Korean indie films make their mark in Busan Int'l Film Festival
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Actor Yoo Jun-sang, left, and actress Shin Dong-mi in a scene from “A Matter of Interpretation” / Korea Times
By Jason Bechervaise
The Busan International Film Festival otherwise known as BIFF that kicked off on October 2 and concludes today (Oct 11) with the screening of the closing film “Gangster Pay Day” provides journalists, critics, film festival programmers and other industry professionals with an opportunity to catch the latest Korean films.
BIFF, of course, is not a Korean film festival as it premieres and screens films from across Asia as well as from the rest of the world, but it does showcase a number of Korean films ranging from a pick of the year’s top commercial features such as “Roaring Currents” and “A Hard Day” through to independent features that often premiere at Busan and then find success overseas.
Last year, Lee Su-Jin’s “Han Gong-ju” based on the Miryang gang rape case in 2004 premiered in Busan. It not only secured screenings at other well-established festivals overseas such as the International Film Festival Rotterdam, it also went on to win a number of awards that included the Golden Star at the 2013 Marrakech International Film Festival where Martin Scorsese presided over the jury.
Other Busan premieres in past years that went on to encounter international success include Yang Ik-june’s “Breathless”(2008) and“The Journals of Musan”(2011) directed by Park Jung-bum.
Turning to this year, making quite an impression in the Korean Cinema Today: Vision section was Lee Kwang-kuk’s (“Romance Joe” (2011)) “A Matter of Interpretation” that plays with narrative structure in a film about understanding dreams when a homicide detective offers his services to do just that when he meets a struggling actress on a park bench. Featuring strong performances from Shin Dong-mi, Kim Kang-hyun and Yu Jun-sang, it’s full of color and wit making it not as abstract as is may initially seem.
Also screening in the vision section was the very well received “A Midsummer’s Fantasia” directed by Jang Kun-jae (“Sleepless Night” (2012)) that is based in the Japanese town of Gojo about a filmmaker’s encounter with the residents from the town that then in the second part turns into a fictional tale inspired by the events in the opening chapter.
Starring Kim Sae-byuk and Ryo Iwase, it may prove to be too art-house for many audiences, but given its strong reception in Busan, it could well find a home at certain festivals looking for an alternative to the familiar Korean commercial and independent fare often found at festivals.
Turning to some of the other films that made their presence felt, chief among them was documentary “The Truth Shall Not Sink With Sewol” about the failure to install a diving bell at the ferry accident site that generated much controversy.
With the local mayor SeoByung-soo and some of the victims’ families objecting to the screening, the festival was under pressure to cancel the premiere, but it went ahead as planned albeit to lots of media coverage and a big security presence.
Although the film was largely received enthusiastically by the international press, it remains to be seen whether the film can be released locally. However, with Korean documentaries gaining increasing exposure at international festivals as seen with “A Dream of Iron” and “Non-Fiction Diary”, and the possibility of it being sold to broadcasters, the film directed by journalist Lee Sang-ho and documentary filmmaker AhnHae-ryong could find a bigger audience overseas.
Many of the other features tended to generate mixed responses, but some of these have resonated nonetheless. KAFA (Korean Academy of Film Arts) whose alumni includes Bong Joon Ho and Im Sang-soo rarely produce poor films and so their latest production “Socialphobia” directed by Hong Seok-jae is an interesting mix of genre elements and a social critique as it tackles the issues surrounding social media when a girl is found dead after she posted provocative comments online.
“End of Winter”by Kim Dae-hwanshowing in New Currents a section devoted to debut filmmakers was another impressive local film. Taking place during a heavy snowfall, the understated feature follows a family on the brink of turmoil after the father suddenly announces he wants a divorce at a dinner to celebrate his retirement.
Social issues also came up in the compelling “Han River” scripted and directed by Lee Moo-young who also co-wrote Park Chan-wook’s “JSA” (2000) and “Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance” (2002). Tackling the issue of suicide when a homeless man saves a priest after he jumps off a bridge,the film shot in black and white finds a message of hope that is often absent in many Korean films dealing with such topics.
Ultimately, it was the films that dared to do something different or were bold in their depictions that tended to stand out, but as the festival ends for another year, their biggest test will be whether they can travel abroad as well as be able to find an audience in local theaters.