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InKo Centre and the Korean Film Archives present a special Im
Kwon-taek retrospective package by Director Im Kwon-taek at IFFK,
Thiruvananthapuram, CIFF, Chennai, and HIFF, Hyderabad,
(December 2007/January 2008)
For almost 50 years, master director Im Kwon-taek has
chronicled the tremendous events of Korea's 20th century through
the detached lens of his camera. InKo Centre and The Korean Film
Archive (KOFA) co-host the first ever retrospective of this
world-renowned filmmaker at 3 International Film Festivals in
south India at Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Hyderabad
respectively. The package that spans 15 years of the master
film-maker’s oeuvre.
The following eight films, selected for the special
retrospective, will give viewers in India an opportunity to
experience Im’s cinematic world and the winding passage of
Korea’s modern history that Im depicts so powerfully in his
films.
These films will be screened from December 14 – 21, 2007. For
more details contact phone: 044 24361224
Retrospective package
|
1 |
Surrogate Mother |
1986 |
5 |
The General's Son 2 |
1991 |
|
2 |
Sopyonje |
1993 |
6 |
Festival |
1996 |
|
3 |
The Tae Baek Mountains |
1994 |
7 |
Chunhyang |
2000 |
|
4 |
The General's Son |
1990 |
8 |
Chihwaseon |
2001 |
Surrogate Mother
 Year of release: 1986
Starring: Kang Su-Yeon, Lee Ku-Sun, Yoon Yang-Ha, Kim Hyeong-Ja,
Han Eun-Jin
Synopsis: During the Chosun Dynasty, Shin Sang-gyu of noble
birth and his wife Yun are concerned that they have no child to
perpetuate the family name. Sang-gyu's mother and uncle Shin
Chi-ho brings Ok-nyeo to the couple as a potential surrogate
mother. On their first night together, Sang-gyu admires Ok-nyeo's
beauty and his wife becomes jealous. Ok-nyeo falls in love with
Sang-gyu. Her mother tries to persuade her to see reality but in
vain. Ok-nyeo gives birth to a son whom she has to hand over to
Yun. Ok-nyeo defies her misfortune with her own death. The film won the Best Actress Award for Kang Su-Yeon at the 44th
Venice Film Festival and the Best Film/ Best Director/ Best
Assistant Actress awards at 32nd Asian Pacific Film Festival
Sopyonje
 Year of release: 1993
Starring: Oh Jeong-Hae, Kim Myeong-Kon, Kim Kyu-Cheol, Ahn
Byeong-Kyeong, Choi Dong-Jun
Synopsis: Sopyonje may easily stake its claim to being one of
the most famous Korean films ever made. It certainly remains a
legendary work in its homeland and is considered by some to be
the very essence of Korean culture. Based on a novel by Lee
Cheong-jun, Sopyonje centres on three main characters but
perhaps the most important character is the traditional vocal
art of Pansori. One day in the early 1960s, Dongho, a man in his thirties,
arrives at a village inn. He is absorbed in deep thought while
listening to a Pansori song by a woman. During Dongho's
childhood, Yubong a vagabond singer of Pansori had come to his
village Yubong fell in love with Dongho's widowed mother and
left the village with Dongho the widow and Yubong's adopted
daughter Songhwa. However, the widow died while delivering
Yubong's baby. Yubong had taught Songhwa Pansori music and
Dongho the drum. Songhwa and Dongho were raised as a Pansori
singer and a drummer They wandered about singing Pansori for a
living but their lives got harder during and after the Korean
civil war. With the influence of Western culture, Pansori
gradually became less popular, is hardly favoured as is even
despised by people. Dissatisfied with his miserable life, Dongho
left home after having a dispute with Yubong. Brokenhearted,
Songhwa refused to continue being a Pansori singer. Yubong
blinds Songhwa, in the hope that blindness would force her to be
a master of Pansori. The blind Songhwa leads a pitiful life
after Yubong's death. Years later, Dongho returns, filled with
remorse. He finally finds Songhwa. She sings her Pansori on his
requrest to the accompaniment of his drum. Nobody knows whether
or not the blind Songhwa has recongised Dongho After spending
one night together, they separate again. Songhwa leaves to
continue her vagabond life. The film was presented at the 46th Cannes Film Festival; at the
50th Venice Film Festival the film won the Grand Prix, Prize of
Best Film, Photography, Leading Actor (Kim Myeong-Gon),
Assistant Actor (Ahn Byeong-Kyeong), New Actress (Oh Jeong-Hae);
Most Popular at the 14th Chung Ryong Film Award; Prize of Best
Film, Director, Leading Actor, Photography, Music, New Actress
(Oh Jeong-hae) at the 13th Film Critics Award; Prize of Best
Film, Director, Leading Actress (Oh Jeong-hae), Technology 1
(Production Design:Kim Yu-Jun), New Actor's Acting (Kim
Kyu-Cheol) at the Chun Sa Film Art Award; Prize of Best
Director, Best Leading Actress at the 1st Shanghai Film
Festival; Prize of Best Film, Director, New Actress, New Actor,
Photography, Recording at the 31st Dae Jong Award Festival
The Tae Baek Mountains
 Year of release: 1994
Starring: Ahn Seong-Ki, Kim Myeong-Kon, Kim Gap-Su, Shin Hyeon-Jun,
Oh Jeong-Hae
Synopsis: This film depicts the story of a village where people
suffered due to the incessant fighting between the Left and the
Right wing groups around the time of the Korean Conflict
(1948-1953). The villagers in this film could easily represent
the entire Korean nation which suffered during the Korean
Conflict. However, the main theme of this film is not the clash
of ideologies, but humanism itself, which director Im considers
one of the most important attributes in human beings. This film
attempts to look into the confused Korean modern history from a
bird's eye view. The nationalist Kim Bum-Woo in particular, is
an example of the typical Korean intellectual who suffered in a
whirlpool of ideological clashes during that period. This film
shows us four different situations - the situation of a
nationalist (Kim Bum-Woo), the situation of a leftist (Yum
Sang-Jin) the situation of a rightist (Yum Sang-Goo), and the
situation of a girl shaman (So-Hwa). The last of these
situations is the highlight of this film. Through the exorcism
performed by So-Hwa, the protagonists work out their
interpretation of what happiness is. The film was noted as a Good Film of 1994; Special Prize of
Jurors, Prize of Leading Actor (Kim Ga-Su), Assistant Actress (Jeong
Kyeong-Sun) at the 33rd Dae Jong Award; Prize of Actor's Acting
(Kim Gap-Su) at the 31st Korea Baek Sang Art Award; Prize of
Best Film, Photography, Lighting at the 5th Chun Sa Film Award;
Prize of Film Assistant Actor (Kim Gap-Su), Assistant Actress (Jeong
Kyeong-Sun), Technology (Music:Kim Su-Cheol) at the 15th Chung
Ryong Film Award. The General's Son
 Year of release: 1990
Starring: Park Sang-Min, Lee Il-Jae, Bang Eun-Hee, Kim Hyeong-Il
Synopsis: Kim Doo-han lost his mom at the age of eight and he
survives on the streets as a singing beggar. His natural born
fighting skills help him survive on the mean streets of Jongro,
at the centre of which is the kisaeng house Woomigwan. Kim
Doo-han is soon recognised for his incredible strength and
ability. He finds out through Shin Ma-jeok, the head of a
student gang, that he is the son of General Kim Jwa-jin who
fought against the Japanese army. Meanwhile, the Yakuzas expand
their sphere of influence and try to take over the Jongro
streets but Doo-han protects the Korean vendors of Jongro and
wins their respect. When the head of Woomigwan, Kim Gi-hwan, is
arrested, Doo-han becomes the leader of the Jongro gang. The film was awarded Good Film of '90; Prize of New Actor (Park
Sang-Min) at the 29th Dae Jong Award; Prize of the Best Korean
Film and Best Popular Film at the 11th Chung Ryong Award; Prize
of Production Design at the 11th Film Critics Award.
The General's Son 2
 Year of release: 1991
Starring: Park Sang-Min, Song Chae-Hwan, Lee Il-Jae
Synopsis: In part one of The General’s Son, Kim Doo-han, the
hero, succeeded in seizing the area of Chongno in Seoul through
his fistfighting skills. After discovering that he is the son of
the Patriot General Kim Jwa-jin, Doo-han has difficulty in
controlling regional bosses and convincing them to work for the
good of the country. Park Kei-ju, the famed writer of the novel
'Genuine Love', advises him to cultivate respect as the true son
of General Kim Jwa-jin. Doo-han is challenged by a Japanese
Yakuza. Doo-han finds himself caught in a struggle between the
Japanese and the Korean bosses. The film was awarded the Prize of New Actor (Shin Hyeon-Jun) at
the 30th Dae Jong Award; Prize of largest audience at the 12th
Chung Ryong Award; Prize of New Actor (Lee Il-Jae) at the 28th
Baek Sang Art Award. Festival
 Year of release: 1996
Starring: Ahn Seong-Ki, Oh Jeong-Hae, Han Eun-Jin, Jeong Kyeong-Sun,
Bark Seung-Tae, Lee Kum-Ju, Ahn Beung-Kung, Kim Kung-Ahe, Nam
Jeong-Hee.
Synopsis: Lee Joonsup is a famous writer in his 40s. One day, he
is informed that his mother who has been ill for more than five
years has died. Before he goes to his mother's house in the
countryside to assist with the funeral, he is busy cancelling
all his appointments and telling everyone about his mother's
death. A journalist, Jang Haerim, comes to the funeral to write
an article about Joonsup's literary world. The funeral starts
and enmity among the family of the deceased deepens as Joonsup's
niece, Yongsoon, arrives. However, by the end of the funeral,
Yongsoon cries after reading Joonsup's fairy tale and the
relatives come to understand each other better. When the funeral
ends, all the relatives cherish the wisdom and love of life of
Joonsup's deceased mother. The film was awarded the Good Film Prize of 1996; Prize of Best
Film, Director at the 17th Chung Ryong Film Award; Prize of Best
Film, Best Actor (Ahn Seong-Ki) at the 16th Film Critics Award
Chunhyang
 Year of release: 2000
Starring: Lee Hyo-jeong, Cho Seung-wu, Lee Jeong-heon, Kim
Seong-nyeo, Kim Hak-yong, Lee Hye-eun, Choi Jin-young, Hong
Kyoung-yeon, Yun Il-ju
Synopsis: Based on the Pansori folk song of the same title,
Chunhyang tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers who
consummate their love after overcoming various obstacles.
Mongryong, the son of a nobleman, falls in love with a beautiful
maiden on a swing. He learns that she is Chunhyang, the daughter
of a retired kisaeng (equivalent.to a geisha) named Wolmae, but
he pursues her despite her lower social status. Mongryong
succeeds in winning the heart of Chunhyang and pledges to
Chunhyang to be her life-long companion. Unfortunately,
Mongryong is forced to leave the side of his beloved when his
father is summoned to the king's court. Sadly, he leaves for the
city with the promise to return as a court official. One day a
new governor, Byun Hakdo, arrives in Namwon, the hometown of
Chunhyang. Notorious for his insatiable desire for women, Byun,
upon hearing of Chunhyang’s beauty, orders her to serve him.
When she refuses, Byun tortures Chunhyang and throws her into a
jail. Meanwhile, Mongryong passes the state exam with the
highest distinction, whereby the king makes him his personal
emissary, a post which grants him the authority to punish
corrupt officials. Disguised as a vagrant and accompanied by his
envoy, Mongryong heads toward Namwon with a vengeance.
The film was presented at the 53rd Canne International Film
Festival and was nominated in he Competitive Section; was
awarded Painting (Min Eon-ok), Judges' Special Award at the 37th
Daejong Film Festival; won awards at the 5th Pusan Film
Festival; won the Asian Movie Promotion Organization Award (for
Director Im Kwon-taek) Chihwaseon
 Year of release: 2001
Starring: Choi Min-Sik, Ahn Sung-Ki, Yoo Ho-Jung, Son Ye-Jin
Synopsis: It is the1850’s, and Kim Byeong-mun saves young
Seung-eop who was being beaten by beggars. Seung-eop explains
why he was being beaten, and shows him a painting. Scholar Kim
immediately recognizes the young boy’s gift. Five years later he
meets Seung-eop again, and this time he introduces him to Lee
Eung-heon, an intellectual and a royal interpreter. He gives
Seung-eop the penname of Owon, and becomes Seung-eop’s life-long
mentor and supporter. Chihwaseon (2002), won director Im Kwon–taek the Best Director
award at Cannes and stands as his most fiercely personal film to
date.While on one level this breathtaking period film unfolds as
a conventional story of self-destructive genius, it comes with a
vision of an artist at the height of his reflective powers and
an exploration of how an artist's personal obsessions can feed
the self-image of an entire nation. The film won the Best Director award for Im Kwon-taek at the
55th Cannes International Film Festival. For more details, please contact:
InKo Centre,
51, 6th Main Road,
R A Puram,
Chennai – 600 028.
Phone: 044-24361224. |
