Hirokazu Kore-eda says 'Broker' is his dream project A scene from "Broker" provided by CJ ENM. YonhapCannes-winning Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda said Tuesday his latest drama "Broker" is a longtime dream-come-true project that allowed him to work with Korean actors and crew members."I've met superb Korean actors like Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won and Bae Doo-na in many film festivals and have kept in close contact with them for a long time," Kore-eda said through an interpreter during a press conference in Seoul. The Japanese director participated in the event online in Tokyo."About six years ago, a short plot popped up in my mind, and I thought this story would help me make a film with Korean actors. The idea includes a scene in which Song, dressed as a Catholic priest, holds a baby in his arms," he said. "I'm so pleased that I've completed the project, which was my longtime dream."Starring renowned Korean actors like Song of "Parasite," "Broker" features the relationships of characters formed through a baby box, where people anonymously drop off newborns that they can't raise.It is Kore-eda's first Korean-language project and one May 10, 2022
'Doctor Strange 2' tops 3 million admissions in first week Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Dr. Stephen Strange in a scene from "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," in this image released by Marvel Studios. AP-YonhapHollywood blockbuster "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" has topped a cumulative 3 million admissions at the fastest pace during the COVID-19 pandemic, box-office data showed Monday.The latest Marvel Studios' flick attracted 1.7 million people from Friday to Sunday, bringing its combined total to 3.5 million, according to the data from the Korea Film Council.It surpassed the 3 million threshold Saturday, the fourth day of its theatrical release, becoming the sixth film to achieve the feat since the coronavirus outbreak.Its pace outmatched that of the biggest pandemic-era hit, "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which needed seven days to reach the number. Since its release, the sequel to the 2016 "Doctor Strange" has been breaking records in Korea, including the best opening-day score of 715,000.Over the weekend, the American animated crime comedy "The Bad Guys" came in a distant second with 110,000 people and the JapaneMay 9, 2022
Award-winning actor Kang Soo-youn passes away Actor Kang Soo-youn / Korea Times fileKang, 55, was first Asian actress to win at Venice film festivalBy Kwak Yeon-sooKang Soo-youn, a pioneer and legend of the Korean new wave cinema who became the first Asian actor to win a Venice International Film Festival award, died on Saturday at the age of 55.She died of a cerebral hemorrhage at around 3 p.m. at a hospital in southern Seoul, two days after suffering a cardiac arrest. She had been receiving medical treatment after falling unconscious at her home on Thursday. Kang's memorial service has been set up at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. Her family will receive visitors from Sunday to Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. The funeral ceremony will be held on Wednesday at 10 a.m. and broadcast live through the Korean Film Council's YouTube channel, according to the funeral committee led by Kim Dong-ho, former chairperson of the board of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). “Kang broke boundaries with her fearless performances. Winning two major international awards, she was the first generation world-class actor. She alMay 8, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Geographies of Solitude' wins grand prize in international competition at JIFF A scene from “Geographies of Solitude” / Courtesy of JIFFBy Kim Rahn“Geographies of Solitude,” a documentary film by Canadian director Jacquelyn Mills, has won the grand prize in the International Competition at the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF). In the parallel Korean Competition, “Jeong-sun” by director Jeong Ji-hye was picked for the grand prize. JIFF announced 22 prizewinners, including the two, during a ceremony at Jeonju Dome in the North Jeolla provincial city, Wednesday, before it closes the 10-day festival on Saturday.“Geographies of Solitude” is about conservationist Zoe Lucas, who has dedicated her life to preserving flora and fauna on Sable Island in Canada, featuring the island's beautiful scenery and Lucas' philosophy of life. The Best Picture Prize sponsored by NH Nonghyup in the International Competition category went to “Unrest” by Swiss director Cyril Schaublin, a political film depicting the powerful waves created by small numbers of people trying to change the world and those in power whoMay 6, 2022By Kim Rahn
'Doctor Strange 2' dominates Korean box office on Children's Day From left, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in a scene from "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," in this image released by Marvel Studios. AP-Yonhap Hollywood blockbuster "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" garnered a two-and-a-half year high of over 1 million moviegoers on Children's Day, data showed Friday.Marvel Studios' latest superhero movie drew 1.06 million viewers Thursday alone, accounting for 82.5 percent of the day's total ticket sales at local theaters, according to the data from the Korean Film Council.It is the first time that a movie has topped the 1 million mark in attendance on one day since Nov. 30, 2019, when Disney's "Frozen 2" attracted 1.17 million people on its 10th day of release.For more than two years, no films have repeated the feat due to the COVID-19 pandemic."Doctor Strange 2," released Wednesday, has dominated Korean cinemas before its premiere, May 6, 2022
INTERVIEW French filmmaker brings AI robot to war zones French filmmaker Florent Marcie, left, and his humanoid robot Sota witness the yellow vest movement in France in 2018. Courtesy of Adnan FarzatSocial media, internet and AI are revolutionizing people's perceptions of warBy Kwak Yeon-sooAs somebody born a generation after two world wars, French filmmaker Florent Marcie never experienced war. However, his willingness to keep the knowledge about the past made him wonder, “What is war exactly?” “Now we are all against war, but just one generation before I was born, France was fighting against Germany. War shaped my country, culture and identity of being French. So I decided to see with my own eyes and find out 'what is war?'” he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. He traveled to Eastern Europe during the Soviet era, and South Africa during the Apartheid era. Witnessing the Romanian Revolution in 1989 inspired him to dedicate his life to filming mostly war and conflict zones. “It was a very intense experience to meet people who participate in the revolution and fight for their rights. Then I May 6, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Doctor Strange 2' has massive opening day, smashes pandemic record A scene from the film, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company Korea By Kwak Yeon-soo“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the latest movie in the Marvel series, notched a massive opening day at the Korean box office, Wednesday, by bringing in 7.4 billion won ($5.9 million).That is the highest grossing opening of any movie during the pandemic, according to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It surpassed 2021's “Spider-Man: No Way Home” which opened with a 6.2 billion won.As of Thursday 9:30 a.m., the “Doctor Strange” sequel attracted over 1.3 million ticket sales, grossing over 13.7 billion won. It topped over 1 million presold tickets.The flm stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen as Dr. Stephen Strange and Wanda Maximoff, respectively. Dr. Strange dives back into the multiverse and unleashes more threats than he can handle, including what appears to be an evil version of himself. It is directed by SaMay 5, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Korean labor activist animation invited to Annecy Festival A poster for the animated film “Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On” / Courtesy of Myung FilmBy Kim RahnThe animated film “Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On,” which tells the story of the namesake activist who set himself on fire in protest of labor conditions in 1970, has been invited to Annecy International Animated Film Festival, according to Myung Films, Tuesday.The production company said the 100-minute animation will compete in the Contrechamp section for feature-length films in the 46th edition of the festival, which will be held in the southeastern French city from June 13 to 18.The 2020 film is about Chun, a tailor and labor activist who sets fire to himself in order to raise awareness about the poor working conditions of textile workers in the Dongdaemun Market area and who later becomes the symbol of the nation's labor movement.It was created by producer Kim Sun-ku, who took part in the 2011 animated film “Leafie, a Hen into the Wild,” which gained 2.2 million viewers, the largest audience here for a Korean animated film, and newcomer diMay 4, 2022By Kim Rahn
Benedict Cumberbatch talks about evolution of his character in Doctor Strange sequel Actor Benedict Cumberbatch waves to Korean reporters during an online press conference for the film, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” Monday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Korea By Kwak Yeon-sooActor Benedict Cumberbatch, who is returning with Marvel's “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” said the evolution of his character has been interesting ― going from a neurosurgeon with egotistical pride to a selfless hero acting for the greater good.On reprising his role as Dr. Stephen Strange in six years, the actor said the sorcerer has been pretty busy shooting six films to date, including “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017) “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), “Avengers: Endgame,” (2019) and “Spiderman: No Way Home” (2021).“Just before 'Spider-Man,' Doctor Strange was omnipotent. He sees human flaws in 'Spider-Man,' but still is insistent to be the one in control. My task was to adjust the balance in him, and exhibit different variation of my character,” Cumberbatch saMay 2, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Lifting of food ban at cinemas pushes up number of moviegoers A sign at a cinema in Seoul shows, April 24, food consumption inside the theaters would be allowed starting April 25 following eased social distancing rules. YonhapBy Kim RahnMovie lovers have been returning to cinemas since an eased social distancing rule allowed eating inside theaters, the cinema industry said, Monday. With more blockbuster films scheduled to hit the screens in the coming months, people in the film industry expect the cinema business, which has been one of the hardest hit, to revive in the near future.According to the Korean Film Council, 968,722 people watched movies at cinemas for the week from April 25 when the in-theater consumption of food was allowed again after a 13-month ban. This represents a 37.5 percent increase from the previous week between April 18 and 24, when other social distancing guidelines had been lifted that did not include food consumption-related rules.When comparing weekdays, the number of moviegoers jumped 53 percent from 333,173 between April 18 and 22 to 509,247 between April 25 and 29.People in the industry say food consumption regulatiMay 2, 2022By Kim Rahn
