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2008.05.11:  May, the month of classic films   The most exciting Korean films scheduled to appear in theaters this May all happen to be made decades ago. This is because the Korean Film Archive (KOFA) is holding a festival to commemorate the official opening of their new cinematheque and film museum. It is also because the lineup of new contemporary films this month looks like the crumbs left at the bottom of the cookie jar. Not to denigrate those few low-budget films that have secured a release -- I haven't seen them yet, and they may turn out to be OK -- but as a measure of the current state of the Korean film industry, it's pretty depressing. (June and July, at least, should be better)

But the classic movies are indeed big news. The festival's opening film, which screened on Friday and again on Saturday, was the recently re-discovered 1934 silent feature Turning Point of the Youngsters. An original nitrate negative of the film was discovered in Korea last year by the son of a former theater owner. It was then handed over to the Archive, which arranged for restoration work to be done in Japan. Eight of the film's nine reels were salvaged, making for a 73-minute feature.

Most notably, Turning Point of the Youngsters (it seems like a more natural translation would be Crossroads of Youth) is now the oldest Korean film in possession, and the first film from Korea's silent era which is available for viewing. (There is another Korean silent film, The Prosecutor and the Woman Teacher, from 1948, but this is an odd exception because it was only shot in silent format because some older film stock happened to be available. At that point, it had been over a decade since Korea had switched over exclusively to sound)

As in Japan, Korean silent films feature no intertitles but are instead screened to the commentary of a live narrator (called a "byeonsa" in Korean, or "benshi" in Japanese). To fully revive the experience, KOFA staged a show with live music, onstage singing, and the narration of a byeonsa dressed up in 1930s-style clothing and speaking in a period dialect. The byeonsa was film and theater actor Jo Hee-bong (Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater), the narration was written by Oh Ryu-mi, and overall direction of the screening/performance was done by Family Ties director Kim Tae-yong.

It was quite an impressive experience, actually. I once read a fascinating article about how, in the West, musicians who accompanied the screening of silent features in the 1910s could drastically affect the viewing experience based on the tone of their music -- and would sometimes, if they sensed the crowd to be bored, even mock the film with sarcastic music. (For anyone who might want to track the article down, it's by Tim Anderson, in the fall 1997 volume of Cinema Journal) For a byeonsa, who not only describes what happens onscreen but throws in all manner of comments, the effect is vastly multiplied. A KOFA employee told me that at first, when planning this screening, they intended to do it "straight", and maintain a respectful, serious attitude towards the film. But later -- and I feel this was absolutely the right decision -- they decided to let the byeonsa throw himself into the melodramatic narrative and insert comedy when appropriate. The end result was very involving and funny, and it never felt disrespectful.

The film itself, about a brother and sister who come from the country into Seoul and encounter modern life (and heartless playboys) for the first time, would never be mistaken for a masterpiece. It is directed by An Jong-hwa, who made 12 features between 1930 and 1960. It also features Shin Il-seon, who starred in the lost classic Arirang (1926). Its biggest charm for modern viewers is probably the way in which it presents upper-class 1930s Seoul as if to the eyes of a first-time viewer. Many viewers of that time period would probably never have seen a golf course, an elevator, or the interior of an upscale restaurant. And we too, of course, take a similar perspective watching it today.

There is only one more screening scheduled, this one without the performance/narration, on May 21 at 5:30pm (seeing it in this way will be infinitely drier and more confusing, I'm sure). But the Saturday screening I saw was completely sold out and the young audience went crazy over it, so I think that KOFA will have to plan to do this again sometime.

In the meantime, they have the rest of the festival to finish. And in addition to a selection of overlooked Korean classics, restored films from around the world, a screening of early-twentieth century footage of Seoul, and more, they have another surprise for the closing film: Korea's very first animated feature, Hong Gil-dong (1967). Tom Giammarco wrote a great introduction to the film in his Brief History of Korean Animation, Part II. It was believed to be lost, but recently the film was discovered in Japan and returned to Korea. There is one (unsubtitled) screening only, on May 25 at 7pm. If you plan to be there, buy your tickets early.

      ♠    Darcy reviews an early work by Shin Sang-ok, A College Woman's Confession (1958) which screened as part of a recent mini-retrospective in Udine (more on that later), while Adam reviews the adolescent drama Lump of Sugar (2006) starring Lim Soo-jung.

      ♠    Adam reviews Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu's Mongolia-set, French-Korean co-production Desert Dream (2007), and Darcy talks up Lee Joon-ik's The Happy Life (2007), about three middle aged guys who start up a band.

      ♠    Darcy reviews the Jang Jin-scripted comedy Going by the Book (2007).

2008.04.09:  A summer without horror?   This week's issue of Cine21 asks a scary question: could it be that not a single Korean horror film is released this summer? Usually producers of horror films aim specifically for the summer season, given that a tradition of sorts has emerged over the last decade. As the weather heats up, viewers seem to look forward to something to scare their socks off. But this year they may have to do with imported horror, because production companies have apparently decided that the genre needs a rest.

No less than six were released between May and August last year (in order: The Evil Twin, which was actually produced in 2005, Black House, Cadaver (aka The Cut), Muoi, Epitaph, and Someone Behind You). However none of them really met box-office expectations. Black House, the highest grossing of the group, sold 1.4 million tickets, but given the high profile cast and its big marketing push CJ Entertainment was hoping for a bit more. The Evil Twin, Muoi and Someone Behind You qualify as major flops. At the same time, Asian horror doesn't sell as well on the international market as it used to.

Given the much-discussed crisis in the film industry, and the scarcity of investment these days, it seems that (probably without intending to) all the major distributors have ended up bypassing the tradition this year. There is actually one lower-profile project that went into production in February that the Cine21 article didn't mention. With a Korean title of Oetori ("Loner"?), it is directed by Park Jae-sik and stars Jeong Yu-seok, Chae Min-seo and Goh Eun-a (pictures of the cast here). But we'll have to wait and see if it actually secures a release in the summer.

Meanwhile, The Guard Post (which mixes genres, but is probably closest to horror) was released last week, and though it opened at #1, ticket sales were still pretty low. Other companies are supposedly developing horror films for the future, but they won't be ready for the summer season.

      ♠    Darcy reviews relationship drama Hellcats (2008), from January.

      ♠    Kyu Hyun reviews the low-budget debut film The Wonder Years (2007), and the book Seoul Searching: Culture and Identity in Contemporary Korean Cinema (2007) has been added to the books page.

      ♠    Adam reviews director Hur Jin-ho's fourth film Happiness (2007).

      ♠    Darcy reviews the military horror film The Guard Post (2008), which opened this Thursday.

2008.04.02:  Jeonju, and a note to readers   First let me start this blog post with some personal news, since it is likely to affect the site. My work life is going to be changing this spring: first of all, I have decided to stop writing for Variety. I enjoyed the time I spent as the magazine's Korea correspondent, but I've been feeling overwhelmed recently, and just need to simplify my life a bit. I also need to spend less time on the computer, because the arm pain (RSI) I have is sometimes quite severe. So I'm hoping to concentrate most of my film writing on this website, and maybe get back to doing some teaching to replace the lost income. (Or, with luck, I may finally get a proper sponsor for the site).

I'm also in the process of writing a book. It won't be officially announced until the manuscript is in, but it's an entry into the Short Cuts series published by Wallflower Press in the U.K. It will examine the changes that have taken place in Korean cinema from the 1980s until the present, while also giving a basic overview of the political and social developments that transformed Korea in that time period. My deadline for the initial draft is the end of June, so perhaps sometime next year we can see it in print.

Those are my two goals this spring: finish the book, and put the mojo back into this website. Wish me luck.

In the meantime, I thought I would comment a bit on this year's Jeonju International Film Festival, scheduled for May 1-9. The full program was revealed yesterday at press conferences in Jeonju and Seoul. The opening film is from Japan, Manda Kunitoshi's The Kiss ("Seppun"), and the closing film will be the fourth installment of If You Were Me, the omnibus films sponsored by the Korean Human Rights Commission. Whereas If You Were Me 1, 2, and 3 were mostly focused on the issue of discrimination, this time around the focus will be on the challenges facing young people in today's Korea. The five directors chosen are Kim Tae-yong (Family Ties), Pang Eun-jin (Princess Aurora), Lee Hyeon-seung (Il Mare), Yoon Seung-ho (Milky Way Liberation Front), and Jeon Gye-su (Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater). It strikes me as a more difficult subject to portray well than issues related to discrimination, but we'll see...

I'm also excited about a new documentary by Kim Dong-won, whose Repatriation (2004) was maybe the best Korean documentary ever. The new film, a 60-minute documentary titled 63 Years On, tracks down former comfort women (i.e., women forced into sexual slavery during WWII by the Japanese military) living in Korea, China, the Philippines and the Netherlands. This topic has been covered before in Korean documentaries, most famously by Byun Young-joo's The Murmuring (1995), Habitual Sadness (1997) and My Own Breathing (1999), but Kim's take on this subject is sure to be interesting.

There will also be around 10 brand new Korean independent features, mostly by debut directors. These days, so many low-budget HD works are being made that it's a real challenge to keep up with them. I'm not complaining, mind you -- though some are inevitably very bad, others are well made, so that talent spotting at festivals like Jeonju is becoming a more engaging sport. As for films from other countries, there will be retrospectives on Bela Tarr, Alexander Kluge, cinema of the former Soviet central Asian republics, and Vietnamese cinema.

If any of you readers are living in Korea and have never been to this festival, I strongly urge you to take some time and go. There's something about the small city, the festival's focus on the films, and the great food that makes it feel completely different from Pusan or Puchon. My head is clearer when I am in Jeonju, and I feel more like a cinephile. This year I'll be able to stay longer than usual at the festival, thanks to its dates being pushed a little later (in the past it always conflicted with the Udine Far East Film Festival). So I hope to discuss more about the films and issues at this year's JIFF in a festival report.

      ♠    A 2008 page has finally been added to the reviews section, together with Darcy's take on the surprise commercial success Forever the Moment (2008).

      ♠    Kyu Hyun has reviewed Lee Gyu-man's medical thriller Wide Awake (2007).

      ♠    Giuseppe Sedia has contributed an interview with Bong Joon-ho.

      ♠    Adam reviews the 1962 feature The Salaryman, by Lee Bong-rae.

      ♠    Kyu Hyun reviews the 2007 horror film Someone Behind You (2007).

2008.01.03:  Top news stories of 2007   Since these days I haven't been able to keep up with the old news pages or newsletter, I thought I would take this chance to look back at the top news stories of 2007 (from my perspective, at least). It's been an eventful year, as always!

#1. Crisis, Crisis, Crisis.  The never-ending news story this year has been the recent troubles of Korean film companies. Admissions are going down, exports are crashing, the cost of making movies continues to rise, and audiences seem to be re-kindling their interest in Hollywood films. It's still too early to tell where all of this is going, and part of it may just be a case of overly inflated expectations, but certainly the mood this year has been grim.

#2. Jeon Do-yeon wins Best Actress at Cannes for her role in Secret Sunshine.  Korea's highest profile acting award since Kang Su-yeon won in Venice in 1987 for Surrogate Woman couldn't have happened to a more deserving person. Here's hoping that her next film, a low budget art film by Lee Yoon-ki, boosts her growing international profile.

#3. The uproar over D-War.  Korea had a taste of its own culture wars in August, when Shim Hyung-rae's mega-budget monster D-War hit the screens. Independent director Leesong Hee-il ridiculed the film and the hype surrounding it, comparing it to 1970's-era excitement over the export of toasters to the U.S. Furious fanboys responded with a massive, homophobic-tinged attack on his blog. Critics sparred on TV talk shows, viewer rating boards on the internet turned into angry battlegrounds, and Shim himself publicly sulked about how nobody in the Korean film industry respected him. Even I got called some rather choice names on the internet after I slammed it on Cine21's critics board, though nobody ended up attacking this site. All this over an infantile and rather incompetent monster flick that ultimately bombed in U.S. theaters... was it really worth it?

#4. Korean actors go international.  The Korean Wave seems to be fading in many respects, but a string of top Korean stars were cast in international projects in 2007. Jun Ji-hyun (aka Gianna Jun) will take the lead in Blood: The Last Vampire. Actor/singer Rain will take a small role in Speed Racer. Jang Dong-gun stars in Laundry Warrior, which is being shot in New Zealand. Song Hye-gyo will headline a small New York-set U.S. independent film. Lee Byung-heon will get a small role opposite Josh Hartnett in I Come With the Rain. Jang Hyuk took an English-speaking role in a Singapore film. And there continues to be interest in other actors as well. In the coming year, we'll get to actually see all of these films, and find out if they're any good...

#5. Telecoms companies move into the film industry.  In terms of business news, one of the biggest new trends is the newly active role being taken by Korea's biggest telecoms companies. SK Telecom will launch its own film division in 2008. KTH is funding expansion by its subsidiary, Sidus FNH, into distribution. Both companies will also likely become active in IPTV (internet protocol TV), which many hope will become an important future source of revenue for local films. Is this the start of a new era?

#6. US-Korea FTA deal concluded (but not ratified).  This free trade deal, which still may not happen if either legislature rejects it, will have a greater effect on the TV industry than on the film industry. Nonetheless, one clause of the treaty "locks in" the recent reduction of the Screen Quota, and there will also be an extention of copyright from 50 to 70 years -- which will affect classic films.

#7. First film labor deal concluded.  Lower ranking Korean crewmembers have struggled through with miniscule pay and virtually no benefits or insurance for years, while actors and other top talent have seen their salaries skyrocket in recent years. This labor deal is intended to improve things for people on the lower rungs, though unfortunately the timing is not great -- it came into effect just as the industry was embarking on a widespread effort to lower budgets. Only a few films have complied with the new labor rules so far, but in time it may become the new industry standard.

#8. IndieSpace opens.  Seoul and other major cities have a number of arthouse theaters, but the newly-opened IndieSpace is the first theater devoted entirely to Korean low-budget independent films. Each film that debuts at the theater will play for two weeks, and through this venue we should be able to watch a lot of films that weren't available before. Great news!

#9. Megabox sold to foreign investors.  Megabox ranks as Korea's third or fourth biggest theater chain, and this year it was sold to a consortium of investors headed by an Australian bank. There may be less to this than meets the eye, as Megabox's sister company Showbox has signed a long term deal to continue operating the company. But personally, I wish all of the big theater chains would be sold off. It's not healthy or fair to have the biggest distributors owning and operating so many movie theaters across Korea.

#10. CHIFFS holds a successful first edition.  There is certainly no shortage of film festivals in Korea -- a recent Film 2.0 article says there are more than 40 of them registered with KOFIC -- but the successful launch of the Chungmuro International Film Festival in Seoul (CHIFFS) was good news. Unlike most festivals, CHIFFS features almost no new films, and instead places its focus on great movies of the past. There were large numbers of old Korean films screened, as well as Hollywood classics, Asian musicals, director retrospectives, and more. Also, though some other festivals have troubled to attract viewers, CHIFFS had close to 70% of its seats filled. I'm looking forward to the second edition, scheduled for the end of August.

      ♠    Kyu Hyun reviews the island-set mystery thriller Paradise Murdered (2007).

      ♠    Two reviews: Adam writes about the independent film Resurrection of the Butterfly (2007), which received a tiny commercial release in October, and Darcy reviews the period-set mystery Shadows in the Palace (2007), a recent mid-sized hit.

2007.12.01:  Thoughts as the year nears its end   There's a very interesting, wide-ranging debate going on over at the Korean Film Discussion Board about where Korean cinema stands now after ten years of growth and commercial development. Have commercial pressures overwhelmed the industry? Creatively, does Korean cinema provide any meaningful alternative to Hollywood at this point? What can we expect going forward?

I'll contribute my thoughts about those specific issues on the board, but now also seemed a good time to consider the "numbers" for 2007 (not pretty) to see what we can make of them. First, perhaps we can consider a couple predictions I made a year ago about industry trends, namely (a) There will be about 80 Korean films released in 2007, down from 107 in 2006; and (b) Total annual admissop for the first time in a decade. It seems, first of all, that I was wrong about (a) and right about (b).

There will total about 108 Korean films released this year, including everything from low-budget independent films to D-War. This large number makes me suspect that the talk we hear about a crisis in Korean film finance needs to be put into context. Certainly on an individual level, many producers are struggling mightily to find funding for their projects. But it seems to me that the number of people trying to make films these days is much, much higher than it was a couple years ago. If everyone who wanted to make films was able to find investors, I bet we'd have 200-300 movies made each year. It's true that a certain kind of investor (venture capitalists, partial investors) seems to be dropping out, but at the same time a couple big companies like SK Telecom and KT are now moving aggressively into the film industry, so I don't expect a crash in production next year either.

(I argued in another column for Cine21 that because of the structure of the Korean film industry, a crash will not mean that the number Korean films made will suddenly drop, it will mean that we see an unending stream of boring, $3 million films that try to imitate the successes of the past. Is that what is happening now?)

Regarding (b), the final numbers won't be in for a month or two, but I'm guessing we can expect a drop from 2006's all time high to about 2005 levels. This in itself is not a disaster -- the last ten years of uninterrupted growth were a very special situation that will not be repeated. Normal film industries do slightly better one year, slightly worse the next, depending on the quality of films released. Korea has now become a normal, developed film industry. However looking only at admissions for Korean films, it's a bigger drop, because local movies accounted for over 60% of tickets sold in 2006, and a little over 50% this year.

This points to maybe the bigger issue, which is that Korean audiences just don't seem as excited about local films anymore. It's still not clear to me whether this is a cyclical thing, due to a lack of interesting movies this year, or the first sign of a longer decline. After all, 2004 was a pretty bad year (the numbers for March to December were ugly), but 2005 and 2006 were much better. And the second half of this year has been an improvement over the first.

I'll post a top ten list and my thoughts about the year in a creative sense later, but still, from a commercial standpoint, there was very little to get excited about. Maybe this can be linked back to the pessimism that hangs over the industry these days -- maybe it's more difficult to make exciting commercial films than it used to be. But none of the top ten grossing Korean films of 2007 were unusually fun to watch.

      ♠    Duncan reviews Im Kwon-taek's 1997 feature Chang (sometimes called Downfallen), about the life of a prostitute, while Adam picks apart Shim Hyung-rae's mega-budget D-War (2007).

      ♠    Darcy reviews Lee Myung-Se's stylish head-scratcher M (2007).

      ♠    Duncan Mitchel reviews a commercial hit from 1977, Lee Won-se's A World Without Mom.

      ♠    Adam reviews the debut film Beautiful Sunday (2007), which was released this spring.

      ♠    Kyu Hyun reviews the Korean-Vietnamese horror film Muoi (2007).

2007.10.03:  This and that   First of all, I think I owe readers some sort of apology or explanation for the glacial pace at which the site has been updated this year. (Alas, I think the glaciers are moving faster than I am these days) I've always tended to make progress on this site in spurts, whenever some free time appears, but this has been a particularly unforgiving year, work-wise (despite the fact I'm no longer doing subtitles). I've also been dealing with serious carpal tunnel issues in my arm for over a year now, which has affected the site in particular because I've had to cut down on the amount of typing I do. It's somewhat better now, but dealing with this has been an extremely frustrating experience... Anyway, I don't want to turn this into a litany of excuses, but I wanted to say please bear with me, and I hope to turn things around soon. In the meantime, some random comments:

* I'm writing this on the train, on my way down to the 12th Pusan International Film Festival. As more and more film festivals appear in Korea these days, it's becoming increasingly difficult for these events to draw large crowds. In the past couple months I've attended both the 1st Cinema Digital Seoul (CinDi) festival and the 8th Seoul International Film Festival, but the organizers of both events were really disheartened by the low turnout. PIFF, however, seems to have avoided that fate: even before the start of the event, more than 118,000 tickets have been sold, compared to 84,000 at the same time last year. This is really encouraging, though I'm not sure the reason for this sudden jump. In fact, most people I've talked to have seemed unimpressed with the program compared to previous years. A new, much more convenient ticket system has been put in place this year -- could this explain it? As for the Korean films screening at the festival, it looks like very small-scale, independent films will be in the spotlight this year. Most of these directors will be completely unknown to the international critics and programmers flying in to Busan, for example An Seul-ki who directed Five is Too Many a couple years ago, or Kim Dong-hyun who made A Shark. We'll see how it turns out -- I'm not expecting there to be as many outstanding new Korean films as there were last year, but if there are two or three discoveries, then PIFF can probably count it as a success. Unfortunately, a lot of the more interesting recent commercial films such as Epitaph, Wide Awake and Shadows in the Palace are missing from the program, even though they found room for movies like Hwang Jin Yi (yawn) and Paradise Murdered (shrug). As for me, Variety will once again be publishing PIFF festival dailies, so I'll be hard at work and probably won't get the chance to watch more than two or three films (sob).

* I've just recently returned from a trip abroad, first to my sister's wedding in Kentucky and then to the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain for a few days. From this year I've been working as a delegate (advisor) for San Sebastian, and I have to say it is really a beautiful city and a great event. There were three Korean films there this year: Shadows in the Palace (pictured) in the main competition, Epitaph in a new directors sidebar, and The Show Must Go On in a section for works that have screened at other festivals. All three films were received fairly well, though some gruesome scenes of fingernail-ripping in Shadows in the Palace sent numerous viewers heading for the exits. It also sort of confirmed for me that well-made, creative mainstream Korean films occupy an unusual place in the established Western festivals that traditionally celebrate arthouse cinema. Some critics, especially younger ones, are very enthusiastic about them, while others are turned off by the genre elements. The films are certainly viewed in a different manner than they are in Korea...

* No major hit films at this year's Chuseok holiday in September, although Kwak Kyung-taek's Love seems to be doing pretty well. (I haven't seen it yet, but will be watching it soon) My personal favorite among the bunch was Lee Joon-ik's The Happy Life (pictured). I admit that at first I viewed the success of King and the Clown as sort of a fluke, but after watching Radio Star and then this film, I've become sold on director Lee. His strong storytelling skills allow him to turn completely ordinary, predictable material into really engaging films. The Happy Life centers around three middle aged men who decide to revive the rock band of their youth. Sound unappealing? -- Give the film a chance. His next project will star the highly appealing actress Soo Ae in a story about a young woman who travels to Vietnam during the war in the 1970s as a singer, in an effort to meet up with her husband. The producer tells me this will be something unique, "war seen through a woman's eyes". Shooting will start later this year.

* Lastly, I don't think I've mentioned this here yet, but my second child is due to be born later this month. The doctor says it's another boy -- oh my! Jamie's looking forward to having a younger brother.

      ♠    Kyu Hyun reviews the mid-summer horror film Cadaver (2007).

      ♠    Tom reviews the new independent feature HERs (2007), a three-part film shot mostly in the U.S.

      ♠    Two new reviews by Darcy which were commissioned elsewhere, but which are being revised and posted here: the record-breaking local documentary Our School (2007), and independent drama Driving With My Wife's Lover (2007).

      ♠    The PiFan 2007 Report is now complete, with a contribution from Adam and a final addition by Kyu Hyun.

      ♠    Kyu Hyun reviews the horror film Epitaph (2007), which was released today. I'm even more enthusiastic about it than he is, believing it will take its place with Sorum, Memento Mori and A Tale of Two Sisters as a Korean horror classic.

2007.07.31:  A film from North Korea: The Schoolgirl's Diary (2006)   I don't usually get the opportunity to write about North Korean films on this site, which is an unfortunate omission. I'm told that (in contrast to the past) there are now ways to access films from the North in Seoul, but I'm having such a hard time keeping up with South Korean cinema that so far I haven't pursued it. A couple weeks ago, however, I had the opportunity to watch Jang In-hak's The Schoolgirl's Diary ("Han nyeohaksaeng-ui ilgi", 2006), which was an eye-opening viewing in several respects.

North Korea made only two feature films in 2006. This one was by far the more successful, supposedly selling 8 million tickets across the country. I'm not sure to what extent box-office figures in North Korea can be trusted, but scholar Leonid Petrov, who gave a short talk before the screening, says that on a recent trip to North Korea nearly everyone he met had seen it and was happy to give an opinion on it.

Indeed, while it may strike Western viewers as a bit bland, its portrayal of young North Koreans is comparatively provocative at home -- assessments of the film were often split by age, Petrov said, with older viewers being more critical. Perhaps the most notable example is the unexpected opening shot, which is a close-up on a Mickey Mouse backpack. As the camera pulls back, we see a crowd of schoolchildren, all wearing Mickey Mouse backpacks (imported via China, we can probably assume). We are then introduced to our heroine, Su-ryeon, whose biggest goal in life appears to be to live in a modern apartment complex. A rather materialist dream, one might say.

In truth, though, Su-ryeon (played by rising star Pak Mi-hyang, pictured above) seems most upset by the lack of attention she receives from her scientist father. And understandably so -- he is so devoted to his work in the city that he barely even sees his family at all. On the rare occasions he is home, he acts in ways that frustrate or embarrass his daughter. Su-ryeon finds herself growing bitter towards her family, and unsure what to do with her own life.

This ultimately redemptive tale has received unusual attention outside of North Korea, with a Paris-based company (Pretty Pictures) buying French language rights last year after its screening at the Pyongyang Film Festival. This spring Pretty Pictures was screening the film to potential buyers at the Cannes Film Festival's market.

For me The Schoolgirl's Diary is strongly reminiscent of mainstream 1970s South Korean cinema, in its look and production values, and also in its style of storytelling. I can't say the film drew me to the edge of my seat, but it did provide a few interesting contrasts with films from the South. For one thing, I can't think of any South Korean film that contains a character quite like Su-ryeon's younger sister, a dorky tomboy soccer player who was played by a real athlete. The film's emphasis on athletics was rather interesting (in one scene, for example, Su-ryeon wins an argument with a classmate by beating her in a footrace).

One of the other people at the screening was professor Stephen Epstein of the Victoria University of Wellington. He told me that the film was consistent with something that he found in an overview of recent North Korean literature. In virtually all of the short stories he read, the main character expressed some form of doubt about life, work or society. Although they come around in the end, realizing the value of devoting their lives to the state and to the general welfare, the implication is that the public easily identifies with doubting characters of this type. You might consider it an indirect admission about the morale of ordinary North Koreans that could not be stated in direct terms.

      ♠    Kyu Hyun contributes a first report from the recently-concluded Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.

      ♠    Adam reviews the gross-out animated film Aachi & Ssipak (2006).

      ♠    Tom has launched a personal blog, titled Seen in Jeonju, and what a blog it is! Check it out.

      ♠    Reviews of two films released on June 21: Kyu Hyun gives his take on the year's highest profile horror film Black House, while Adam reviews Gina Kim's Never Forever, which also screened in competition at Sundance back in January.

      ♠    Three new reviews: Kyu Hyun reviews The World of Silence (2006), Adam reviews Kwak Kyung-taek's fifth film Mutt Boy (2003) and Tom takes a trip back to 1980s Korea to review the animated film My Name is Dokgotak (1984).

2007.05.30:  I love HD films   OK, after two days I've almost stopped giggling to myself about Jeon Do-yeon's prize at Cannes. I've grown accustomed to seeing her accept best actress awards at all the local awards ceremonies, but seeing her take the trophy in Cannes was a particular thrill. Now on to other topics...

It's becoming clear that I have a built-in bias. I love HD films. It's getting to the point that I want to collect them, they way some people collect rare stamps or antique vases. I can't say its the actual medium that attracts me -- in fact, I'm still somewhat more attached to the look of real 35mm film. But in today's Korean film industry, a small space is opening up for a new kind of filmmaking on HD video. They tend to be smaller-scale films that tell human stories with fewer of the commercial constraints faced by ordinary mainstream films. They occupy a middle ground between arthouse, independent, and mainstream commercial films, and while few of these films stand a chance of becoming hits, they don't need to be -- because they're shot (relatively) cheaply on HD. If you're a debut filmmaker in Korea these days, your best shot at making a feature with any degree of creative freedom is to shoot one of these modest HD films.

My "collection" of HD films so far include the comedy My Scary Girl (pictured above), horror film Roommates (aka D-Day), silly high school comedy Girl by Girl, and Korea's first-ever HD film from back in 2002, Kim Eung-su's Desire (which understandably drives most people up the wall, but I could watch it again and again). I'm not necessarily saying that all are great films, but they all have a human scale to them that has won me over. (As far as I know Song Il-gon's recent films were shot on ordinary digital, not HD, otherwise they'd be included too)

The latest addition to my HD collection is The Wonder Years (the Korean title translates as "Thirteen Years Old, Su-ah"), which will be released on June 14. It's a film that will struggle to sell tickets at the box office, or to screen at the bigger international film festivals, but it's extremely likeable nonetheless and elegantly put together. It tells the story of a quiet thirteen year old girl who feels a strong disconnect with her single mother, at the same time as she is having trouble making friends in school. The story is ordinary, but the directing by debut filmmaker Kim Hee-jeong is sensitive to the girl's feelings, and the acting is strong. I've seen the work of teenage actress Lee Se-young in other films before (When I Turned Nine, Lovely Rivals), but she seems a different person here -- it really opened my eyes.

Thankfully we will have more HD films to look forward to. The Korean Film Council will partially finance ten HD films this year; local TV stations are starting to sponsor films (given that they're moving towards HD broadcasting); and production company Sidus is also readying a comedy that looks structured on the same business model as My Scary Girl. I think you have to consider this a good thing -- at the moment, the Korean film industry can use all the aesthetic diversity it can get.

      ♠    Hooray for Jeon Do-yeon! Korea's most naturally talented actress has just won the Best Actress award at Cannes. (As some predicted she might -- for those interested, I'll be offering other predictions for the future at very reasonable rates) Meanwhile, here is a review of Secret Sunshine, the film that brought her the prize.

      ♠    Darcy has done an interview with Kim Tae-yong, the director of last year's critical hit Family Ties and co-director of horror classic Memento Mori (1999).

      ♠    Duncan reviews a classic comedy, Lee Byeong-il's The Wedding Day (1956).

      ♠    Adam contributes a review of Lee Yoon-ki's Ad Lib Night, one of the standout independent features of 2006.

      ♠    After a few technical delays, Kyu Hyun has launched Q Branch, a new blog that will be hosted by this site. Links from the main page will be coming soon; in the meantime, take a visit!

2007.05.09:  The year to date   It's been an interesting year so far for Korean cinema, though I think few people would consider it a good year. One gets the same feeling for the individual films and for state of the film industry itself: there's a lot of talent there, but lately the parts have not been coming together. Despite the endless talk of a crisis, I don't think anything's fundamentally broken with the film industry. But yes, we are going through a rough patch.

The films released in 2007 so far include a lot of near-misses, in my opinion: Im Sang-soo's An Old Garden (some might disagree), Lee Sung-gang's animated film Yobi the Five-tailed Fox, and Park Jin-pyo's Voice of a Murderer, to cite three examples. All three have some great moments, and are worth watching, but seem to lack an overall coherence. Han Jae-rim's The Show Must Go On (pictured) is a bit more successful in creating a well-formed (if overlong) whole, and it's a great showcase for Song Kang-ho's formidable acting abilities. I wouldn't call it a great film, but it's very good. Then there's Im Kwon-taek's Beyond the Years, which mostly left me with the feeling that I had missed something. It's very possibile I did: watching it without subtitles, I didn't catch a lot of the dialogue, so part of me is holding back from making a final judgement on the film. Still, for me it seems a far step down from the achievement of Chunhyang, Im's best film of the past 15 years.

As in every year, there have also been a lot of films that are just plain bad, or so unambitious that they are a real bore to sit through. Actually I have a lot of catching up to do in my viewing, but among the ones I haven't seen yet I only have any real expectations for the documentary Our School (which incidentally is setting a new attendance record for Korean documentaries). One unexpected disappointment was a film I saw yesterday: Jang Jin's My Son, which seemed to have a lot of potential. The story of a convicted murderer who after 15 years is released from prison for one day to visit his son, it just simply didn't work. The humor, plot twists and understated craziness of Jang's great Someone Special (2004) resonated beyond the film itself; in My Son it all just feels artificially constructed.

My personal favorites so far this year are Pruning the Grapevine (which screened at Pusan last year), Skeletons in the Closet, and Soo. Pruning the Grapevine is not for everyone, but if you enjoy slow-moving, introspective films like Ad Lib Night, then this is highly recommended as well. Religious skeptics, don't let the Catholic themes scare you away.

Jeong Yun-cheol's Skeletons in the Closet (formerly called "Shim's Family") starts off a little too cute; the opening narrative montage didn't work for me at all. But the film soon settles down into a well-acted, quirky, thoroughly enjoyable family drama. No, it's not a masterpiece, but it's the feel-good film of the year for cynical viewers. In some ways it's the polar opposite of Jeong's first film Marathon. Meanwhile the revenge flick Soo by Korean-Japanese director Sai Yoichi (aka Choi Yang-il) is thoroughly conventional, but executed with so much gusto that you have to love it. (Actually, a lot of people didn't love it at all, but I did) The violence gets really over the top towards the climax; cinematic realists will be outraged at seeing a man still walking after being so thoroughly sliced, gored, speared and punctured with a thousand different weapons. But really, who cares? The film is true to its own world view.

I haven't mentioned Kim Ki-duk's fourteenth film Breath, which was released on April 26, and which screens in competition at Cannes. Once again, I'm not a fan of his films -- I've always been a little puzzled by what other people see in them, so perhaps I'm not the best judge of them. But I can say that Breath is probably closest to 3-Iron in being somewhat restrained and (in his own way) poetic. I liked it for the most part, although the portrayal of Kim's first gay character is less than convincing, and the film's ending feels lazy, wrapping everything up much too neatly.

So that brings us up to the beginning of May. Lurking just around the corner, however, is a work that seems almost certain to become the film of the year: Lee Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine. Amid gnashed teeth and pulled hair, I missed the May 1 press screening of this film, so I will have to wait for its May 24 release. But from what everyone says, it sounds like a devastating and supremely accomplished film. Local critical praise covers all aspects of the film, but is rallying particularly around actress Jeon Do-yeon. It seems likely to rank as one of those classic performances that are remembered many years into the future. I can't wait to read the reviews from Cannes.

      ♠    The Far East Film Festival has started in Udine, Italy, and I'm here enjoying the coffee, food and wine (oh yes, and the films). You can read a copy of the 2007 Korea main essay, which I wrote for the festival catalogue, on this site's special FEFF page.

      ♠    Darcy reviews two sort-of gangster movies: debut feature Cruel Winter Blues (2006) starring Sul Kyoung-gu and new release The Show Must Go On (2007) starring Song Kang-ho.

      ♠    New contributor Annie Koh reviews the documentary Out: Smashing Homophobia Project, which was a hit at the recently-wrapped Women's Film Festival in Seoul.

      ♠    Duncan reviews a 1950s classic, the comedy Hyperbola of Youth (1956).

      ♠    Catching up with some reviews from 2006: Darcy considers Dasepo Naughty Girls and smash hit 200 Pounds Beauty, while Kyu Hyun is less than impressed by Kang Woo-suk's Hanbando.

2007.03.28:  Jeon Ji-hyun --> Gianna Jun   What's in a name? The news was released earlier this month, but I only managed to stumble upon it today: the Sassy Girl, Jeon Ji-hyun, has adopted a new name for her first excursion into Hollywood filmmaking. She could have chosen worse -- Gianna is a pretty name, and apparently she chose it because it sounds similar to her name being called in Korean ("Jihyun-ah!" -- though in that case the stress would be on the last syllable). I'll try to ignore the fact that it also strongly recalls for me the word "Giordano" (the fashion label that she has modeled for all these years). Certainly Gianna will be easier for most Westerners to remember and pronounce than Ji-hyun.

For those who haven't heard, Jun is taking the lead role of Saya in Blood: The Last Vampire, which is an English-language, live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese anime. The film opens production this month in Argentina, before moving to Los Angeles and China for further shooting. It's scheduled for a release in summer 2008.

As an aside, I'll be really curious to see how much interest the film stirs up in Korea. Korean viewers showed absolutely zero interest in Park Joong-hoon's supporting role in The Truth About Charlie in 2000, and more recently, The Curse of the Golden Flower (no Korean stars) sold considerably more tickets than Battle of Wits (with Ahn Sung-ki) or The Promise (with Jang Dong-gun). But Blood is arguably the highest-profile international casting ever for a Korean star.

I have mixed feelings about referring to our starlet as Gianna. If I were her manager, I would most certainly have encouraged a name change. With the exception of Chow Yun-fat or Zhang Ziyi, who had a $100 million box office hit in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to back them up, most Asian stars find their careers to progress much more smoothly with a new name. I was just listening to a radio broadcast yesterday when Kal Penn ("Kumar" from Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) was saying that the number of scripts he received jumped up immediately after he simplified his name.

On the other hand, one of the biggest reasons Westerners have problems with Asian names is because they aren't sufficiently exposed to them. If she were to become famous in Hollywood with her name still intact, it would represent a minor victory of the sort worth cheering about. Personally I like the fact that I can write about all these Korean stars and directors using their real names.

But admittedly, Hollywood stars all change their names, too. It's not like Winona Ryder was born with that name. And sure enough, Jeon Ji-hyun's real name is Wang Ji-hyun, which in Korean is, well, just not sexy. Maybe I should change my name too? (It sounds pretty hideous in Korean)

      ♠    Kyu Hyun reviews Choi Dong-hoon's runaway hit film Tazza (2006) from last autumn.

      ♠    I'm happy to announce the launch of a new blog by Adam Hartzell titled Notes Inspired by the Film. This will provide Adam with a more informal, independent space to write about Korean and other cinemas in addition to his contributions here. Be sure to bookmark the site, and check back here for more announcements soon...

      ♠    Two more books I forgot to post yesterday: Hye Seung Chung's groundbreaking book on Korean-American actor Philip Ahn, Hollywood Asian, and the anthology Contemporary Asian Cinema which includes a chapter on Korean cinema by Hyangjin Lee.

      ♠    We have a long overdue update of the books page, with three new titles added: a monograph on Kim Ki-duk, published in both English and French (with a chapter by Koreanfilm.org contributor Adrien Gombeaud); another impressive-looking (not that I can read it) Italian-language monograph on Kim; and an anthology of the zine Bug that contains three older interviews with Korean filmmakers.

2007.02.17:  Top Ten Korean Films of 2006   I know, I'm a month and a half late. Already two of my predictions for 2007 have been proven wrong, and I'm just now getting to my top ten list for 2006. Dear readers, forgive me.

As usual, these are selected from the films that received a theatrical release in 2006, so works like Pruning the Grapevine -- which was one of my viewing highlights of last year -- will be included in the 2007 list. Also note that I included The Magicians in last year's list, assuming that it would never get a theatrical release. Happily, I was proven wrong, but I'm not going to list it twice.

Drawing up my list was in some ways easy. Of the 100+ films released last year, for me there were three standouts (Grapevine, which will be released next week, would have made four), and 15 other films that made my short list. To be honest, I don't have especially strong feelings about the order of films #4-18. I like all of them very much, and all were a mix of exciting strengths plus the occasional flaw.

Darcy's Top Ten Korean Films of 2006

1. Woman on the Beach
2. Ad Lib Night
3. The Host
4. Family Ties
5. My Scary Girl
6. Tazza
7. Host & Guest
8. Bloody Tie / A Dirty Carnival (tie)
10. Roommates

Special mentions (in no order): Grain in Ear, The Peter Pan Formula, The City of Violence, Dasepo Naughty Girls, Sundays in August, No Regret, Solace, I'm a Cyborg but That's OK

Hong Sang-soo's films do sometimes feel like successive volumes in a single work, so it can be hard to compare them. When describing books, we don't usually say, "Chapter two was excellent, but I'm not so sure about chapter four." Nonetheless, Woman on the Beach proved to be a particularly dramatic chapter in Hong's ongoing work, and it has certainly revived critical interest in the director. In this instance, I'm happy to lend my voice to the chorus of praise.

The low-budget, introspective Ad Lib Night by Lee Yoon-ki was clearly an improvement over Love Talk, and for me was even more exciting than his debut This Charming Girl. I love the way that he charges every moment of this very simple, potentially boring story with mystery and deeper resonance. The acting is fantastic, and the fact that this film was made with TV money and shot in two weeks gives me hope for the future creativity of Korean cinema.

As for the tie at #8, I find it very interesting to compare these two films: the former which was more popular with domestic critics, and the latter which was highly praised by the few foreign critics who have seen it. A Dirty Carnival is more vivid in my memory at this point, likely due to the strength and clarity of Yu Ha's storytelling. I still do have problems with the romance elements of the film, however -- it baffles me how he can resort to such cliches (in this and in Once Upon a Time in High School) after proving he can present relationships in a very realistic and innovative way in Marriage is a Crazy Thing. Bloody Tie, meanwhile, was one of the premiere acting showcases of 2006, and presented its setting with a vividness and color that was really exciting.

Other high points and low points of 2006:

* Favorite classic Korean film viewed in 2006:  Spring of the Korean Peninsula (1941), Lee Byung-il.
* Biggest disappointment of 2006:  The musicals (Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater and The Fox Family)
* Worst film of 2006:  Hanbando
* Favorite non-Korean film of 2006:  Linda Linda Linda (Yamashita Nobuhiro, Japan)
* Favorite retrospective film of 2006:  The Naked Kiss (1964) by Samuel Fuller.
* Favorite DVD viewing of 2006: Trouble in Paradise (1932) by Ernst Lubitsch.

      ♠    Adam has reviewed Hong Sang-soo's seventh film Woman on the Beach (2006), which incidentally will be part of a Hong retrospective at the upcoming San Francisco Asian-American International Film Festival.

      ♠    Adam reviews If You Were Me 3, the third installment of omnibus films financed by the Korea Human Rights Commission.

2007.02.06:  Best and Worst English Titles of 2006: Final Tally   First of all, thanks to the people who took the time to respond to the poll which I announced below on the best and worst English titles of 2006. I had 17 responses in total, including my own, which was enough to produce some interesting results (though I don't think I'll be writing up a Korean press release -- I think I'd need at least 30 votes for that).

In general I was surprised at the range of opinions. There were no less than 18 films that received votes in both the "Best Five" and "Worst Five" categories. It seems that the unusual titles draw more attention, and produce both highly negative and highly positive reactions from viewers. Nonetheless, a broad consensus did emerge, so here are the results (click here for a full list of 2006 titles, with transcriptions of the original Korean title):

BEST TITLES:

I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (6 "bests" - 2 "worsts")
A Dirty Carnival (5 "bests" - 1 "worst")
The City of Violence (4 "bests")
The Customer is Always Right (4 "bests")

Special mentions: No Mercy For the Rude (4-1), Dasepo Naughty Girls (3), No Regrets (3), The Host (3), Woman on the Beach (3).

WORST TITLES:

The Bad Utterances (6 "worsts")
Hot for Teacher (5 "worsts")
Holy Daddy (4 "worsts")
Educating Kidnappers (4 "worsts")
My Captain, Mr. Underground (4 "worsts")
Oh! My God (4 "worsts")

Special mentions: Vampire Cop, Ricky (4-1), Lump of Sugar (3), Hearty Paws (3).

OVERALL RATING FOR ALL ENGLISH TITLES: 5.7/10

I have to admit, nobody else voted for my own personal favorite title of 2006, which was Sundays in August. It's simple, it rolls off the tongue, it has a literal meaning which makes you a little curious, and the words themselves conjure up the image of a lazy summer day. But if this poll has taught me anything, it's that there are a wide variety of opinions out there! For full results, you can download this Excel file. I'll try to hold this again next year as well, and feel free to add your comments to this thread.

      ♠    Duncan Mitchel reviews the TV drama Shoot for the Stars (2002/3), starring Jeon Do-yeon, Jo In-sung and Park Sang-myun.

      ♠    Last week Kyu Hyun caught one of the last screenings of Park Chan-wook's I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK, and he provides this review.

      ♠    A new review page for 2007 is up, together with Darcy's take on Im Sang-soo's fifth feature The Old Garden, released on January 4.

2007.01.12:  Please Vote for the Best and Worst English Title of 2006!   Over the years, one of the most common complaints I've heard about Korean films are their English titles. Probably the most frequently-cited example of a bad title is Bungee Jumping of Their Own, but there are many other titles that have attracted derision. In an effort to recognize good titles when they come -- and to provide a friendly admonishment to poorly-chosen titles -- I am holding this poll for the best and worst English titles for Korean films in 2006.

I originally planned to set up a special form on this site for people who want to vote, but I'm really short of time this week so I'm just going to keep it simple. Please follow these instructions:

    1. Click here to see a complete list of Korean films from 2006, and their English titles.

    2. Compose an email message to darcy@koreanfilm.org.

    3. In the email message, write: (a) where you are from;  (b) five of the best English titles of 2006, in any order -- in other words, titles that sound nice and would make you interested in watching the film. You don't need to have actually watched the film;  (c) five of the worst English titles, in any order; and  (d) a general rating for all English titles from 2006, with 10 being the best and 1 being the worst. If you want to add additional comments, I'll collect them to post with the results.

If I get enough votes, I plan to write up this information in a Korean press release and forward it to film news sites and magazines, etc. But I need a lot of votes for this to happen, so please send me an email, and ask your friends to do it too! Results will be posted here after they are all collected.

Seeing as these English titles are targeted at both native and non-native speakers of English, anyone can take part in this poll, as long as you read English well enough to understand this post. If you'd like to join a discussion of this topic, click here.

(To read more, visit the blog archives for 2005 and 2006)   

Upcoming Films

(by Tom Giammarco and Darcy Paquet)

VIVA LOVE! ("Gyeongjeok! Uri sarang") Bong-soon has spent her life being responsible, frugal and hard-working. Her lazy daughter makes plans to secretly elope with the twenty-one year old student boarder in their house but things don't quite work out and Bong-soon and the young man find themselves in an unusual relationship. Bong-soon is played by Kim Hae-sook (Open City, My Brother) and Kim Yeong-min (Spring Summer Fall Winter and Spring) is her young friend. Also appearing in this comedy are Ki Joo-bong (Pruning the Grapevine), Kim Hye-na (Love So Divine) and Bang Eun-hee (Gumiho). Directed by Oh Jeom-gyun whose film Throw the Cross Away screened at JIFF in 2006, this film will be released by Sponge on April 9.

THE LAST DINING TABLE. ("Majimak Bapsang") Originally screened at the 2006 Pusan International Film Festival, this experimental film was directed by No Kyeong-tae who had earlier made the films Reincarnation (2004) and Father and Son (2005) as part of his courses at the San Francisco Art Institute. This quiet drama is about five people whose lives are connected in various ways. The film sets about exploring these connections and the underlying emotions of the near-silent characters and their day-to-day lives. It stars Kim Do-yeon (Forever the Moment) and Hong Seok-yeon (Paradise Murdered). The movie is receiving a limited release on April 11, just a couple weeks after the film opened in France.

IF YOU WERE ME: ANIME VISION 2. ("Byulbyul Iyagi 2") The Human Rights Commission has sponsored the production of another animated version of the powerful If You Were Me series. Unlike past versions, this latest movie showcases the talents of six relatively unknown directors or those whose works consist entirely of short films. They are directors Ahn Dong-hee working together with Ryu Jeong-woo, Hong Nak-pyo, Lee Hong-soo co-directing with Lee Heung-min, Kwon Mi-jeong, Jeong Min-yeong and Park Yong-je. This omnibus will be released on April 17.

MY SONG IS... ("Na-ui norae-neun") Twenty years is a long time and everything is subject to change. That is what young Hee-cheol is discovering on the brink of his twentieth birthday. The confused young man is played by debut actor Shin Hyeon-ho and he is helped in his role by Ju Min-ha whose only previous credit is a minor role on the TV drama Seoul Scandal. Directing this film for Indiestory is Ahn Seul-gi. Ahn directed the little known but heartily entertaining film Five is Too Many from 2005. This work is his second feature and it will be released on April 25.

THE MOONLIGHT OF SEOUL. ("Beastie Boys") Seung-woo uses his handsome features and impeccable manners to land a job in a host bar. His ultimate goal is to earn enough money so he can visit Jakarta and he thinks that working as a host will be an easy way to earn money. But the job is not quite as simple as he thinks. This is the plot of the sophomore feature of director Yoon Jong-bin who gave us The Unforgiven in 2005. It stars Ha Jeong-woo as Seung-woo, who was recently in Time and The Chaser. Former ‘G.O.D’ singer Yoon Gye-sang (Flying Boys) will also appear in this Wire to Wire production as will Yoon Jin-seo (L’Abri, Almost Love). A release date it set for April 30.

A TALE OF LEGENDARY LIBIDO. ("Garujigi") Shin Han-sol, the director of The Art of Fighting (2006), returns with an erotic comedy for his second feature. The film is based on "Byun Gang-seo", the title character of a series of (hilarious) films produced in the 1980s about a man with prodigious sexual abilities. Talented young actor Bong Tae-gyu (See You After School) takes the lead role. Showbox will release the film on April 30.

UNFORGETTABLE. ("Seoul-o boinya") Line Pictures dusts off an old story and presents it to a new audience with their new film directed by debut filmmaker Song Dong-yun. The plot, done frequently in the 60's and 70's, is set in the 1970's and involves a modern young teacher arriving at her new post in the remote mountains of South Cheolla Province. There she becomes involved in the personal triumphs and tragedies of her students before taking them on their first field trip to Seoul. Yu Seung-ho, the young boy from The Way Home and Don't Tell Papa, takes a leading role as one of the students and the teacher is played by Oh Su-a of TV's The Island Teacher. This film was formerly titled "Uri Seonsaeng-nim" ("Our Teacher"), and after two years in limbo it will be released by Cinema Service on May 8.

NALLARI JONGBUJEON. After suddenly striking it rich, university student Yeon-su and her father are enjoying life. Yeon-su is perhaps enjoying it a little too much -- she's notoriously wild, and her pretty face only adds to her pride and abandon. One day, however, she meets a young guy who is her exact opposite, and sure enough, she falls in love. Singer-actress Park Jeong-ah (Madeleine) takes the lead role, while Park Jin-woo (Dasepo Naughty Girls' Anthony) co-stars as her beau and likeable character actor Lee Won-jong (Hi Dharma) plays her dad. Lotte Entertainment will release the film on May 22.

BANGOOL TOMATO. Despite living in extreme poverty an elderly man and his granddaughter never complain about their condition. In fact, their cheerful outlook on life serves as an example to everyone they encounter. Veteran actor Shin Gu takes the role of the philosophical grandfather old man with a heart of gold. Born in 1936, Shin Gu's career has spanned an impressive four decades. He had already graduated from one university majoring in Korean Literature when he enrolled in, and graduated from, the Seoul Institute of the Arts. He landed his first role in an early KBS drama and debuted on the silver screen in the 1973 action film Homecoming where he took the lead role as a North Korean agent who gradually changes his mind about his mission and betrays his superiors. More recently he has been in Righteous Ties, A Bold Family, and No Blood No Tears. In this latest film from P&J Cinema, his loving grandchild is played by Kim Hyang-gi from the film Hearty Paws. After much delay, a release is scheduled for May 29.

CROSSING. Director Kim Tae-gyun (Volcano High, Millionaire's First Love) has been making headlines with his latest production. It's the story of the problems facing North Koreans who cross the border into China. In the movie, Kim Yong-su crosses from a border town in North Korea to get medicine for his sick wife. However, he finds that he cannot return. When he doesn't come back, his eleven year old son decides to risk a trip across the border himself to find him. Cha In-pyo (Mokpo: Gangster's Paradise, Zzang) stars as Yong-su and his son is played by Shin Myeong-cheol. Also appearing are Seo Yeong-hwa (Memories of Murder) and Jeong In-gi (The Railroad). Produced by Camp B, the director and staff met with over 100 defectors to depict their experiences as realistically as possible. Filming is complete and this drama will be released by new distributor Vantage Holdings on June 5.

GIRL SCOUT. Four women from very different walks of life unite in order to track down a thief who absconded with an enormous sum of money. Kim Suna (TV drama My Name is Sam-soon, S-Diary), Kim Kyeong-shil, veteran actress Na Moon-hee (The Quiet Family, Kidnapping Granny K) and Kim Eun-joo (Hansel and Gretel) comprise the main part of the cast who form their unique brand of girl scouts, despite their age, in order to take down the scheming owner of a beauty parlor played by Im Ji-eun (Fly Low, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance). This is the first film directed by Kim Sang-man, but he is no stranger to making movies. He has experience working as an art director (If the Sun Rose in the West, Happy End) and as a music director (Bloody Tie). To see a trailer and movie stills, go to www.girlscouts2008.co.kr. A release is scheduled for June 5.

BEYOND ALL MAGIC. ("Heuksim-monyeo") 38-year old Nam-hee (Shim Hye-jin) sells fruit from a truck for a living, and one day she comes across a nice-looking, rather naive young guy named Jun (played by Lee Sang-soo, Don't Look Back). He ends up coming home with her, where he meets grandmother Gan-nam (Kim Soo-mi), who suffers from dementia and believes she is still young, and pretty daughter Na-rae (debut actress Lee Da-hee), who dreams of becoming an announcer. Soon, all three women are competing for Jun's heart. Debut director Jo Nam-ho directs this comedy, which if nothing else features a nice cast. Showbox is planning to release it on June 12.

PUBLIC ENEMY RETURNS. ("Gang Cheol-jung: Gonggong-ui jeok 1-1") Director Kang Woo-suk got some egg on his face for his last attempt at a big-budget blockbuster, the chest-thumping Hanbando, and now he is returning to the series that resurrected his career. The original Public Enemy, starring Sol Kyung-gu, was a commercial and critical hit in 2002. The 2005 followup, Another Public Enemy, also starred Sol but he was playing a completely different character in that film. For the third time around, Sol will reprise the role of Kang Chul-joong from the original film, and he will be joined by talented actors Jung Jae-young, Lee Moon-shik, and Yu Hae-jin. Interestingly, the screenplay is written by Jang Jin, who is best known for his comedies but who has also shown interest in the action genre. Seemingly unsure of whether it is a sequel or a prequel, the film is calling itself "Public Enemy 1-1" in Korean. A release is slated for June 19.

MY MIGHTY PRINCESS. ("Murim yeodaesaeng") Director Kwak Jae-yong still seems to be searching for a hit to match the popularity of his 2001 film My Sassy Girl. While his follow-up romance Classic was well-received his next film Windstruck was more than a little disappointing as was the writing he did for Andrew Lau's Daisy. This new film is a melodrama about the love life of a female college student with stupendous martial arts skills. The cast is headed by Shin Min-ah (Volcano High, Sad Movie) and co-stars On Ju-wan (City Of Violence, The Aggressives). It also features Yoo Geon (Dasepo Naughty Girls) and veteran actor Lee Dae-geun who debuted in the late 60s but recently appeared in Bet On My Disco. Originally this film was supposed to hit theaters in July 2007, but after a year-long delay it has finally scheduled a release date for June 26.

SUNNY. ("Nim-eun meongose") When her husband does not return home from service in the Vietnam War, Soon-yi takes a job in the performing arts that will send her and her troupe to Vietnam for a show. Once there, she plans to look for her missing spouse. The dedicated Soon-yi is played by the queen of melodramas, Soo Ae (A Family, Once in a Summer). Supporting actors include Jeong Jin-yeong (Love Phobia, Wild Card), Uhm Tae-woong (A Family, Another Public Enemy) and Jeong Kyeong-ho (Herb, When Romance Meets Destiny). This Tiger Pictures melodrama is being directed by Lee Joon-ik. Director Lee has been around since 1993 but gained immense popularity since his surprise hit The King and the Clown in 2005. His other recent films include Radio Star (2006) and The Happy Life (2007). Showbox will release the film on July 24.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD. Director Kim Jee-woon has been trying out virtually every genre there is, from comedy (The Foul King) to horror (A Tale of Two Sisters), to action-noir (A Bittersweet Life) and sci-fi (his segment in an upcoming omnibus film Inryu-yeolmang Bogoseo). So why not a Western? Inspired by the spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone, The Good, the Bad, the Weird is set in Manchuria during the 1930s, when Korea was a colony of Japan. Kim has assembled a stunning cast of Lee Byung-heon ("the good"), Jung Woo-sung ("the bad"), and Song Kang-ho ("the weird"), for a film that promises a mixture of comedy, action and epic adventure. The film started shooting in April 2007, and receives its international premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.


THIRST. ("Bakjwi") Park Chan-wook is back. After his last feature, the quirky romance I'm a Cyborg But That's OK which was not particularly well received, Park is tackling the vampire project which he has been talking about for years. Song Kang-ho plays a priest from a small town who volunteers for a medical experiment. However when the experiment fails, he finds himself physically and psychologically changed, and struggling to hold on to what is left of his humanity. Up-and-coming actress Kim Ok-bin (Dasepo Naughty Girls) co-stars in a role that, according to rumors, many established actresses refused to take because of the explicit sex scenes involved. Shooting started in spring 2008, and CJ Entertainment is said to be considering a Lunar New Year 2009 release.


DACHIMAWA LEE. Director Ryoo Seung-wan made a 30-minute internet short in 2000 called "Dachimawa Lee" that emerged as an unexpected online hit. A parody of 1970s-era Korean actions films and much else, it starred Lim Won-hee in the lead role and was beloved for its cheesy dialogue, intentionally sloppy production values and keen wit. Now, after running into a delay with his period-set film Yacha, Ryoo has decided to shoot a feature length followup. This time, Dachimawa Lee is a legendary spy who tries to recover a stolen Golden Buddha statue during the Japanese imperial era. Park Si-yeon (Love) appears as his sexy parter, and Ryoo Seung-beom and Kong Hyo-jin (Family Ties) also star. Showbox is planning a summer release.


MY DEAR ENEMY. ("Meotjin haru") After her award-winning performance in Secret Sunshine, top actress Jeon Do-yeon will appear in the fourth film by well-respected director Lee Yoon-ki of This Charming Girl and Ad-Lib Night fame. Here she plays Hee-soo, an unemployed woman in her thirties who decides to visit her ex-boyfriend Byung-woon in order to get back the $1000 she lent him a year earlier. Byung-woon (played by current "it" actor Ha Jung-woo) doesn't have any money either, but he's confident he can sweet talk some of his women friends into lending it to him. Produced by Sponge and bom Film Productions, this film is scheduled to be completed by the summer.


HIMALAYA, WHERE THE WIND DWELLS. ("Barami meomuneun got, Himallaya") Director Jeon Soo-il, who debuted with Wind Echoing in My Being in 1997, has recently hit a high point in his career thanks to the film With a Girl of Black Soil. Set in a Korean coal mining town, the film premiered in the Venice 'Horizons' section in 2007 and has since won numerous festival awards. His new film marks the long-awaited comeback of Oldboy actor Choi Min-shik, in a story about a Korean factory owner who decides to travel to Nepal to visit the family of one of his workers. Shot 90% in Nepal, the slow-paced film was completed in spring 2008 and is waiting for a release.


IF YOU WERE ME 4. ("Siseon 1318") The latest project of the National Human Rights Commission focuses on the hardships of teenaged girls in Korea. The first film Bluebirds on the Desk is directed by Bang Eun-jin (Princess Aurora) and is a musical about the top student and her obsession with remaining the best. U and Me by Jeon Gye-su (Ghost Theater) looks at the concerns faced by students majoring in sports and their uncertain futures. Director Lee Hyeon-seung (Blue in You, Il Mare) returns after a long absence with the short Relay about a teen mother. The Theory and Practice of Teenage Drama is directed by Yoon Seong-ho (Milky Way Liberation Front) and eavesdrops on students as they express their concerns about their chances of finding employment in the future. The final short, Girl on the Run, is directed by Kim Tae-yong (Memento Mori) about a girl whose future seems limited from growing up in a small village. This collection was the closing film of the 9th JIFF and will receive a general release later this year.


BAEKKOP. Directors Park Je-hyeon (How To Keep My Love, Oolala Sisters) and Park Bo-sang team up to deliever a new comedic drama from Taewon Entertainment. It will star Cheon Ho-jin (Guard Post), Lee Mi-sook (Untold Scandal), Kim Seung-woo (Woman on the Beach) and Kim Hyo-jin (Mr. Wacky) lead the cast in the story of a wealthy family plagued by scandals of their own making. This film is likely to be released in June.


LAUNDRY WARRIOR. Top star Jang Dong-gun (Typhoon, The Promise, Taegukgi) will once again be appearing in an action extravaganza along with Hollywood actress Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton), actor Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3, Elizabeth: The Golden Age) and Hong Kong star Lung Ti (Heavenly Mission, One Last Dance). Director Lee Seung-mu who had previously worked on the screenplay for The Evil Lake is debuting with this film about a warrior from the Far East who journeys across the ocean to the West. This Sad Flutes picture is being described as a futuristic martial arts fantasy that blends the grace and action of Kung Fu films with the gritty action of Hollywood. (I'm not sure if this technically qualifies as a Korean production or not, but we'll be inclusive and list it)


DREAM. ("Bimong") Internationally acclaimed director Kim Ki-duk (Spring, Summer Fall, Winter... and Spring, The Bow) is currently involved with a new project which is the unusual love story of a man who believes in the truth of dreams and a woman suffering from sleepwalking. Japanese actor Joe Odagiri (Big River, Shinobi) stars as the dream analyzer Jin while Lee Na-yeong (Please Teach Me English, Maundy Thursday) is the somnambulistic young lady Ran. Kim Ki-duk Films is producing this drama to be released later this year.


CHAW. ("Chawoo") I have only seen one line written about the latest film from Shin Jeong-won (To Catch a Virgin Ghost) but I am already hooked. How many plots claim to be about a pack of fleshing-eating wild boars terrorizing a once sleepy mountain village? Rising star Uhm Tae-woong (Birth of a Family, Forever the Moment) leads the cast in the battle against the carnivorous pigs with the help of Jang Hang-seon (Seven Days), Yoon Je-moon (The Show Must Go On), Jeong Yu-mi (Family Ties) and Park Hyeok-gwon (A Good Day For an Affair). This $5 million film, though set in Korea, is actually shooting in a forest outside San Francisco, since the production crew is working in partnership with a Hollywood effects company. The terror is scheduled to reach theaters in December 2008.


IRI. Iri is the former name of the city of Iksan in North Jeolla Province. Back in 1977, a train loaded with explosive materials suddenly ignited at Iksan Station in the heart of downtown and the resulting catastrophe leveled city blocks and left scores of people dead and injured. Director Zhang Lu (Desert Dream) brings this story to life with the help of Yoon Jin-seo (Mr. Gam's Victory, Oldboy) and Uhm Tae-woong (Family Ties, Forever the Moment). This sad story has been produced by Gyro Pictures and is a companion piece of sorts with Chongqing (see below).


CHONGQING. Director Zhang Lu originally intended for Iri and Chongqing to be a single feature, but he found that the footage he shot in Chongqing, China was enough for a film of its own. The story provides a dark portrait of contemporary China, through the tale of a Chinese language teacher who becomes sexually involved with a policeman. There is a slight connection with Iri: one of the characters is a Korean man living in Chongqing, and one day he tells about his hometown Iri (Iksan) and the tragedy that happened there.


CRUSH AND BLUSH. ("Hongdangmu") Director Lee Kyeong-mi graduated from Seoul Foreign University with a degree in Russian and later entered the Korean Academy of Fine Arts where she created several respected short films (including the wonderful Feel Good Story) before graduating in early 2004. Afterwards, she worked on the set of Sympathy for Lady Vengeance in addition to continuing to direct her own films. She is now working on her first feature film starring Kong Hyo-jin (Family Ties, M). Kong plays a girl who has a crush on an older man played by Lee Jong-hyeok (Radio Dayz, Mr. Socrates). In order to get into his favor she befriends the man's daughter who is an outcast among her peers. Suh Woo (My Son) plays the daughter and Bang Eun-jin (301/302, Road Movie) also takes a prominent role. This drama is being produced by Park Chan-wook's production company Moho Films.


DISTURBANCE IN HER BARROOM ("1724 Gibang-nandong sageon") Yeo Gyun-dong is a man of many talents. Most people might know him as the director of La Belle in 2000 but he has also written several screenplays (among them Out to the World), worked as a producer (Green Fish) and has acted in many films including The Uprising and Love Bakery. He is now directing a new film for Sidus FNH starring Lee Jeong-jae (Typhoon, Oh Brothers), Kim Ok-bin (Dasepo Naughty Girls, Arang) and Kim Seok-hoon (So Cute, Tube). In this action/comedy, a young man who has trained in military tactics by his parents and is now considered a genius of the military arts takes an interest in the beautiful Seol Ji not knowing that she is actually on a secret mission from the king.


MODERN BOY. ("Modeon boi"). Jeong Ji-woo, who is better known for directing the critically acclaimed film Happy End in 1999 than for his more recent follow-up film Blossom Again in 2005, is back with a new drama set in 1930s Korea. It is the story of a young man played by Park Hae-il (The Host, Jealousy Is My Middle Name) who finds himself somehow caught up against his will in an anti-Japanese movement. Kim Hye-soo (Tazza, The Red Shoes), Lee Han (No Regrets, Don't Look Back) and Kim Joon-bae (Cruel Winter Blues, Les Formidables) join him in the cast. This KnJ Entertainment production is near completion but no release has been set.


LOVERS. ("Yeonin") Baek Yoon-shik (Tazza, The Art of Fighting) and Kim Mi-sook (Marathon) play a couple in their fifties who have been married for thirty years. However, their time together seems to be drawing to a close as one of them is diagnosed with incurable cancer. This sad story is being directed by Kim Dae-seung whose impressive resume so far includes Bungee Jumping on Their Own, Blood Rain and Traces of Love. A talented young director, Kim has even had the chance to appear in movies such as his role in Im Kwon-taek’s film Low Life. Kim Hye-na (HERs, Into the Mirror) also appears in this movie which is being produced by Masulpiri and sold by iHQ.


KISS ME, KILL ME. ("Kill me") Kang Hye-jeong is one of the sweethearts of Korean cinema. Although she has had a few misses with the movies she has chosen to appear in (such as Herb or Love Phobia) she has risen to fame for her memorable performances in Welcome to Dongmakgol and Oldboy. Miss Kang is now shooting a new film under new director Yang Jong-hyeon in which she plays a woman with a death wish who falls in love with a killer who is about to retire from his trade. The killer is being played by Shin Hyeon-joon (Face, Blue). Described as a melodrama/comedy, the movie is being produced by Sidus FNH for release in 2008.


FEELS SO GOOD. ("Waenji neukkimi joh-a") The beautiful Philippine island of Boracay is the background for a new romantic drama directed by Kang Cheol-woo, the former assistant director of My Boss, My Teacher. Among the couples spending four nights on this tropical paradise are Lee Seon-gyun (Our Town, R-Point), Lee Soo-kyeong (Rainbow Eyes), Lee Min-gi (A Good Day for an Affair), Yoo Jin (Unstoppable Marriage), Lee Moon-shik (Another Public Enemy) and Lee Il-hwa (No Need to Justify Yearning). This DRM Entertainment film will open in May.


MY DARLING FBI. Albert Lee refuses to give up his love for Mimi. After she refuses his proposal of marriage, Mimi breaks off all contact with him. Albert is not discouraged and becomes even more determined to win her heart. Albert Lee is played by American actor Ricky Kim while the role of Mimi goes to Kim Gyu-ri (Bunshinsaba, Libera Me). Park Yong-shik (Dasepo Naughty Girls), Jeon Won-joo (The Last Witness) and Kim Se-joon (Jakarta) will all be showing up in this romantic comedy from Triumph Pictures. Overseeing this project is Lee In-soo the director of HAAN.


EYE FOR AN EYE. ("Nun-eneun nun, yi-eneun yi") Ahn Kwon-tae, the director of My Brother, takes a shot a helming a gritty action-thriller based on a police precinct that has become justifiably proud of their perfect arrest record. However, these detectives are in for a shock when they come face to face with a criminal whose boldness knows no bounds. The cast for this Taewon Entertainment film is sure to attract some attention. It is led by Han Seok-gyu (Forbidden Quest, The Scarlet Letter) and Cha Seung-won (Blood Rain, Murder Take One). Supporting them are the talented Oh Kwang-rok (Mr. Socrates), Kwon Oh-joong (Princess Aurora), Kim Jeong-tae (Sunflower) and Kim Ji-seok (Love In Magic). The release of this film we be set at a later date.


MYODO YAHWA. Director Kang Ron gained a certain cult following with his hard-to-find 2001 film Looking for Bruce Lee featuring the underground band Crying Nut. He is currently working on his second project seven years later which will star popular rapper/tv personality MC Mong who has previously appeared in Three Fellas. It is a comic drama about three couples who visit a strange island that their father had wished to be buried on after his death. So Yi-hyeon (Dark Forest), Lee Han-wi (My Son, Hanbando), Seong Dong-il (200 Pound Beauty), Jeon Soo-kyeong (Ghost Mama) and Kim Kwang-gyu (Oh My God) have signed on for the project which will also feature performances by Kim Hee-ra who has been acting in films since the late sixties and has more than 100 films under his belt as well as Japanese-born Yukie Mori who has been appearing in numerous Korean films recently including Our Town, Hwang Jin-yi and Milky Way Liberation Front.


ONCE UPON A TIME IN SEOUL. ("Sonyeon-eun ulji anneunda") While some people might argue that Bae Hyeong-joon's debut film, Too Beautiful to Lie was too light for its own good, nobody will be able to say that about his follow-up film. Set in 1953, immediately after the conclusion of the Korean War, two boys struggle for survival in the remains of the city that cannot afford to take care of people lost and weak. Lee Wan (mostly known for his tv roles but also appeared in a Japanese film called Veronika Decides To Die) as Jong-doo, Song Chang-ui (My Girl and I), Jeong Kyeong-ho (R-Point, Lump of Sugar) and Park Glena (Flying Boys) will star in the film based on a novel by Kenzo Kitakata. Described as a hard-boiled action film, this MK Pictures production will be released later this year.


TEUKBYEOLSHI SARAMDEUL. After completing his Masters at the Chicago School of Fine Arts, debuting director Park Cheol-woong returned to Korea to tell the story of four optimists living in a shanty town in the shadow of the bustling, glamorous district of Gangnam in Seoul. His cast consists of Kim Gab-soo (A Tale of Two Sisters, Mutt Boy), Jo Han-seon (My New Partner, Cruel Winter Blues), Kim Yoo-tae (Texture of Skin), Cha Ye-ryeon (Muoi, The Voice), Yoo Min (APT, Blue Swallow) and Park Hyo-joon (A Dirty Carnival). This new drama from Cineline 2 Productions is complete and awaiting a release date.


ZIG ZAG LOVE. ("Ilpyeondanshim yangdari") "Cupid sometimes shoots twice!" proclaims the poster of this film which features Jae Hee (3 Iron, Art of Fighting), Shin Yi (A Bold Family, My Boyfriend is Type B), Park Shi-yeon (The Fox Family) and Myeong Seung-hoon. Seong-hyeon (Jae Hee) finds himself attracted to Ra-yeong (Park Shi-yeon) despite the fact that both of them are already involved in committed relationships--Seong-hyeon with the kind but somewhat odd Park Se and Ra-yeong with the ideal but intense Kyeong-soo. New director Han Seung-rim directs this Parang-Sae Entertainment romantic comedy.


GOODBYE DAY. We have seen many teen romances set in high schools over the years. And it is not unusual to see in movies and dramas a love story complicated by economic differences. In this new film by Yoo Sang-wook (Windmill Palm Grove, Pianoman) we will see this again--but with a difference. The teen lovers of this film are both men. Wealthy Woo-min played by new actor Kim Kwang-yeong falls in love with Ho-jin (Yoon Ji-hoo of TV's Jinjja Jinjja Johahae) from a struggling family. Long absent Kang Mu-yeong (Hot Rain, Bbong 2) will appear in the film as will Kil Yong-woo (star of 80s films like Speeding Horse and lots of recent TV dramas). This melodrama is an M&U film.


A GHOSTS STORY. ("Gwishin iyagi") Five students, members of a photography club, decide to take pictures in the remote village of Dokgakri which is supposedly haunted. They discover in their single night there that the village is haunted by far more than a single ghost, but they may not survive long enough to warn anyone. The writer of the film Foolish Game, Im Jin-pyeong, will direct this film which he also wrote. Among the actors in this film are Kim Shi-hoo (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, The City Of Violence), TV actress Lee Yeong-ah, Park Hyo-joon (To Sir With Love, Dirty Carnival), Kim Tae-hyeon (All For Love, Spin Kick), and Ahn Gil-kang (Sad Movie, Turning Gate). This Tube Pictures film is categorized as a comic horror.


THE BRIDGE AT NOGUNRI. ("Jageun yeonmot") During the Korean War, refugees streamed south in a desperate effort to escape injury and loss of life. For at least one group of refugees, however, such efforts proved futile. Unable to determine whether or not spies for the northern army were among the fleeing villagers, the American forces decided to open fire on them all resulting in the loss of life of several hundred men, women and children. Less than a decade ago, this shocking and tragic incident now known as the Bridge of Nongunri came to light and helped fuel recent anti-American feelings. Lee Sang-woo, the writer of La Belle and A Killing Story, is tackling this story for his debut as a director. An impressive list of actors have signed up to work on this project including Kang Shin-il (Love Phobia), Moon Seong-geun (A Petal), Kim Roe-ha (Memories of Murder) and Kim Seung-wook (Lost in Love). This is an MK Pictures film.


INRYU-YEOLMANG BOGOSEO. An omnibus by directors Kim Jee-woon (Tale of Two Sisters, Quiet Family), Im Pil-seong (Antarctic Journal, Show Me), and Han Jae-rim(Rules of Dating). The first tale Cheonsangui Pijomul (Kim Jee-woon) is being described as a 'nonsense' story about a robot who wants to attain Buddhist enlightenment. Im Pil-sung's story is about an innocent young man who is turned into a zombie in Meotjin Shinsegi and in director Han's film, Christmas Seonmul, is a musical sci-fi based on the O. Henry short story Gift Of The Magi. Kim Kang-woo (Beast and the Beauty, The Aggressives), Kim Min-seon (Memento Mori, Low Life), Jo Yoon-hee (Taegukgi) and Kim Seo-hyeon (Sweet Sex and Love, Over the Rainbow) will all be appearing in different chapters of the film. No release date has been set as yet for this Lucy Film.


LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON. ("Abeoji mari-wa na") A rock musician who has always believed in the free and easy life is reunited with his son after a fifteen-year separation. The character of his son is just the opposite of his father's and the two gradually realize that they compliment each other well. But then one day, a woman named 'Marie' comes to the house where they live. This is the plot of the third film by director Lee Mu-yeong who first gave us the black comedy Humanist but followed that up with the abysmal Bizarre Love Triangle. Now after a five year hiatus, his third film is nearing completion. It stars Kim Sang-joong (My Boss My Hero, Holy Daddy) as the father Tae-soo, Kim Heung-soo (Romantic Assassin, Over the Rainbow) as his son and Yoo In-yeong (Spy Girl) as Marie. A bright spot in this cast appears with Oh Kwang-rok (A Moment to Remember, Waikiki Brothers). This iFilm drama may be released this summer.


THE FRIENDS. ("Yeoruemi joon seonmool") Three elementary school students, Ye-joon, Dong-hee, and Yeong-tan, are very curious about death and decide that they want to learn about death during their summer vacation. They start to spend time with an elderly man helping to take care of him and spending time with him while they wait for him to die. However, the children learn far more about life than death from the tenacious old man. The elderly grandfather is played by Oh Hyeon-kyeong (who has appeared on and off in films since the mid-60s but most recently appeared in Blood Rain). Other parts are played by Baek Seung-do, Jang Joon-yeong (A Good Lawyer's Wife) and Son Sook (A Hot Roof). This Cinema Service drama has not yet been assigned a release date.


SOJUNGHAN NALUI GGUM. A new animation is in the works under the direction of Ahn Jae-hun and Han Hye-jin and is being produced by Pencilled Meditation. Mr Ahn has previously worked on many Warner Brothers TV series such as Superman and Mucha Lucha School. He has also directed works of his own such as One Day Of Alfred Hitchcock and Wishing Star. Ms Han has worked on many of the same projects and also had a part in the Korean adult animation Nudl Nude 2. Their latest animated film, set between 1979 and 1984, is the story of three high school girls facing day to day life. While the problems of the protagonists may seem trivial and understated, the pair hope to tell a realistic coming of age story.


JINJURA CHEONRIGIL. Bae Hyo-min is debuting as a director with a film starring Japanese actor Takao Osawa. Bae's only other contribution to cinema prior to this was his screenwriting work on the all but forgotten film Baby Alone. In this new film, Osawa (Into The Sun, Hana & Alice, All About Lily Chou Chou) plays a gangster name Murao who comes to Korea where he meets and falls in love with meek tour guide Hae-in. Playing the other half of this romantic mismatch is Uhm Ji-won (Over The Rainbow, Mutt Boy). This comedy is being produced by Miracin Korea.


NAE NAMJACHINGU-UI ILGI. Twenty-two year old So-yeon has never loved anyone since her parents were killed in a car accident long ago. Instead, all her affection is given to the plants which she raises to sell from her small nursery. However, when a handsome high school student several years younger than she arrives at her shop, the feelings of first love awaken within her. That is the basic plot for the first feature length film by director Jang Seong-su who has not been involved in film-making since 1992 when he directed a short film called Have A Good Time Without Me. For this new melodrama from Culture Cap Media, Jang Shin-yeong (Redeye) has been cast as So-yeon and the actor who played the younger brother in Marathon, Baek Seong-hyeon has accepted the role of Jun-oh, the object of her affection.

MY FRIEND AND HIS WIFE. ("Naui chingu, geui anae") Shin Dong-il, director of Host & Guest, is returning with his second feature film. The plot of this new movie revolves around the relationships between a couple and the husband's best friend. Jang Hyeon-seong (Magicians, Feather In The Wind) plays the friend Ye-choon. Park Hee-soon (Antarctic Journal, Love Talk) is the husband Jae-moon and first-time actress Hong So-hee will be Jae-moon's wife Ji-sook. Filming is complete on this Prime Entertainment drama but no release date has been assigned yet.


SHALL I CRY? ("Urodeo johseumnikka?") Choi Chang-hwan has devoted his life to studying films. He graduated from Korea's premier film schools, Dongguk University and the Korean Film Academy, and has worked on music videos and assisted with editing of films (such as Save the Green Planet). He already has two short films to his name, Planet Hopping and Salejang Motel Miss Bang. Now he is taking that huge step and making a feature length commercial film. It is described briefly as being a tearful story of a teen's first love and stars Yoon Jin-seo (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, Old Boy), Kim Dong-yoon, Seo Ji-seok (The Bow), Lee Eun-hye (R-Point) and Kim Hak-jin (Love House). Tube Pictures is funding this 'youth melodrama' which is completed but does not yet have a release date.


NEVER BELONGS TO ME. ('Samgeori Museutang Sonyeonui Choihu) Director Nam Ki-woong, whose previous works include the critically acclaimed Show Me and Teenage Hooker Becomes Killing Machine , returns with another movie that may appeal to a similar audience. Labeled as an erotic drama/fantasy, the promotional stills seem to make it look more like a bloodbath than anything remotely erotic. The movie casts two unknowns in the leads, Kang Hyeon-jung as Geon-tae and Ye Su-an taking two important parts. Other members of the cast include Kim Byeong-jun (Dance With The Wind), Lee Sang-hun (Windstruck, Mutt Boy), Hong Seok-yeon (Tell Me Something) and Jo Han-hee (Flying Boys, Double Agent). This Digi-Gaon picture screened at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, and is currently waiting for a release.


SA-KWA. ("Sagwa") Kang Yi-kwon, the assistant director of Memento Mori and Three Friends has been given the opportunity by Chungeorahm Films to direct a feature length drama starring the great Moon So-ri. The story follows the relationship between Hyeong-jeong (Moon So-ri), recovering from a difficult breakup, and Sang-hwan (Kim Tae-woo). The Korean title "Sagwa" can be interpreted as either "apology" or "apple." Winner of the FIPRESCI Award at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and the Best New Screenplay award at the 2005 San Sebastian International Film Festival. This movie was originally scheduled for a May 2005 release, but has been postponed indefinitely.

MUDEUNG SANTAJAN, PARK HEUNG-SUK. (formerly "The Brother" or "Hyeong") Here's a name I haven't seen in a while. Park Woo-sang is returning as a director after his last film in 1997, KK Family List, flopped. Director Park has been directing films since the early 70's and is well known for his low-budget action flix like Chinatown 2, My Name Is Twin Bridges, and Don't Ask Where I'm Going. His latest movie stars Ko Ju-won, Kim Gyu-ri (Libera Me, Nightmare), Lee Jong-su (Phone, RU Ready), Lee Jae-eun (Jakarta, Segimal), Jang Tae-seong (Jail Breakers, Kick the Moon), Choi Seong-wook (Sex Is Zero) and Jo Dal-hwan (Sex Is Zero, My Boss My Hero). He has some actors this time, lets see if he can make a movie. This film continues to have its release delayed.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SUN. ('Taeyangui imyeon') Brothers Su-hyeon and Se-jin are at the center of this film looking at the lives of four struggling teens. Su-hyeon works in a 'host' bar while his younger brother decides to quit school and join his friend Jung-bae on the streets extorting money. Lee Gyu-han (Mapado 2) is Su-hyeon and his brother is played by Kwon Min (Some). Also in the cast are Han Yeo-ryeom (The Bow), Choi Ban-ya (Woman On The Beach) and Lee Cheol-min (Blue Sky). Yoon Yeong-ho directs this film which opened at JIFF IN 2007. His previous films have all been shorts and include Walk Like A Zombie and Bardo.


RAINY DAYS. ('Jangma') The producer of Camel(s), Ko Choong-gil, is now trying his hand at directing. In his film, a man and woman meet by chance at a bus stop. As they board the bus, they begin to feel an attraction to each other but remain unaware of how the other feels. Both anticipation and anxiety build in the characters as they try to deduce the other's emotions without revealing too much of themselves. Kim Yeong-jae (Singles, Au Revoir UFO) and Jang Ye-won star as the uncertain couple. Originally screened at JIFF IN 2007.


STAR RUNNER. Kim Hyun-ju and Oh Geon-ho (TV's Meteor Garden) are united under the direction of Lee In-hang (a Hong Kong director working under the name of Daniel Lee who recently directed Fighter Blue). In this film, a woman goes to Hong Kong to teach Korean and falls in love with one of her students who dreams of being a kickboxing champion. This film has already been released in Hong Kong, and is waiting for a Korean release.


WINTER STORY. ("Gyeol iyagi") Director Shin Sang-ok, who has been directing movies since the early 1950s including such classics as Romance Papa, Youth '75, and Pulgasari, returns with a new drama of a man suffering from senility. As his condition worsens, his relationships with his family deteriorates as well, especially the relationship with his daughter-in-law. Starring veteran actor Shin Gu (whose recent works include YMCA Baseball Team and Christmas in August) and Kim Ji-suk. Status: Finished, but waiting for release.


LOVE HOUSE. A film in which the initial plot synopsis sounds something like the 1996 movie Channel 69, an internet porno site operating out of LA, hires a young couple with connections to the Korean mafia. This movie is written and directed by graduate of the London Film School, Kim Pan-su, who had previously made his mark with two short films in 2001, Sleep Tight My Baby and Whispers In The Wind. The cast includes Park Sang-wook (Mr Butterfly, Another Public Enemy...), Ahn Gyu-ryeon, Jo Dong-hyeok (Hypnotized), Lee Seon-jin (A Moment To Remember) and Kim Byeol. This LJ Film production is reportedly complete, but rumours are flying that it may not be given a theatrical release.

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