ACF 896: Special screening of "Good Morning, President" in Washington, D.C.

Good Morning, President
Directed by JANG Jin
South Korea, 2009, 132 minutes
When: Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 6:00 PM
Where: The Korea Economic Institute of America
1800 K Street NW, Suite 1010
Washington, DC 20006

D.C. area residents will be treated to a special screening of this delightful film which was a crowd favorite at The Korea Society film series New York Korean Film Festival 2010, where it played at both the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).

Film Description:
Good Morning President is a delicious rumination about power and decision-making, set largely in the head of state's kitchen. Jang's film about three successive Korean presidents is as winning as the best of Frank Capra, but while the pacing and domestic relationships may seem as American as apple pie, the settings and political relationships are as Korean as kimchee.

The older President Kim Jung-ho has to come to grips with his winning the lottery at the end of his term. Next in office is the younger President Cha Ji-wook who faces dilemmas both in foreign policy and on a personal level as a potential organ donor to a dying man. Next in line, female President Han Kyuong-ja faces the crisis of divorce.

ACF mini-review (from ACF 707, posted October 1, 2010):
The three stories are nicely intertwined, so the film doesn't feel choppy or particularly segmented. While both serious and touching at times, the film also provides bouts of good humor. Overall, highly enjoyable entertainment.

ACF Rating: 3 out of 4 stars, solidly recommended.