And if that isn’t enough, we have included some independent films such as the critically acclaimed Breathless and Jeon Soo-il’s Himalaya starring Choi Min-sik (Oldboy).
Thirst
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: Park Chan-wook
Year: 2009
Cast: SONG KANG-HO, KIM OK-VIN, KIM HAE-SOOK, SHIN HA-KYUN
Sang-hyun, a priest who believes that life is precious, volunteers for a secret vaccine development project to help save lives from a deadly virus. But during the experiment, he is infected by the virus and dies. When some unidentified blood is transfused into him, he miraculously comes back to life, but the blood has turned him into a vampire. Sang-hyun is now conflicted between the carnal desire for blood and his faith, which forbids him to kill. But if he cannot survive without feasting on human blood, how can he get it without resorting to murder?
Mother
This film showed at:
Manchester Cornerhouse
London BFI
Nottingham Broadway
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Year:
Cast: Kim Hye-ja and Won Bin
Hye-ja is a single mom to 27-year-old Do-joon. Her son is her raison d’être. Though an adult in years, Do-joon is naïve and dependent on his mother, and sometimes behaves in ways that are stupid or simply dangerous. He is a constant source of anxiety for everyone. One day a young girl is found dead in an abandoned building and Do-joon is accused of her murder. An inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force that closes Do-joon’s case too quickly inspire his mother to act on her own—to act as Mother in its purest form. Summoning all her maternal instincts and trusting no one, she sets out to find a killer and prove her son’s innocence.
Scandal Makers
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: KANG Hyung-chul
Year:
Cast: NAM Hyun-soo, CHA Tae-hyun
NAM Hyun-soo once a popular idol star is the host of a radio show. But one day a very young single mom, Jung-nam sends her stories to the radio show about her longing to meet her father whom she’s never seen before grips the nation and catapults the ratings to make it the most popular program. But to his surprise, Hyun-soo later confronts none other than Jung-nam, and her 6 year-old boy, Gi-dong. They invade Hyun-soo’s home and his radio station, claiming that Hyun-soo is her father. Hyun-soo does what he can to salvage his celebrity image.
A Frozen Flower
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: YOO Ha
Year: 2008
Cast: ZO In-sung, JOO Jin-mo, SONG Ji-hyo
In the end of Goryeo era(AD 918 ~ 1392) politically manipulated by the Yuan Dynasty in China, the ambitious King of the Goryeo Dynasty organizes Kunryongwe, the royal guards. HONG Lim, the commander of Kunryongwe, captivates the King of Goryeo, and the Queen keeps her eyes on the relationship between HONG Lim and the King with a reluctant view. Meanwhile, the bilateral relation between Goryeo and the Yuan gets worse as Yuan demands to install the cousin of the King in the Crown Prince of Goryeo with ascribing it to no son the King has. The King refuses it resolutely, so the high-ranking officials of Goryeo, who are in submission to Yuan, are discontented with the king. One day, the King gives HONG Lim a covert yet unobjectionable order to sleep with the Queen instead of himself to protect the independence of Goryeo from the Yuan by making a son, the successor to Goryeo throne.
Insadong Scandal
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: PARK Hee-gon
Year: 2009
Cast: IM Ha-ryong, HONG Su-hyun, KIM Byeong-ok
The discovery of AHN Kyun’s lost art work Byeokando after 400 years. The painting had become part of legend as more people searched for it the more difficult it was to possess. A successful restoration would value the piece at least 4 billion won, however the authenticity is yet to be determined…
Treeless Mountain
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: SO YONG KIM
Year: 2009
Cast: Hee Yeon Kim & Song Hee Kim
When their mother needs to leave in order to find their estranged father, seven-year-old Jin and her younger sister, Bin, are left to live with their Big Aunt for the summer. With only a small piggy bank and their mother’s promise to return when it is full, the two young girls are forced to acclimate to changes in their family life. Counting the days, and the coins, the two bright-eyed young girls eagerly anticipate their mother’s homecoming. But when the bank fills up, and with their mother still not back, Big Aunt decides that she can no longer tend to the children. Taken to live on their grandparent’s farm, it is here that Jin comes to learn the importance of family bonds in this beautiful, meditative, and thought-provoking second feature from So Yong Kim, the acclaimed director of IN BETWEEN DAYS. Variety’s Robert Koehler said of Kim’s film: “drawing out beautifully natural performances from her child actors, Kim once again has a distinct way of letting her camera observe her characters with kind thoughtfulness, allowing for a quiet mood to wash over the scenes.”
Himalaya
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: Jeon Soo-il
Year:
Cast:
The death of an illegal worker from Nepal, shocked us at the same time makes us think about his country were he came from. The fact that he comes from a village at the top of the mountain Himalaya makes me imagine how much his country should have missed him. The film "Himalaya" attempts to describe the inner search of a man who wishes to discover again his identity by travelling to Nepal for sending the ashes of an unknown Nepali. We can feel that when the hero climbs on the way to Nepal, he feels like the end of his own life is coming, and it will be held in the birthplace of the Nepali.
Breathless
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Manchester Cornerhouse
Nottingham Broadway
Director: YANG IK-JUNE
Year: 2008
Cast: YANG IK-JUNE, KIM KKOBBI AND LEE HWAN
After witnessing the deaths of his mother and sister as a child, Sang-hoon (YANG Ik-june) grew up with rage and hatred towards his father who was responsible for their deaths. The shadow of his past overrules his present. Sang-hoon, now a merciless debt collector, regularly beats his father who returned home after 15 years in prison. Though he hesitates to become close, he often comes to see his half sister and nephew, who is left alone while his mother is out to make ends meet. One day, he meets a high school girl, Yeon-hee (KIM Kkobbi) who is also having a tough life after her mother’s death 4 years ago. in the hands of local gangsters like Sang-hoon. Her violent younger brother, a high school dropout, and the former Vietnam veteran father harrass her endlessly and treat her like a slave. Without realizing how their lives may be connected, Sang-hoon and Yeon-hee share some moments of relief and escape from brutal physical and emotional abuse and pain they face everyday. He slowly discovers that perhaps he too can change and affect the lives of those around him, but it may be too late to repent his ways and start his life over again.
Dream
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Manchester Cornerhouse
Nottingham Broadway
Director:
Year:
Cast:
Your dreams are my nightmare… Ran is pained by a past love. She sleepwalks, acting out Jean’s dreams. These dreams from a man unable to forget his ex-love throws Ran into a nightmare as she is forced to go to her ex-boyfriend whom she never wanted to meet again. I go to you… Jean longs for his last love. He seeks out the place in his dream which seems so real and there he meets Ran, surprised to discover that she is acting out his dreams. Despite her appeals, he’s unable to control his dreams, But for her…he makes one promise…
Eighteen
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: Jang Kun-jae
Year: 2009
Cast: SEO Jun-Yeong, LEE Min-Ji
Tae-hoon and Mi-jung are both eighteen and in love. During winter break they go to the beach to celebrate their 100 days together as a couple. But once they come back from their trip, they are forced by their parents to never see each other until they become college students. Mi-jung begins to avoid Tae-hoon afterwards. And Tae-hoon begins to wander around Mi-jung. Winter turns to spring, and Tae-hoon and Mi-jung both turn nineteen.
Rough Cut
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: JANG Hun
Year: 2008
Cast: So Ji-sub, Kang Ji-hwan
At least once in their life, everyone has had the desire to live a different life. Something completely different from how they exist now. A belligerent, bad-tempered action star proposes a role to a gangster.An easy sell...as he’s always dreamed of becoming an actor. And he agrees; but on one condition: The fights shouldn’t be staged but done for real. Between the two, what begins as hate turns into something different: - respect. A deep respect for the pureness of battle; focus drawn sharp from fighting.
Private Eye
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: Park Dae-min
Year:
Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Ryu Deok-hwan, Um Ji-won, Oh Dal-su
A Room Splattered with Blood, the Body Gone A mystery thriller, Private Eye follows private eye Hong Jin-ho, enthusiastic physician-in-training Gwang-su, and female detective Soon-duk, as they attempt to uncover the secrets and controversy of a mysterious murder that shocked the country by solving the five clues left at the scene.
Tidal Wave (Haeundae)
This film showed at:
London Barbican Centre
Director: JK YOUN
Year: 2009
Cast: SUL Kyung-gu, HA Ji-won, PARK Joong-hoon and UHM Jung-hwa
The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 was the worst tsunami recorded in history, with more than 300,000 lives lost. Man-sik experiences the catastrophe first hand, when he and his men get stranded at sea while deep-sea fishing. The entire crew except one is rescued and Man-sik feels responsible for the death of the lost crew member. It’s the father of Man-sik’s long-time love, Yeon-hee. Four years later, after returning home, he is still unable to open up his heart to Yeon-hee because of the guilt. When he finally musters up the courage to propose to her, he is thwarted by the forces of nature.
The 2009 Festival has now ended and we are concentrating on bringing an even more exciting line-up to London for 2010!
Thank you to everybody who came and showed their support, we look forward to seeing you again next year.
More news will appear here soon, please check back!
