Kang Ha-neul was 'in tears' when reading 'Waiting for Rain' script Actors Kang Ha-neul, right, and Chun Woo-hee pose during a press conference for “Waiting for Rain” in Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Kidari ENT, Sony PicturesBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Waiting for Rain,” featuring actors Kang Ha-neul and Chun Woo-hee, is a romance drama that stirs up nostalgia for the 2000s. It features a youthful vibe and captures raw emotions that each of us can relate to.Set in 2003, the film tells the story of Young-ho (played by Kang), an unmotivated student who is studying for the college entrance exam for the third time. One day, he sends a letter to his elementary school classmate So-yeon to regain his verve and passion for life.On behalf of So-yeon who is ill, her sister So-hee (Chun) writes back and the two continue to exchange letters while trying to sort out their lives. The two agree to meet each other in person if it rains on Dec. 31.Director Cho Jin-mo, who previously helmed the comedy flick, “Suspicious Customers” (2011), and the romance drama, “Making Family” (2016), said he simply used letters as a tool to add Mar 31, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Comedian makes directorial debut with 'Parasite' parody By Kwak Yeon-sooComedian-turned-filmmaker Kim Young-hee / Courtesy of Kim Young-heeComedian Kim Young-hee is making her directorial debut with an erotic film called “Gisaengchun,” which is a parody of director Bong Joon-ho's “Parasite” (whose Korean title is “Gisaengchung”).“Gisaengchun” revolves around a brazenly clueless woman named Chun who sneaks into an opulent mansion and lives off the homeowner. The film title can be broken down to mean “parasitic” (gisaeng) and “Chun,” the name of the protagonist.At a recent press conference for the film, Kim explained her inspiration for the scandalous project. “It was not simply out of curiosity, but with conscious intent that I decided to make this film. What inspired me was basically a great deal of respect and affection I have for the genre,” she said.Expressing concerns about the reality in which sex comedy films are deemed taboo, Kim expressed her wish to help revive the steamy genre and make it more entertaining for audiences.“I fell in love withMar 30, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Shades of the Heart' captures grief, loneliness of modern people Actor Yeon Woo-jin in a scene from “Shades of the Heart” / Courtesy of At9 FilmBy Kwak Yeon-sooDirector Kim Jong-kwan's contemplative “Shades of the Heart” is a character-driven film that captures many layers of pain through the protagonist's encounters with the people he meets in downtown Seoul amid moments of sublime beauty. The film begins with a novelist named Chang-seok (Yeon Woo-jin) meeting aimless Mi-young (IU) at a cafe located inside a bustling subway station in Euljiro. Having returned to Korea from the U.K. after a divorce, he encounters four people, including Mi-young, and engages in extended conversations to start writing a book. In the second segment, Chang-seok strolls through Seoul with his editor Yoo-jin (Yoon Hye-ri) who talks about her past relationship. Next, he accidentally runs into Sung-ha (Kim Sang-ho), a photographer taking care of his ailing wife. In the final story, Chang-seok shares a conversation with Ju-eun (Lee Joo-young), a bartender who buys memories from her patrons after losing most her memories in a car accident. The four tMar 27, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
BIFF appoints new director, film market chief ahead of October event Huh Moon-young, right, and Oh Seok-geun / Courtesy of BIFF Organizing CommitteeBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has appointed film critic Huh Moon-young as its new director. He will replace former festival head Jay Jeon, who stepped down abruptly in January after serving in the role for three years.Huh has served as head of Cinematheque Busan and program director of the Busan Cinema Center since 2005. He was the BIFF's Korean Cinema programmer for five years beginning 2002, following a journalistic career in local publications such as JoongAng Monthly and Cine21. Oh Seok-geun, former Korean Film Council (KOFIC) chairperson, has been tapped as the new co-director of the Asian Contents & Film Market event, replacing Tcha Sung-jai who served in the post for two years.A founding member of the BIFF, Oh is a renowned producer (“Camellia”) and director (“The 101st Proposition,” “Love Is a Crazy Thing”). He headed KOFIC from 2018 to January this year. Before then, he served as the director of the Busan Film Commission and thMar 26, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Why Byun Yo-han took a break from acting and what he learned from it Actor Byun Yo-han / Courtesy of Megabox Plus M By Kwak Yeon-sooIt's been a decade since Byun Yo-han stepped into films with “Working on Holiday (2011),” but the actor said he is still driven and hungry to learn. Recalling that every project felt like hitting a wall, Byun took a two-year hiatus from acting before returning to the big screen with director Lee Joon-ik's new period film, “The Book of Fish” (2021).“After a few years of acting, I was tired and felt like I needed time to reassess my career. Having taken some time off, I now want to focus on acting that I love so much,” he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times held via Zoom. Byun said he chose “The Book of Fish” as his first project back because the slow-paced, black-and-white film challenged him as an actor. In the film, the 35-year-old actor plays young fisherman Chang-dae who helps exiled scholar Jeong Yak-jeon (Seol Kyung-gu) write a book about sea creatures during his time on Heuksan IslaMar 26, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to feature Korean filmmakers The Saban Building of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles / Courtesy of JWPictures, Academy Museum FoundationBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is set to open in Los Angeles on Sept. 30, will include a handful of high-profile Korean filmmakers. Being the first large-scale museum in the U.S. dedicated to film, the museum will house more than 12.5 million photographs, 237,000 film and video assets, 85,000 screenplays, 65,000 posters and 133,000 pieces of production art collected since 1927.At an online press conference held on Tuesday, Bill Kramer, director and president of the museum, said that several Asian filmmakers, including Bong Joon-ho, Kim Ki-duk and Lee Chang-dong, will be displayed at their opening and long-running exhibitions. He added the Korean language will be added to the audio guide service. Visitors will be able to walk through the history of the Academy Awards and explore the complex world of cinema ― its artistry, technology and social impact. Admitting the lack of racial diversity of winners and lack of female representatiMar 24, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
INTERVIEW Cho Dal-hwan happy about acting alongside EXO's Chanyeol in 'The Box' Actor Cho Dal-hwan / Courtesy of Studio TakeBy Kwak Yeon-sooCho Dal-hwan, who plays a down-on-his-luck music producer in the film “The Box,” said he tried to express subtlety in his acting and let his fellow actor Chanyeol of EXO upstage him.Directed by Yang Jung-woong, the musical film is a coming-of-age story of an aspiring musician (Chanyeol), who can sing only when he is behind a box. He meets once-popular music producer (Cho Dal-hwan) and busks to overcome his fear and come out from behind his box.Cho said Chanyeol was part of the reason he chose to star in “The Box.” “By the time I was cast in the film, Chanyeol was already a global music star and I've always had a desire to take part in a musical film like Begin Again or Once. I was also excited about the idea of traveling across the country and trying regional specialty dishes,” he said. As to how he related to his character Min-soo, who believes in the nameless singer and would do anything to help Ji-hoon overcome the fear of singing in front of the audience, Cho said he got major help froMar 24, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
7 in 10 female filmmakers experienced sexual harassment: survey Women in Film Korea released a survey on sexual misconduct in the film industry, Monday. GettyimagesbankBy Lee Gyu-leeMore than seven out of 10 women working in the film industry have experienced at least one instance of sexual harassment, a recent survey from Women in Film Korea showed Monday. According to the report, based on a series of surveys on 834 filmmakers and interviews from 41 people working in related fields, about 74.5 percent of women answered they have experienced some sort of sexual harassment or assault. The percentage of men who also answered yes was about 37.9 percent. Of the misconducts reported, verbal harassment had the highest percentage at 43.8 percent. Verbal harassment included sexually explicit comments about one's appearance, provocative jokes and innuendo. The second-highest was forced drinking at 13.7 percent. Others included unwanted physical contact and forced dates. Respondents who reported sexual harassment said they have been harassed by men in 81.7 percent of cases, compared to 9 percent caused by women and 4.3 percent who have experienced harassmeMar 23, 2021By Lee Gyu-lee
Nonconformist Youn Yuh-jung: Korea's first Oscar-nominated actress This image released by A24 shows Yuh-jung Youn in a scene from "Minari." APSeptuagenarian Youn Yuh-jung, the first South Korean actress nominated for an Oscar, has spent decades portraying nonconformist characters, from a vicious heiress to an ageing prostitute, challenging social norms in both her career and life.Her role in "Minari", a family drama about Korean immigrants in the US, is more conventional: grandmother to a mischievous young boy trying to fit into rural Arkansas.The film secured six Academy Award nominations last week, also including best picture, best director and best actor.That raises the prospect of a second multi-Oscar haul for a Korean-language film in successive years, after "Parasite" became the first non-English Best Picture winner in 2020 ― though it did not snag any acting nominations. Youn played down excitement over her chance to make history at next month's ceremony, saying: "I don't enjoy competition.""This is not a playoff game of actors, placing them in order. I consider this nomination just as valuable as the actual award."Her two grown sons are AsiaMar 23, 2021
INTERVIEW Lee Joon-ik turns to history to shed light on overlooked Joseon scholar Filmmaker Lee Joon-ik / Courtesy of Megabox Plus MBy Kwak Yeon-soo“The Book of Fish” is the latest in director Lee Joon-ik's exploration of overlooked historical figures. In “The Throne” (2015), the master of period films shed light on the life of neglected Crown Prince Sado (1735-1762), who was deemed unworthy to rule and was locked inside a wooden chest and left to die by his own father, King Yeongjo.Lee's black-and-white film “Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet” (2016) delved into the lives of famous Korean poet Yoon Dong-ju and his best friend and cousin, independence activist Song Mong-kyu. “Anarchist from Colony” looked into independence activist Park Yeol and Fuiko Kaneoko, who was Park's lover and was imprisoned with him on treason charges.The upcoming biopic revolves around Jeong Yak-jeon (Seol Kyung-gu), the older brother of one of the leading scholars in the late Joseon era, Jeong Yak-yong. While living in exile on Heuksan Island in South Jeolla Province, he meets a young fisherman named Chang-dae (Byun Yo-han).With the help of CMar 21, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo
