Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
Georgia hosts inaugural film screening session
Georgian Ambassador to Korea Otar Berdzenishvili delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of “Georgian Film Days” at the Korean Film Archive in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Oct. 22. The four-day screening featured five Georgian movies, including “Moira” (2015), a drama directed by Levan Tutberidze. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
Georgia hosted inaugural screenings of its films in Korea last week, stepping up its campaign to raise public awareness about the Caucasus country.
Titled “Georgian Film Days,” the campaign from Oct. 22 to 25 featured five international award-winning films — “Pirosmani” (1969), “Moira” (2015), “House of Other” (2017), “Dede” (2017) and “Scary Mothers” (2017) at the Korean Film Archive in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
The four days of screenings came as the Embassy of Georgia in Korea, which opened in 2011, has sought to deepen exchanges between the two sides through culture among others.
“Today is a very important day of the cultural diplomacy between our countries,” Georgian Ambassador to Korea Otar Berdzenishvili told The Korea Times on the opening day of the screenings, Oct. 22.
He underscored over a year of “strenuous efforts” from embassy officers, especially Counselor Gvantsa Barkaia, in preparation for the screenings in collaboration with the Korean Film Archive.
“This [event] is dedicated to the people-to-people connections, public diplomacy and raising awareness of my country,” Ambassador Berdzenishvili said, adding he will expand the screenings as an annual and nationwide event.
Counselor Barkaia said the embassy considers Busan among other major cities as a candidate for its film screenings next year.
When asked why film is chosen a mean of public diplomacy, Berdzenishvili noted it increases understanding of the daily life of people as well as their history, culture and traditions.
“I think this makes movies a major tool to bring people of different backgrounds together,” he said.
The five films, all of them dramas, were selected by the Georgian National Film Center.
Korean subtitles were available for all five. The subtitles were made by a doctoral course student from Georgia at Yonsei University.
The Oct. 22 opening ceremony was followed by a screening of “Moira.”
Directed by Levan Tutberidze, it is about a man who is released from prison and tries to take care of his disabled father and younger brother.
“Pirosmani” deals with Niko Pirosmani, a Georgian painter who posthumously rose to prominence.
“House of Other” centers on two families who struggle to pick up the pieces after surviving a war.
“Dede” is about a woman named Dina from a remote mountain village where life is strictly governed by centuries of tradition.
“Scary Mothers” is about a 50-year-old housewife, Manana, who struggles between her family life and her passion for writing, which she had repressed for years.