Free screening of South Korean thriller THE AGE OF SHADOWS

Korean Cultural Center NY

Presents

Korean Movie Night New York: Premiere Showcase

The Age of Shadows

Directed by Kim Jee-woon

Starring Song Kang-ho, Gong Yoo, Han Ji-min, and Lee Byung-hun
South Korea, 2016, 140 minutes
In Korean and Japanese with English subtitles

When: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 7:00 PM

Where: IFC Center 

323 Ave of the Americas, New York City

Map

New York Premiere

Korean Cultural Center NY, a branch of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea, is proud to announce its Korean Movie Night: Premiere Showcase presentation of the New York premiere of Kim Jee-woon’s period action thriller The Age of Shadows, following the film’s North American bow at the Toronto International Film Festival.

After debuting in Hollywood with Arnold Schwarzengger’s action vehicle The Last Stand, director Kim (I Saw the Devil, A Bittersweet Life) is back on the home turf, with what has been one of the most anticipated Korean films of 2016.

Set in the 1920s Korea, during the Japanese colonial rule, the Age of Shadows follows Korean independence movement activists in their attempt to smuggle explosives from Shanghai, so they can destroy Japanese forces' facilities in Seoul. Featuring the acting talents of Song Kang-ho (Snowpiercer), Han Ji-min (TV series Rooftop Prince), Gong Yoo (Train To Busan), and an extended cameo by Lee Byung-hun (Terminator Genisys,The Magnificent Seven), The Age of Shadows had its world premiere out of competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival, and was recently announced as South Korea’s candidate for the foreign-language Oscar.

Director Kim Jee-woon and actress Han Ji-min will attend the screening.

Free admission, first come, first served.

For information, call 212-924-7771

The Age of Shadows will be released theatrically in the U.S. and Canada on September 23rd by CJ Entertainment America.

Free screening of CHOI Dong-hoon's ASSASSINATION on December 1st

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York

Korean Blockbusters Strike Back!

Assassination / Am-sal

Directed by Choi Dong-hoon

Starring : Jun Gianna, Lee Jung-jae, Ha Jung-woo, Oh Dal-soo,
Cho Jin-woong, and Choi Deok-moon
South Korea, 2015, 140 minutes, Digital
In Korean with English subtitles.

When: Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 6:30 PM

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served

Doors open @ 6 pm

The master of Korean ensemble blockbusters, director Choi Dong-hoon (The Thieves), is back with a historic espionage action drama set in Shanghai and Seoul in 1933, during Japanese colonial rule. The Korean government in exile has given one of its top undercover operatives, Agent Yem (Lee Jung-jae, New World), a mission: recruit three people to infiltrate occupied Seoul and assassinate the Japanese general along with a Korean collaborator. He selects steely-eyed female sniper Ahn (Gianna Jun, The Thieves), a brawler Big Gun (Jo Jin-ung, A Hard Day), and an explosives expert (Choi Deok-mun). But Agent Yem is a double-agent for the Japanese and he hires a hitman Hawaii Pistol (Ha Jung-woo, The Terror Live, The Chaser), to kill the assassins.

Free screening of MEMORIES OF THE SWORD this coming Tuesday

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York

Korean Blockbusters Strike Back!

Memories of the Sword / Hyeop-nyo

Directed by Park Heung-sik

Starring : Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Go-eun, Lee Jun-ho

South Korea, 2015, 121 minutes, Digital

In Korean with English subtitles. Tuesday, November 17, 6:30 PM

When: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 6:30 PM

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served

Doors open @ 6 pm

As the greed and excess of a corrupt monarchy threatens to destroy the once-glorious Goryeo dynasty, three legendary warriors lead a revolt to overthrow the empire and save its people. But when deceit and betrayal costs the life of a master swordsman, a feud for justice and revenge is set into motion, which rages on for decades between the two survivors. Starring Lee Byung-hun (Terminator Genisys), Jeon Do-yeon (winner of Best Actress award at Cannes for Secret Sunshine), and Kim Go-eun (winner of Rising Star award at the New York Asian Film Festival for Eungyo), Memories of the Sword is a lavish epic that blends tragic historical drama with thrilling swordplay and martial arts.

Free screening of SECRETLY, GREATLY tomorrow evening

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York

 Secretly Greatly / Eun-mil-ha-gae eui-dae-ha-gae

Directed by JANG Cheo-soo

Starring: Kim Soo-hyun, Park Gi-woong, and Lee Hyun-woo

South Korea, 2013, 127 minutes, Digital

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 6:30 PM

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served

Doors open @ 6 pm

The Centerpiece Presentation of the 12th New York Asian Film Festival in July 2013 and one of the most popular Korean Movie Night New York films, Secretly, Greatly is based on artist Hun’s widely popular webtoon Covertness. This film broke several box office records and is the most successful Korean webtoon adaptation to date with 7 million movie theater admissions.

This action comedy-drama follows the fortunes of a group of elite North Korean spies, trained since youth, who have been dispatched to South Korea. They assume various undercover identities, including a village idiot, an aspiring singer, and a high school student. Heartthrob Kim So-hyun plays Won Ryu-hwan, a highly accomplished North Korean agent, whose cover is that of the village idiot. A sequel to the original Covertness webtoon is currently running on the Daum porta.

I saw Secretly, Greatly at a special screening of Korean Movie Night in September 2103. I found it quite enjoyable, warranting a 3 out of 4 star AsianCineFest Rating; solidly recommended.

Tuesday's screening of Secretly, Greatly is part of Korean Movie Night New York’s Webtoon Comes to the Big Screen series (Sep. 9 - Oct. 20, 2015)

Free screening of THE NEIGHBORS next Tuesday, September 22nd

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York

 The Neighbors

Directed by Kim Khan (aka Kim Hwi)

Starring: Kim Yunjin, Kim Sae-ron, Cheon Ho-jin, Im Ha-ryong,

Ma Dong-suk, Kim Sung-kyun, Jang Young-nam, Do Ji-han

South Korea, 2012, 115 minutes, DCP

In Korean with English subtitles

U.S. Premiere

When: Tuesday, September 22, 2015, 6:30 PM

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served

Doors open @ 6 pm

The Neighbors is an ensemble cast suspense thriller based on Kang Full’s 2008 webtoon of the same title. Schoolgirl Yeo-sun (Kim Sae-ron) is found dead after not returning home from school. Her stepmother (Kim Yunjin from ABC’s Lost) suffers from enormous guilt for failing to pick her up from the bus stop. Things are not made any easier by the presence of Soo-yeon (Kim Sae-ron), another girl in the same apartment complex who bears a striking resemblance to Yeo-sun. One of the residents of the building has been acting strangely and although his neighbors begin to suspect him, for mysterious reasons they choose to hold back from telling anyone about their suspicions.

This screening of The Neighbors is part of Korean Movie Night New York's Webtoon Comes to the Big Screen series (Sep. 9 - Oct. 20, 2015)

Free screening of MOSS with webtoon artist Yoon Tae-ho next Tuesday

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York

Moss 

Directed by Kang Woo-suk

Starring: Jung Jae-young, Park Hae-il

South Korea, 2010, 115 minutes

When: Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at 6:30pm

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served

Doors open @ 6 pm

Moss is a psychological mystery thriller adapted from Yoon Tae-ho’s webtoon of the same, and directed by Korea’s leading blockbuster filmmaker of the 1990’s and 2000’s, Kang Woo-Suk (Two Cops, Public Enemy, Silmido). In a small rural village, the god-like Ryu Mok-hyeong (Heo Jun-ho) is trying to forge a haven for those wishing to be reborn and live untouched by the world's evil. Flash forward to Mok-Hyeong's good-for-nothing son Ryu Hae-Guk (Park Hae-Il, War of the Arrows) arriving for Mok-Hyeong's funeral and who, in attempting to settle his father's estate, discovers a web of interconnected secrets and lies and abuse of power that may ultimately point to murder. Note: English-language version of “Moss” webtoon has debuted on Huffington Post’s Spottoon on August 3rd.

My September 2012 review of the 2-disc Special Edition DVD of Moss, which I rated at 3.5 out of 4 stars, can be found here.

The September 9th screening of Moss is part of Korean Movie Night New York’s Webtoon Comes to the Big Screen series of three films that euns Sep. 9 - Oct. 20, 2015.

Korean Movie Night New York series: Webtoon Comes to the Big Screen

Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society

Co-present

Korean Movie Night New York series:

Webtoon Comes to the Big Screen

When: September 9 - October 20, 2015

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70 Street, NYC

Map

Free admission. First-come, first-served.

Webtoons, also known as webcomics, are online-based comics or graphic novels which have become a pop-culture phenomenon in Korea. The dynamic graphic form is breathing new life into Korea’s comics industry and keeping the young generation engaged with one of the long standing elements of popular culture from a pre-digital era.

The boom in webtoons started in 2003, facilitated by ever expanding web portals available to the Korean online community, including Naver and Daum, as well as the almost universal spread of smartphones.

Meanwhile the most popular webtoons have rapidly leapt from the small monitor and smartphone to the big screen with a number of phenomenally successful TV and film adaptations, becoming a force in the lively world of Korean movies.

The Webtoon Comes to the Big Screen series will feature three of the best films based on webtoons by critically acclaimed webtoon artists. It is planned in conjunction with the exhibition Webtoon at Gallery Korea, Korean Cultural Service NY (460 Park Avenue, 6th Floor, NYC), on view from September 8 to October 16, 2015.

Korean Movie Night New York is an ongoing, approximately twice-a-month film program that introduces the full spectrum of contemporary and classic Korean cinema to New York audiences, from popular blockbusters, independent films, and documentaries to animation and family movies.

Free screening of CHRONICLE OF A BLOOD MERCHANT next Tuesday

Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York's

Summer Edition

Chronicle of a Blood Merchant / Heo-sam-kwan-mae-hyeol-gi

Directed by Ha Jung-woo

Starring: Ha Jung-woo, Ha Ji-won

South Korea, 2015, 124 minutes, DCP

In Korean with English subtitles

New York Premiere

When: Tuesday, August 25, 2015, 6:30pm

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served.

Doors open @ 6 pm

Ha Jung-woo, one of Korea’s biggest stars, directs and acts in this understated period comedy-drama, based on the best-selling novel of the same title by the Chinese writer Yu Hua. Just after the Korean War, a factory worker (Ha Jung-woo) falls for the most beautiful girl in his village (Ha Ji-won). Penniless, he sells his blood to fund the courtship and before long they are married. Eleven years later, the couple have three sons and live a comfortable life. One day, their lives are upended when a blood test reveals that their eldest boy is not the worker's son.

Free screening of SCARLET INNOCENCE next Tuesday

Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York's

Summer Edition

Scarlet Innocence / Ma-dam Ppaeng-deok

Directed by YIM Pil-sung

Starring: JUNG Woo-sung, LEE Som

South Korea, 2014, 112 minutes

In Korean with English subtitles
New York Premiere

When: Tuesday, July 18, 2015, 6:30pm

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served.

Doors open @ 6 pm

“Sporting a pair of terrific turns from Jung Woo-sung and LEE Som in a story that stealthily sidles through genres, Scarlet Innocence is a stylish neo film noir with a distinct Korean flavor”
– Toronto International Film Festival

This startling romantic thriller soaked in lust and revenge is the latest offering from YIM Pil-sung, director of the 2007 horror Hansel and Gretel. Heartthrob JUNG Woo-sung (Cold Eyes and The Good, The Bad, The Weird) and emerging star LEE Som set the screen on fire in a cautionary tale of desire and punishment. College professor Hak-kyu (JUNG Woo-sung) abandons his young student lover Deokee (LEE Som) after a torrid affair. Eight years later, as he is losing his eyesight, the professor befriends a young neighbor who turns out to be Deokee, who has returned and is hell-bent on revenge.

Free screening of C'EST SI BON this Tuesday at Asia Society NY

Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York's

Summer Edition

C'est Si Bon / Sae-si-bong

Directed by KIM Hyun-suk

Starring: KIM Yun-seok, JUNG Woo, HAN Hyo-joo, KIM Hee-ae

South Korea, 2015, 119 minutes

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Tuesday, July 14, 2015, 6:30pm

Where: Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served.

Doors open @ 6 pm

It is 1960s Seoul. OH Geun-tae (JUNG Woo), a country boy with a booming baritone voice, is discovered by aspiring singer-songwriter Lee Jang-hui and thrust into the bustling world of Seoul’s iconic folk music café C’est Si Bon. He unwittingly becomes the third member of the yet-to-debut “C’est Si Bon Trio” and the begrudging buffer between two rivals in the band—the vocal genius Song Chang-sik and the heartthrob Yun Hyeong-ju. One day, aspiring actress Min Ja-young (HAN Hyo-joo) enters the picture and the young men are completely bewitched. Will their muse inspire them to create legendary music or wreck the band before they even begin?

“This reassessment of the golden years of South Korea’s Western-style folk music scene follows a trio of musicians through the turbulent era... Realistically showcasing the interior of C'est Si Bon, with its devoted coterie of youthful, enthusiastic music fans and rotating roster of idolized performers” – Hollywood Reporter

CJ Entertainment released C'est Si Bon in select theaters in the U.S. and Canada this past February.

Myung Films: Pioneers and Women Behind the Camera in Korean Film - a special focus section of NYAFF

Korean cinema has been known internationally primarily through the works of a small group of male directors (Hong Sangsoo, Kim Ki-duk, Park Chan-wook, Kim Jee-woon, and others), but one of its key film production companies, Myung Films, is led by a woman: producer Shim Jae-myung. Myung Films has spearheaded the transformation of the Korean film culture and industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s by establishing new genres and discovering new talent.

The New York Asian Film Festival, which runs through July 11th, is showcasing a couple of their recent productions, Cart and Revivre, as well as some of their masterworks (The President’s Last Bang, The Isle, and Waikiki Brothers) as part of a greater focus on women who work behind the scenes. Shim Jae-myung will be in attendance and will be joined by top female directors Yim Soon-rye (The Whistleblower) and Boo Ji-young (Cart), who are known for their uncompromising films dealing with issues of social justice.

For these women behind the camera, it’s not just about standing up against patriarchy, oppression, or power but about telling stories of real people and real lives—struggling, folding and sometimes collapsing—perhaps showing that the human condition might be best expressed by women.

Presented with the support of the Korean Cultural Service New York.
Co-presented with The Korea Society.

Free screening of ALIVE at Asia Society NY next Wednesday

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York's April - May 2015 Series

Emerging Talent

Alive

Directed by Park Jung-bum

Starring: Lee Seung-yeon, Park Jung-bum, Park Myeong-hoon

2014. South Korea. 175 minutes

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Wednesday, May 27th @ 6:30 pm

Where: The Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium at Asia Society

725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served.

Doors open @ 6 pm East Coast Premiere

The last film in Korean Movie Night NY's Emerging Talent film series is Alive, which will be shown next Thursday, May 27th, 2015.

A follow up to Park Jung-bum’s powerful debut neorealist drama The Journals of Musan, Alive is a continuation of the director/writer/actor’s exploration of the issues of poverty, inequality, and human suffering in contemporary capitalist societies. In this film, he portrays a construction worker in the Gangwon province who tries to make ends meet and support his mentally unstable sister and young niece. The more effort he puts into improving their living condition, the more odds stack up against him. The film offers a powerful portrait of survival in the worst circumstances and conveys Park’s compassion for those struggling on the margins of society.

GANGNAM BLUES reviewed; free screening tomorrow at Asia Society

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York's April - May 2015 Series

Emerging Talent

Gangnam Blues

Directed by YOO Ha

Starring: LEE Min-ho, KIM Rae-won, JUNG Jin-Young

South Korea, 2015, 135min

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Thursday, May 7th @ 6:30 pm

Where: The Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium at Asia Society

725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served.

Doors open @ 6 pm

East Coast Premiere

Gangnam is an area of three districts, or local wards, in southeast and south Seoul that is known for its expensive real estate. It came to international attention with the 2012 release of the song "Gangnam Style" by South Korean singer Psy, which became not only a mega-hit  but also a viral video. But Gangnam was not always a wealthy, trendy area, nor was it originally a part of Seoul proper.

Gangnam Blues, as several title cards indicate at the beginning of the film, takes place in the 1970s when it was little more than a shantytown and farmland area. Two gangs, the Yeongdeungpo (YDP) and the Myeongdong (MD) sought control of the real estate which politicians had earmarked for Seoul's necessary expansion.

Jong-dae (Min-ho Lee) and Yong-gi (Rae-won Kim) are two young men who met when they were in an orphanage and who eke out a living as rag-men picking up and selling discarded clothing and such things on the streets. They come to get work for a gang that is going to trash the convention of the Peace Party. During the melee, they get separated and Jong-dae, unable to locate Yong-gi, comes to the conclusion that he is dead. Such is not the case, but rather the two come to be aligned with rival gangs.

As each group seeks to obtain the upper hand in the acquisition of valuable real estate, violent confrontations, shifting alliances, and dastardly betrayals occur on both sides. Jong-dae and Yong-gi meet one-another in these circumstances, and whether or not the brotherhood that they had previously forged will prove stronger than the claims of their rival gangs is a major plot point.

Gangnam Blues is a smart and welcome addition to an already impressive roster of South Korean gangster films. (For an excellent article on the evolution of Korea's gangster cinema, see Samuel Jamier's "Boody Ties" in the May/June 2015 issue of Film Comment. It's part of a 30 page midsection on South Korean movies in that issue.)

The two leads are very good in their roles, as are the numerous older actors who play various politicians and gang bosses and under-bosses. There are several very good action set pieces, including a massive one that takes place in the rain at a funeral.

AsianCIneFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; very good, highly recommended.

Free screening of GANGNAM BLUES on Thursday at Asia Society NY

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York's April - May 2015 Series

Emerging Talent

Gangnam Blues

Directed by YOO Ha

Starring: LEE Min-ho, KIM Rae-won, JUNG Jin-Young

South Korea, 2015, 135min

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Thursday, May 7th @ 6:30 pm

Where: The Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium at Asia Society

725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served.

Doors open @ 6 pm

East Coast Premiere 

Directed by veteran filmmaker YOO Ha (A Dirty Carnival, A Frozen Flower), Gangnam Blues (a.k.a. Gangnam 1970) is a sleek and stylish action thriller about childhood friendship, brotherhood, and betrayal set in the 1970s, during the height of social-political turmoil.

Two friends who grew up in the same orphanage, Jong-dae (TV drama star LEE Min-ho in his film debut) and Yong-gi (KIM Rae-won), struggle to make ends meet and wind up working for two competing gangs. Politicians, real estate magnates, and gangsters vie with blood for territories south of the Han river, a district that would become the world-famous and hip Gangnam.

Released in January in South Korea, Gangnam Blues will stand as one of the biggest box office hits of the year.

Free screening of 10 MINUTES next Tuesday, April 28th at Asia Society NY

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York's April - May 2015 Series

Emerging Talent

10 Minutes

Directed by LEE Yong-seung

Starring: KIM Jong-gu, BAEK Jong-hwan, LEE Si-won

South Korea, 2013, 93min

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Tuesday, April 28th @ 6:30 pm

Where: The Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium at Asia Society

725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

Map

Free Admission; all seating is first come, first served.

Doors open @ 6 pm

East Coast Premiere 

Ho-chan (BAEK Jong-hwan) is a college student who dreams to become a TV producer, but since his family is struggling with financial difficulties, he has signed up a 6-month paid internship in a government agency office. Despite the mundane clerical work, Ho-chan takes his responsibilities seriously and is beloved by his colleagues. The young man learns office politics and reality the hard way when a permanent position becomes available and he must fight for it to help his family stay afloat. Lee Yong-seung’s directorial debut and graduation project at Dankook University, 10 Minutes offers a sharp critique of Korea’s highly cut-throat corporate culture.

THE KING OF JOKGU reviewed; free screening Tuesday, April 14th

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York's April - May 2015 Series
Emerging Talent

  The King of Jokgu / Jog-gu-wang

Directed by Woo Moon-gi

Starring: Ahn Jae-hong, Hwang Seung-un, Jung Woo-sik

South Korea, 2013, 104 minutes, DCP

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 6:30 pm

Where: Asia Society’s Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium

725 Park Avenue, between 70th & 71st Streets, NYC

Map

Free admission. First-come, first-served.
North American Premiere 

The new Korean Movie Night NY series Emerging Talent, co-sponsored by Koreqan Cultural Servie and Asia Society, begins with a free screening this coming Tuesday of The King of Jokgu, a  wonderful comedy.

While serving his stint of compulsory military service, Sergeant Manseob Hong was known as "The King of Jokgu." And just what is "Jokgu"? Well, it's a hybrid sport that combines volleyball and soccer, but with the net that divides the two teams set at a height close to that used in tennis. (More information can be found at the Wikipedia entry for Jokgu.)

After being discharged, Hong returns to college where he resumes his studies in Food Science Technology in the Department of Food and Nutrition. He also comes across his friend Changho Park. Both of them loved playing Jokgu, but are upset that the university's only court has been converted for tennis. They initiate a drive to get the university to build a new Jogku court. Their efforts are ridiculed, the fact that Jokgu sounds like "jerk off" being a prime reason.

Hong also very much wants a girlfriend and falls for the beautiful Anna Suh, who's in his English language class. She agrees to be his partner in an assignment to perform a scene from a movie, but she already has a boyfriend, Kangmin, who was once a member of the national soccer team but couldn't make the big leagues because of an (unspecified) injury.

Hong's fortunes, both with regard to Anna and to getting a Jokgu court built, are improved immensely after he defeats Kangmin in an informal one-on-one game of Jokgu. Videos of the match, taken by student spectators, go viral across the campus, and Jokgu becomes both popular and respected.

The King of Jokgu, like the game itself, is somewhat of a hybrid. While primarily a comedy, it's also a youth film and a sports film, and it has more than a dollop of romance thrown into the mix. The various elements are perfectly blended, making the movie a most enjoyable watch.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars; charming and delightful, highly recommended.

EMERGING TALENT will be focus of next Korean Movie Night NY series

Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society

present

Korean Movie Night New York's April-May 2015 Series:

Emerging Talent

L to R: "Alive," "Gangnam Blues," "The King of Jogku."

Screenings at Asia Society

725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, New York City
Map

Free admission

Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society have announced Korean Movie Night New York’s April-May 2015 series: Emerging Talent. The series of 5 films celebrates emerging filmmakers and actors in contemporary Korean cinema and will run from April 14 to May 27, 2015 at the Asia Society. Free admission for all screenings.

While mainstream, big-budget films have dominated the Korean film market, young directors are finding room to make independent films that prove to be no less creative and inspiring despite fewer resources. Four films in this series, The King of Jokgu (Woo Moon-gi), 10 Minutes (Lee Yong-seung), Fatal (Lee Don-ku), and Alive (Park Jung-bum), are independently financed projects. Director Park Jung-bum doubles as the acting lead in Alive to impressive result. The series also includes Gangnam Blues (Yoo Ha), which features the young and hugely popular actor Lee Min-ho in his feature film debut. Known as a TV drama (City Hunter, The Heirs) heartthrob, Lee transitioned to the big screen with great fanfare in this action thriller by veteran director Yoo Ha.

The films in this series follow a coming-of-age theme. Youthful dreams give way to adult reality in The King of Jokgu and 10 Minutes; life-altering experiences threaten to spin out of control in Fatal and Alive; and a childhood bond is tested as two friends grow apart in Gangnam Blues.

Korean Movie Night New York is an ongoing, approximately twice-a-month film program that introduces the full spectrum of contemporary and classic Korean cinema to New York audiences, from popular blockbusters, independent films, and documentaries to animation and family movies. The series is co-presented by Korean Cultural Service NY and Asia Society. For information on the series, visit asiasociety.org/korean-movie-night or Facebook.com/KoreanMovieNY.

All screenings take place at Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, New York City. All events are free admission, first come, first served. For information, call 212-517-2742.

GUARDIAN reviewed; free screening tomorrow night in New York City

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York

Series One: Fathers on Screen

 Guardian / Bo-ho-ja

Written and directed by YOO Won-sang

Starring: KIM Su-hyeon, KO Seo-hee

South Korea, 2013, 90 minutes, DCP

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 6:30 pm

Where: Asia Society’s Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium

725 Park Avenue, between 70th & 71st Streets, NYC

Map

Free admission. First-come, first-served.
International Premiere

Guardian is an intriguing thriller and marks the feature film debut of YOO Won-sang, who both wrote and directed the film. Tomorrow night's screening at Asia Society NY will mark its International Premiere.

LEE Jeon-mo (KIM Su-hyeon) is a retired firefighter who runs the Vitamin Flower Shop with his wife. They have two children. Their daughter Hee-jung is on the cusp of puberty and already concerned about pimples. Their younger child, Jung-sik, is a boy who loves playing video games, an activity in which his father sometimes joins. All in all they are a contented, happy family.

That is, until one evening when Hee-jung is kidnapped. The LEE family's world is turned upside down as the kidnapper calls Jeon-mo and tells him that he should think on a past sin, as the kidnapping is punishment for something LEE did wrong. The abductor demands a rather low ransom, but keeps Jeon-mo moving from one rendezvous point to another, then makes an outrageous demand for the safe return of Hee-jung.

Father, mother, and son each become increasingly unraveled and distraught as the situation becomes more and more bizarre and Hee-jung remains a captive. The denouement is a surprising reveal, although one eventually realizes that YOO has provided some hints along the way.

Guardian was YOO's graduation project at the Korean Academy of Film Arts, and it's a most auspicious beginning for what promises to be a rich career. It's well-paced overall and nicely structured, with good performances by the cast of four adults and three children.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3 out of 4 stars; solidly recommended.

Free screening of GUARDIAN next Tuesday at Asia Society NY

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night New York

Series One: Fathers on Screen

Guardian / Bo-ho-ja

Directed by YOO Won-sang

Starring: KIM Su-hyeon, KO Seo-hee

South Korea, 2013, 90 minutes, DCP

In Korean with English subtitles

When: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 6:30 pm

Where: Asia Society’s Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium

725 Park Avenue, between 70th & 71st Streets, NYC

Map

Free admission. First-come, first-served.
International Premiere 

In his first feature film, and also graduation project at the Korean Academy of Film Arts, director YOO Won-sang delivers an interesting take on the thriller genre. A former firefighter, Jeon-mo (KIM Su-hyeon), runs a flower shop and lives happily with his wife and two children. His world is turned upside down after his young daughter gets kidnapped, and he starts receiving instructions to follow from the abductor. One of the instructions is for Jeon-mo to kidnap another child, and then trade him for his daughter. The moral ripple effects of resulting actions will drive the narrative to a dramatic, unexpected conclusion.

Free screening of HWAYI: A MONSTER BOY next Tuesday

Korean Cultural Service NY

and

Asia Society NY

co-present

Korean Movie Night

Series One: Fathers on Screen

 Hwayi: A Monster Boy / Hwayi: Gwimuleul samkin ahyi

Directed by Jang Joon-hwan

Starring: Yeo Jin-gu, Kim Yun-seok

South Korea, 2013, 125 minutes

US Premiere

When: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 6:30 pm

Where: Asia Society’s Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium

725 Park Avenue, between 70th & 71st Streets, NYC

Map

Free admission. First-come, first-served.

10 years after his feature debut with a fantasy thriller SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! (a film I really liked), director Jang has returned with an offbeat crime drama HWAYI: A MONSTER BOY. A gang of cold-blooded robber-killers, led by Yun Seok-tae (Kim Yun-seok, the detective in THE CHASER), has raised a boy Hwa-yi (Yeo Jin-gu) they once kidnapped as their own, teaching him all of their know-how and treating him as their communal son. Only when the teenager learns about his past on his first mission, does he turn against them and their kind, with increasingly violent, nihilistic and extremely bloody results.