attractive owner (Han Ye-ri) of a dive bar in a scrappy Seoul neighborhood. The three wooers are well-known actor-directors riffing on their own films. Yang Ik-june plays a vagabond gangster (as in Breathless), Park Jung-bum is a defector from North Korea (as in The Journals of Musan), and Yoon Jong-bin’s character is reminiscent of the army private he played in Unforgiven. From this clever conceit, director Zhang Lu spins what Variety’s Maggie Lee called a “whimsical, frequently poetic urban rhapsody buoyed by its deadpan dropout protagonists.”
Yourself and Yours (당신자신과 당신의 것) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2017 | 5 PM Dir. Hong Sang-soo, 2016, 86 mins., DCP
With Kim Joo-hyuk, Lee Yoo-young. In Korean with English subtitles. The prolific Hong Sang-soo boldly and wittily continues his ongoing exploration of the painful caprices of modern romance that was inspired by Luis Buñuel’s That Obscure Object of Desire. Painter Young-soo (Kim Joo-hyuk) hears secondhand that his girlfriend, Min-jung (Lee Yoo-young), has recently had (many) drinks with an unknown man. This leads to a quarrel that seems to end their relationship. The next day, Young-soo sets out in search of Min-jung, while she—or a woman who looks exactly like her and may or may not be her twin—has a series of encounters with strange men, some of whom claim to have met her before. Yourself and Yours is a break-up/make-up comedy unlike any other, suffused with sophisticated modernist mystery.
Bamseom Pirates Seoul Inferno SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2017 | 7 PM Korea, Jung Yoon-suk, Korea, 2017, 120 min., DCP
An audience favorite at the recent Rotterdam and New York Asian Film Festivals, Jung Yoon-suk’s appropriately irreverent documentary follows the anarchic exploits of the Bamseom Pirates, a politically outspoken, gleefully nonconformist two-man punk band. Performing mainly at street protests and political rallies, their satirical antics, which include blasting through one hundred songs in ten minutes in their first gig and titling one of their songs “All Hail Kim Jong-il,” take aim at the absurdities, inequality, and corruption of South Korean society. But they learn just how far they can go when their manager is arrested for posting allegedly pro-North Korean tweets.
Come, Together (컴, 투게더) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2017 | 4 PM Dir. Shin Dong-il, Korea, 2016, 122 min., DCP
With Im Hyeon-gook, Lee Hye-eun, Chae Bin. In Korean with English subtitles. An “assuredly executed drama with fiery performances” (Maggie Lee, Variety), Shin Dong-il’s engaging film illustrates the toll Korea’s hyper-competitive society can take on an ordinary family. When middle manager Beom-gu (Im Hyeon-gook) is fired from his job after eighteen years, his violent rage throws his family into turmoil. His wife Mi-young (Lee Hye-eun), now the sole breadwinner, starts cutting ethical corners in her job selling credit cards. Meanwhile, their daughter Ha-na (Chae Bin) frets over her college entrance exam. Shin’s psychologically astute film is a well-crafted combination of social critique and tense drama that movingly makes the case for following one’s passions rather than succumbing to societal pressures.
Okja Followed by live video call with Bong Joon-ho SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2017 | 7 PM Dir. Bong Joon-ho, Korea/United States, 2017, 120 mins., DCP
With Tilda Swinton, Ahn Seo-hyun, Paul Dano, Jake Gyllenhaal. In English and Korean with English subtitles. Hailed visionary Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, The Host) returns with a typically twisted, vegetarian-friendly blockbuster about the friendship between a young girl named Mija (Seo-Hyun Ahn, Monster) and her “super-pig” Okja. In the guise of a family movie, this madcap anti-corporate satire follows the duo’s fight against a villainous corporation—led by the always superb Tilda Swinton, who plays both a hypocrite CEO and her scheming twin sister. En route to freedom, Mija and Okja encounter a plethora of quirky characters, including a cadre of eco-terrorists led by a courteous troublemaker (Paul Dano) and a “Sir Attenborough” from hell (Jake Gyllenhaal).
ABOUT THE KOREA SOCIETY
The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea.
ABOUT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities—acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design—the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts.
Major support provided by the Korea Foundation.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
The 14th Annual New York Korean Film Festival Announces Upcoming Program for November 11th to November 13th, 2016 at the Museum of the Moving Image.
(New York, October 26, 2016) The Korea Society’s New York Korean Film Festival returns to New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image on November 11 to 13 for its yearly celebration of the best in Korean cinema. This 14th edition of the Festival focuses on the family, as moms, dads, children, and grandparents struggle to survive the zombie apocalypse, law school exams, ambitious aristocrats, and secret societies. South Korea’s 2016 Oscar submission and American premieres make for a not-to-be-missed showcase of one of the world’s most dynamic national cinemas.
Train to Busan (부산행) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016 | 7 PM Korea, Dir. Yeon Sang-ho, 2016, 118min, With Gong Yoo, Kim Soo-An, Jeong Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok
The Map against the World (고산자: 대동여지도) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016 | 2 PM Korea, Dir. Kang Woo-Suk, 2016, 129 min, With Cha Seung-Won, You Jun-Sang, Kim In-Kwon, Nam Ji-Hyun
Phantom Detective (탐정 홍길동: 사라진마을) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016 | 4:30 PM Korea, Dir. Jo Sung-hee, 2016, 125 min, With Lee Je-hoon, Go Ara, Kim Seong-Gyoon
Sori: Voice from the Heart (로봇, 소리) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2016 | 7 PM New York Premiere Korea, Dir. Lee Ho-Jae, 2016, 117 min, With Lee Sung-Min, Lee Hee-Jun, Lee Honey
Familyhood (굿바이 싱글) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016 | 2 PM New York Premiere Korea, 2016, Dir. Kim Tae-Gon, 119 mins, With Kim Hye-Soo, Ma Dong-Seok
The Queen of Crime (범죄의 여왕) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016 | 4:30 PM North America Premiere Korea, 2016, 130 mins, Dir. Lee Yo-Sup, With Park Ji-Young, Jo Bok-Rae, Kim Dae-Hyeon
The Age of Shadows (밀정) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016 | 7 PM Korea, Dir. Kim Jee-Woon, 2016, 140min, with Song Kang-Ho, Gong Yoo, Han Ji-Min
ABOUT THE KOREA SOCIETY
The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea.
ABOUT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities—acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design—the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts.
Major support provided by the Korea Foundation.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
The 13th Annual New York Korean Film Festival Program for November 6th to November 11th, 2015, at the Museum of the Moving Image.
Festival highlights award-winning films of love, crime, and erotica.
More premieres, filmmakers, and celebrity guests than ever.
(New York, October 15, 2015)The 13th Annual New York Korean Film Festival showcases the nation’s cinema doing what it does best: the crime thriller, the romantic fantasy, and feverish erotica. The Peninsula’s filmmakers bend genre cinema to a uniquely Korean pulse and purpose, making the country’s national film industry the most vibrant in East Asia. The thrilling complications of love and crime steal the show in this year’s lineup, as partnerships go south and fickle passions lead to betrayal. Resistance fighters navigate the intrigue of colonial-era Korea, love affairs are smothered as quickly as they are kindled, and hard-boiled cops dig at the ugly truth in a collection of both massive blockbusters and favorites from the international festival circuit, with five New York premieres and one international premiere.
The 13th Annual New York Korean Festival ran from November 6-November 11, 2015, at the Museum of the Moving Image. This was the first year Museum of the Moving Image served as a partner and the venue for the New York Korean Film Festival, building on past collaborations with the Korea Society and Subway Cinema.
The Korea Society has also invited an exceptional group of Korean guests, including star director Ryoo Seung-Wan and producers Kang Hye-jung and Park Jung (Veteran); directors Shin Suwon (Madonna), Lee Do-yun (Confession), Kang Hyo-jin (Wonderful Nightmare), Oh Seung-uk (The Shameless), and Hong Won-chan (Office); and actress Koh Ah-Sung.
The New York Korean Film Festival is a program of The Korea Society, the Museum of the Moving Image, and Subway Cinema.
Major support is provided by the Korea Foundation.
Opening Night tickets: $20 ($12 for TKS members, MOMI Film Lover and Dual members / free for Silver Screen members and above).
All other NYKFF tickets are $12 ($7 for TKS members, MOMI Film Lover and Dual members / free for Silver Screen members and above).
Advance tickets available online at movingimage.us beginning October 21, 2015
OPENING NIGHT
Office (오피스) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2015 | 6:30 PM New York Premiere With director Hong Won-chan and star Ko Ah-sung in person Followed by a reception in the Museum lobby and cafe
Trap (덫, 치명적인 유혹) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2015 | 1 PM International Premiere
Confession (좋은 친구들) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2015 | 3:15 PM New York Premiere With director Lee Do-yun in person
The Shameless (무뢰한) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2015 | 6 PM New York Premiere With director Oh Seung-uk in person
Assassination (암살) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2015 | 8:55 PM
Madonna (마돈나) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015 | 2 PM New York Premiere With director Shin Su-Won in person
The Beauty Inside (뷰티 인사이드) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015 | 5 PM
Veteran (베테랑) SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015 | 7:45 PM U.S. Festival Premiere With director Ryoo Seung-wan in person
Wonderful Nightmare (미쓰 와이프) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015 | 7 PM New York Premiere With director Kang Hyo-jin in person
ABOUT THE KOREA SOCIETY
The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea.
ABOUT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities—acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design—the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts.
ABOUT SUBWAY CINEMA
Subway Cinema is America’s leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the exhibition and appreciation of Asian popular film culture in all forms, building bridges between Asia and the West. With year-round festivals and programs, the organization aims to bring wide audience and critical attention to contemporary and classic Asian cinema in the U.S. In 2002, Subway Cinema launched its flagship event, the annual New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), which is North America’s leading festival of popular Asian cinema. Subway cinema’s other events and initiatives include Old School Kung Fu Fest (OSKFF), New York Korean Film Festival (NYKFF), and year-round special screenings and filmmaker tributes.
