ACF 380: Crossroads of Youth

The Korea Society and the Film Society of Lincoln Center will take audiences to a bygone era on October 3, as they present Korea's oldest surviving silent film, Crossroads of Youth (Cheonchun's Sipjaro), at a special screening accompanied by live musicians and narrators (byeonsa) of the type found in Korean theaters of the 1930s.

Released in 1934 and recently digitally restored, Crossroads of Youth is a wrenching family tragedy set against the backdrop of Korea's jarring modernization. In a throwback to the time when silent films were presented with live music, the screening will be accompanied by musicians playing period and contemporary music before, during, and after the film. Byeonsa-live, dramatic narrators who recap the plot and give voice to the characters' silent expressions-will provide a uniquely Korean twist.

Directed by Ahn Jong-hwa and featuring Shin Il-seon (star of the legendary, now-lost 1926 silent film Arirang), Crossroads of Youth tells the story of Young-bok, a man who leaves his village to try his luck in Seoul in hopes of earning enough to support his family back home.

The special screening will be part of the 47th New York Film Festival and will take place on Saturday, October 3 at 11 AM at:

Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center
1941 Broadway (at West 65th Street)
New York, NY 10023

Tickets available for $20 through New York Film Festival (online or box office). The Film Society of Lincoln Center's website on the film is here.

For more information please contact Yuni Cho at (212) 759-7525, ext. 323.

The Korea Society and Film Society of Lincoln Center gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Korean Film Archive in supporting this program, as well as KOIS (Korean Culture and Information Service), and Korean Cultural Service NY.