The 24th Busan International Film Festival has selected Jung Il-Sung for the Korean Cinema Retrospective. Jung, a renowned cinematographer, has worked on the history of Korean films and left a significant mark on unique filmmaking as a master of cinematography.
Kim Bokkeun, a former head of CAC Entertainment film department and a film producer has been appointed as the new deputy director of the Busan International Film Festival, finally filling a position which has remained vacant since the late Deputy Director and Program Director Kim Jiseok passed away in 2017.
Lee Jang-ho[/caption]
The 23rd Busan International Film Festival will honor Lee Jang-ho with a Korean Cinema Retrospective and will screen 8 of his representative films.
Lee Jang-ho is a representative director of the 1970’s and the 1980’s Korean cinema. His debut film, Heavenly Homecoming to Stars (1974) opened to 460,000 audiences, which was extraordinary for that time. He immediately became one of the most prominent directors of that era. Lee came into the spotlight with his social realism, criticizing poverty and oppression in early 1980’s Korea with films such as Good Windy Days (1980), Children of Darkness (1981), Widow Dance (1983), and Declaration of Fools (1983). He became a renowned director again with his erotic films, Between the Knees (1984) and Eoh Wu-dong (1985), and Lee Jang-ho’s Baseball Team (1986), based on Lee Hyun-se’s comic book. Lee Jang-ho, one of the most significant Korean directors in the 1980’s, released The Man with Three Coffins (1987), a masterpiece of Lee’s films. Four of Lee’s films – Heavenly Homecoming to Stars (1974), Good Windy Days (1980), Declaration of Fools (1983), and The Man with Three Coffins (1987) are included in the 2013 edition of The 100 Korean Films listed by the Korean Film Archive. Lee’s achievement in film is undeniably outstanding. Lee was the executive chairman at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival and is currently the chairman of the Seoul Film Commission. Lee’s 8 representative films selected for the Korean Cinema Retrospective will be screened at the 23rd Busan International Film Festival from October 4 to October 13. His old but fascinating films have important implications for both cineasts and new audiences.
Lee Jang-ho’s debut film, Heavenly Homecoming to Stars (1974) is based on a serialized novel of Choi In-ho’s that was first published in newspaper installments. The film opened to 460,000 audiences, crushing domestic box office records. After Kyeong-A (Ahn In-suk), the main character of the film, was dumped by her first love, she becomes the second wife of a man who suffers delusional jealousy. She divorces the man and later becomes a prostitute. Her life story touches all audiences. The film reflects the new wave of the 70’s youth culture with Lee Jang-hee’s songs. The film is also the start of ‘Hostess Melodrama’ films such as Yeong-Ja’s Heydays and Winter Woman.
Good Windy Days (1980) is the film that defines Lee Jang-ho as a critical social realism writer. Ahn Sung-ki returns to the big screen as an adult actor for the first time in this film. Numerous actors such as Kim Seong-chan, Lee Yeong-ho, Yu Ji-in, Kim Bo-yeon, Choi Bool-am, Kim Hee-ra, Park Won-suk, Kim In-moon, Kim Young-ae, and Im Ye-jin provide unforgettable performances. The film was considered a must-see film for other young cineasts at that time. The film describes 1970’s Seoul after the development of Gangnam in southern Seoul. The film is focused on three young impoverished rural men who migrate to an urban life. It also includes different stories from different generations that portray the identification of an era.
Children of Darkness (1981) is based on Lee Cheol-yong’s novel of the same title. The story of the film corresponds to Lee Jang-ho’s other film, Heavenly Homecoming to Stars, in regards to dealing with a woman who becomes a prostitute. The main character of the film, Young-Ae (Na Young-hee)’s dream is to be a singer. She runs away from home and goes to a singer audition despite her parents’ opposition. After the audition, she tries to learn how to sing; however, she is raped and sent to a club band who moves around the local area. She gives birth to a daughter after she begins to live with a man who plays lead saxophone in the club band. Unfortunately, the man is arrested for assault and the daughter dies from pneumonia. Young-Ae later becomes a prostitute who lives a life of hardships in the red-light district.
Widow Dance (1983) is based on Lee Cheol-yong’s novel along with Children of Darkness. The film criticizes society by describing the life of widows who have divorced for different reasons. The film consists of three episodes. The first episode is Mal-suk (Lee Bo-hee), who commits fraud on a suitor to deprive him of money by pretending to be divorced from a rich Korean-Japanese guy. Her fraud is revealed and then she is finally arrested. The second episode is about Mal-suk’s sister-in-law (Park Won-suk). Mal-suk’s sister-in-law becomes a widow after her husband dies in a car accident. The last episode follows the previous two episodes. The widows lead hopeless and on-going lives.
Declaration of Fools (1983), by typical realist film director Lee Jang-ho, adopts the use of innovative film techniques that influence next generation filmmakers. He recorded ironic narration with a children’s voice, shot in low-speed cinematography as seen in classic silent films, and uses the film to express sarcastic acts. The experimental sound of the film is remarkable in mixing electronic game sounds and Buddhist sounds. Lee stated in an interview, “I don’t think that Declaration of Fools was created by myself. The period of dictatorship that overshadowed Korea creates the film. I was forced to make up the story for Declaration of Fools at the beginning of making the film. I was not able to film the movie that I wanted to. I would have quit filming if I had to.” The film reflects a director’s raging spirit that is not afraid of limitations.
[caption id="attachment_31563" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Eoh Wu-dong (1985)[/caption]
Eoh Wu-dong (1985) is a representative erotic film of Lee Jang-ho, with the film Between the Knees (1984). During the Joseon Dynasty reign of King Seongjong, Eoh Wu-dong born of a noble family, falls in love with a lowly man. The true love is forbidden due to the hierarchical nature of society at that time. After a failed suicide attempt, she becomes a Korean geisha who uses her body to tease the nobility. Her family-in-laws attempt to kill her because they do not want the relationship with Eoh Wu-dong noticed. Eoh Wu-dong, the main independent female character, is impressive in regards to being against the male dominant society, unlike the film, Between the Knees (1984).
The Man with Three Coffins (1987) is Lee Jang-ho’s masterpiece work of his subsequent period, based on Lee Je-ha’s novel with the same title. The main character travels with his wife’s ashes who died 3 years earlier. He meets a sick old man and the nurse who cares for him at the motel by chance. The owner of the restaurant delivers a message of the old man’s special offer to take him to Wolsan, but the protagonist denies. After that, women who have had a sexual relationship with the protagonist continuously end up dead under strange circumstances. He meets the nurse again. Lee Bo-hee simultaneously plays three different roles, including a nurse, who meets the protagonist. The film maximizes a surreal mood.
Lee Jang-ho released the feature film, God’s Eye View (2013), 18 years after his feature film, Declaration of Genius (1995). A missionary group comprised of a church minister, a missionary, and a church elder is kidnapped by the Islamic rebel forces. The missionary group is afraid of the rebel forces, who demand the release of the rebel force leader from prison in return for releasing the missionary group. The missionary group begins to distrust each other. They are required to choose between life or a religious belief, revealing each one’s naked truth. They consider taking martyrdom is for granted because of the religious beliefs; however, the real martyrdom is not about committing suicide. They are questioned in regards to neglecting another’s death for a religious belief.
Musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Last Emperor (1986), will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the 23rd Busan International Film Festival. The Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award is granted to a notable figure or organization with outstanding achievements in improving and developing the Asian Film industry and facilitating cultural development.
Debuting in 1978 with YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra), Ryuichi Sakamoto pioneered electronic music and electro hop. Ryuichi has continuously expanded his musical boundaries from classical music into rock and opera. He also entered the world of film music with Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) by director Nagisa Oshima. Ryuichi was the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Last Emperor (1986), and accordingly won the Golden Globe Awards and the British Academy Film Awards for The Sheltering Sky (1990) and Little Buddha (1993) to become and remain the master of film music. Ryuichi has constantly composed film music such as The Fortress (2017) and My TYRANO: Together, Forever (2019) followed by his triumphant musical return after a diagnosis of throat cancer in 2014 – The Revenant (2015), which was nominated for the Golden Globe Awards and Grammy Awards. The score will further establish his prominence in contemporary film music.
Ryuichi Sakamoto, celebrating his 40th anniversary of music involvement, is deeply admired and loved by the public as an artist who remains a prominent musician in the history of world cinema and contributes his voice to various social issues and causes. In response to his sheer amount of time, effort, and passion, the 23rd Busan International Film Festival announces Ryuichi Sakamoto as the winner of the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award in recognition of his music and life.
The opening ceremony of the 23rd Busan International Film Festival at the BIFF Theater of Busan Cinema Center on October 4 will host Ryuichi Sakamoto’s opening performance to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his musical debut.
Ash l LI Xiaofeng[/caption]
The 22nd Busan International Film Festival has selected 10 official candidates for Kim Ji-seok Award. The Busan International Film Festival newly established the ‘Kim Ji-seok Award’ to honor the late Kim Ji-seok who passed away earlier this year after devoting his life’s career to discovering young Asian directors and supporting the growth of Asian cinema.
Unlike the New Currents section introducing the first or second film of up-and-coming Asian directors, Kim Jiseok Award nominees are selected from films produced by active and skilled Asian directors. Among 10 world premiere films in A Window on Asian Cinema, the section for new films of Asian directors and most-talked films, 2 finalists will be chosen through the jury’s examination and awarded 10,000 USD each.
Kim Jiseok Award is to remember Kim Ji-seok, one of the founding members of the Busan International Film Festival and one of its first Program Directors who dedicated himself to fostering new Asian films and encouraging up-and-coming Asian directors for over 20 years, as well as a leading individual who worked hard to establish the festival identity as the hub of Asian cinema. To preserve the meaning of the Award, Kim Jiseok Award Jury consists of Asian film professionals who maintained close relationship with the late program director and contributed to the globalization of Asian cinema. Film critics Tony Rayns, Darcy Paquet and a representative Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho will serve as first jurors for the Kim Jiseok Award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival.
The 22nd Busan International Film Festival will be held from October 12, 2017 to October 21, 2017.
2017 Kim Jiseok Award Nominees (Title in Alphabetical order)
Ash l LI Xiaofeng
A medical student, a steelworker, and two murders. Two men reemerge a decade after a young police investigator fails to solve the case, one a success and one saddled with miseries. Unable to leave the past behind, the group of men head towards redemption—or damnation.
The Bold, The Corrupt And The Beautiful l YANG Ya-Che
An ambitious businesswoman who is trying to play the government and industry off each other for personal gain finds herself in trouble after an ingenious plan backfires, leading to murder, and becomes a deadly catalyst that could destroy the life and family she set out to protect.
The Carousel Never Stops Turning l Ismail BASBETH
About a man who never forgets his late wife, newlyweds at a zoo, three girls who travel across the countryside, a prostitute who contemplates her escape, a woman who seeks her mother’s murderer, two farmers who protest against the eviction done by the government, and about a car that witnesses everything.
Goodbye Kathmandu l Nabin SUBBA
Nepal’s brutal civil war wages on during the winter of 2004, three separate characters look for success, identity and love in Kathmandu during a historic upheaval. Amar returns from the US to start a business. Mangal is torn between tradition and rock music, while Robin is pressured to join the Gurkhas.
In the Shadows l Dipesh JAIN
Is Khuddoos trapped within old Delhi’s city walls, in his own mind, or both? That’s the central question in this psychological thriller, in which a lonely man obsesses over the people he watches on hidden cameras, and a boy he fears is in danger.
Malila: The Farewell Flower l Anucha BOONYAWATANA
Former lovers Shane and Pich navigate a break-up, a wife, child, death, and a terminal illness to reunite, separate and reunite in one final transcendent time. Malila is a film about healing, acceptance, guilt, forgiveness, and the ability to understand life’s uncertainties.
The Scythian Lamb l YOSHIDA Daihachi
A government-sponsored program brings six strangers to Uobuka, a small town by the sea. Tsukisue is the pleasant and efficient city official who is in charge of the program. A body is discovered after Tsukisue learns the shocking truth.
Silent Mist l ZHANG Miaoyan
Danger lurks in the fog that hovers over the winding paths of a canal town in modern-day Southern China. Mysterious incidents occur after an old man arrives. At night a rapist seeks his prey while in daylight a wealthy businessman threatens humble shopkeepers.
Smaller and Smaller Circles l Raya MARTIN
When a dead boy from a poor community is found on a trash heap, nobody cares to notice. Forensic specialist Father Gus Saenz investigates as more pre-teen bodies turn up in a Manilla dump site. Based on an award-winning Filipino novel.
Wilderness l KISHI Yoshiyuki
Shinjuku in 2021 is the wilderness, where Shinji, an abandoned child, and Clipper, from an abusive home, hone their boxing skills as a way to find their identities. Opposites except for their shared loneliness, the two ultimately make a connection in the ring.
The late Japanese Master film director Suzuki Seijun has been selected as the Asian Filmmaker of the Year by the 22nd Busan International Film Festival. Considered a legend in Asian genre film, with his unpredictable and experimental style, the 22nd Busan International Film Festival awards The Asian Filmmaker of the Year to Suzuki Seijun to honor his cinematic legacy and contribution to Asian film industry.
Born in 1923 in Tokyo, Japan, Suzuki Seijun debuted as filmmaker with Cheers At the Harbor: Triumph In My Hands in 1956. He directed over 40 works until 1967, displaying an idiosyncratic cinematic approach that challenged the convention of genre film. Especially, paring pop visuals with yakuza hitmen, he has inspired many prominent filmmakers such as Wong Kar Wai, Quentin Tarantino and John Woo. Preeminent Korean filmmakers such as Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon Ho have been very vocal in praise. Despite failing health, he gave memorable moments to his fans with a sense of humor and keen mind at the 10th Busan International Film Festival in 2005. He died on February 13th, 2017 at the age of 93; fans around the world now mourn his loss.
The Asian Filmmaker of the Year will be given to Okada Yutaka, the representative of Argo Pictures who was one of the assistant directors and co-scenarists of Suzuki Seijun, during the opening ceremony of Busan International Film Festival, held on October 12th.
In celebration of Suzuki Seijun as the Asian Filmmaker of the Year, the 22nd Busan International Film Festival will screen his major works through Special Programs in Focus ‘Suzuki Seijun: A Drifter Across the Borders’ which showcases his cinematic world. Special Program in Focus will screen 7 major works of Suzuki Seijun including Gate Of Flesh (1964), which was controversial for the bold portrait of sex, Branded to Kill (1967), a masterpiece which brought conflict with the Nikkatsu Corporation, and major later works, Zigeunerweisen (1980) and Pistol Opera (2001). Audiences will be able to witness cinematic achievements that Suzuki Seijun has established as the innovative film maker across the Asian borders. Other additional events where the international cineastes such as film critics Yamane Sadao and Tony Rayns introducing Suzuki Seijun’s cinematic world to audience will be placed along with the screenings.
The 22nd Busan International Film Festival has established the ‘Kim Jiseok Award’ to honor the late Kim Ji-seok who passed away this year after devoting his whole life to discovering young Asian directors and supporting the growth of Asian cinema.
A founding member of the Busan International Film Festival, Kim Ji-seok suffered a fatal heart attack while attending the 2017 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
Many Asian filmmakers call the late Kim Ji-seok, the Program Director of Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), as the heart of Asian Cinema, and of BIFF. He was always sharing his life with BIFF as a founding member. He also contributed over 20 years to supporting young filmmakers in Asia, and took an essential role to establish BIFF as one of the world’s best film festivals. To follow his spirit and remember the festival identity as the hub of Asian cinema, BIFF launches the ‘Kim Jiseok Award’
The aim of the award is to discover and encourage Asian films, the ‘Kim Jiseok Award’ will be selected among films screening in A Window on Asian Cinema, a section that introduces films from the year’s most talented Asian filmmakers. Approximately 10 World Premieres in A Window on Asian Cinema will be selected as nominees and the jury members will select the final two films as the first ‘Kim Jiseok Award’ recipients. Each film will be awarded a cash prize of 10,000,000 Korean won (about 10,000 US dollars).
Jury members of ‘Kim Jiseok Award’ are Tony Rayns and Darcy Paquet, film critics who have a keen interest and contribute in the globalization of Asian cinema. Garin Nugroho, an acknowledged Indonesian director who has been invited to numerous renowned film festivals, will join the ‘Kim Jiseok Award’ jury as well. Three jurors will award outstanding films with distinct Asian characteristic.
The 22nd Busan International Film Festival will be held from October 12, 2017 to October 21, 2017.
The Marvelous Time[/caption]
The 2017 Busan International Film Festival will hold a Special Program ‘Sakha Cinema: World of Magical Nature and Myth’ to spotlight the unexplored Sakha films for the first time. Special Program in Focus introduces 7 feature-length films and 5 short films to embrace around 30 year-history of the contemporary Sakha cinema from 1990s to 2017, including Mother by Alexey Romanov, a pioneering work of Sakha cinema.
The Sakha Republic (also referred as Yakutia), located in far Eastern Russia, is a republic under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. With thousands years of Far East tradition blended with the Russian social system, Sakha has significant socio-cultural features.
This year’s special program focuses on Sakha cinema which develops an independent film industry and has exclusive cinematic style, regardless of its short history. Sakha cinema, combines regional legends and folk religions with contemporary values and film, shows authentic charm that is rarely found in other regional films. Sakha cinema is constantly drawing attention from the international society, experiencing growth with the active production of The National Film Company ‘Sakha Film’, a rapid wave of young and independent filmmakers in art-house film scene and success in commercial films in Yakutian. After Bonfire by Dmitri Davidov premiered in 2016 Busan International Film Festival, Sakha cinema has been presented in many international film festivals including Belinale and additional broadcasts outside of Russia.
With the attempt to across boundaries of diverse genre and style and the blending of tradition, nature, changes and freshness, Sakha cinema will provide a unique experience to cinephiles visiting the 22nd Busan International Film Festival. Other additional events, where directors and critics from the region will introduce films, will also be placed as part of the special program.
The Last Verse by Tseng Ying-Ting,[/caption]
10 official selections from up-and-coming Asian directors will compete in the New Currents section at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival.
This year’s New Currents features films from Greater China including Somewhere Beyond the Mist by King Wai Cheung that pictures conflict and discord between generations with dramatic incidents. It also attracts attention because it is the first Hong Kong film selected for New Currents in 7 years. Other Chinese films are End of Summer by Zhou Quan that depicts friendship between a boy who loves soccer and an old man who lives in his neighborhood, and One Night on the Wharf by Han Dong portrays a terrifying night that community members had to go through on an excursion. The Last Verse by a Taiwanese director Tseng Ying-Ting illustrates a lyrical drama that traces the transitions of a long-term couple experiencing modern times in Taiwan.
New Currents adds 2 selections from Post-Prodution Fund projects in the Asian Cinema Fund that includes Ashwatthama by Pushpendra Singh, that beautifully captures the anxiety and heart break of a motherless boy told in the limelight of Indian mythology, and Last Child by Shin Dongseok, Choi Mu-seong and Kim Yeo-jin as parents who have ambivalent feelings towards a child who has survived an accident, instead of their own son.
Korean films include Last Child by Shin Dongseok, After My Death by Kim Uiseok and How to Breathe Underwater by Ko Hyunseok, pieces that convincingly tell tragedies in different ways. After My Death is a story about a dead girl and a surviving girl; after the suicide of one girl, a witch hunt follows to find the reason. How to Breathe Underwater shows the tragedies that befall two employees who work for the same company in one day.
In addition, Blockage by Mohsen Gharaei traces the overwhelming chaos that happens to a vicious, despicable man who works as a street vendor control officer, Ajji by Devashish Makhija, shows a strong sense of drama by tracking a grandmother who seeks vengeance for a girl’s rape.
The 22nd Busan International Film Festival released the official poster featuring the original artwork of Chung Sang-hwa, the master of Korean abstract and monochrome painting. Chung Sang-hwa is best known as the leader of Korean Modern Art in the 1970s.
Representative of Minimalism, Chung’s artwork features a moderation of formality and a philosophical insight to achieve essence. The monotonous blue patterns found in his work might be considered dull and similar; however, close investigation of the surface reveals an association of disparate colors and patterns. As a whole, the pattern provides a sense of great depth and unification.
The blue monochromatic painting is reminiscent of beautiful oceans in Busan with an invigorating spirit that provides an impression of grandeur and magnificent energy. In general, the color of the poster provides dense white to blue parallels with the 22nd Busan International Film Festival that has grown in meaning to become a leading film festival in Asia. Reflecting the persistence and endurance of the festival against the wave of struggles over the past year, this year’s poster will light up the 22nd Busan International Film Festival.
With the release of the official poster, the Busan International Film festival is preparing to invite official titles, international guests and organize various events. The 22nd Busan International Film Festival will hold its opening on October 12, 2017.
Artist: CHUNG Sang-hwa (1932-)
Chung Sang-hwa was born in Yeongdeok, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea in 1932 and graduated with a Fine Arts Degree (painting) from Seoul National University. He held his first exhibition in 1963 and studied in France for a year in 1967. Chung came across the diverse artwork of various painters while staying in Japan from 1969 to 1976. After his career in France (from 1979 to 1992), Chung returned to his homeland in 1992 and has devoted himself to studio work at Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do.
Chung Sang-hwa had his major retrospective at the Musée d’art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole in 2011 and his works are housed at museums such as Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Hirshhorn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea, Seoul Museum of Art, Leeum (Samsung Museum of Art), Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and Fukuoka Asian Art Museum.
Christoph Terhechte (far right) with John Hurt, Park Chan-Wook at Berlin Film Festival[/caption]
Berlin International Film Festival exec Christoph Terhechte will be the recipient of this year’s Korean Cinema Award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival. The Korean Cinema Award is granted to a notable figure that has made significant contributions in promoting Korean cinema worldwide, and will be presented at the opening ceremony of the 22nd Busan International Film Festival.
Christoph Terhechte, a head of Berlin International Film Festival’s Forum, has constantly invited Korean films and contributed to the globalization of Korean cinema. Since he was assigned as a head of Berlin Forum in 2001, numerous films, including Take Care of My Cat by Jeong Jae-eun, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance by Park Chan-wook and A Tale of Two Sisters by Kim Jee-woon, have been invited to the Berlin International Film Festival and raised the status of Korean cinema.
Christoph Terhechte has maintained his focus on Korean up-and-coming directors and selected diverse Korean films over the past five years; 10 Minutes (2013) by Lee Yong-seung, Non-fiction Diary (2013) by Jung Yoon-suk, A Dream of Iron (2013) by Park Kyung Kun and End of Winter (2014) by Kim Daehwan. In 2017, he invited Autumn, Autumn by a rookie director Jang Woojin as well as Korean classic Aimless Bullet by Yu Hyun-mok and a restoration version of The Last Witness by Lee Doo Yong. Christoph Terhechte has consistently introduced Korean films from oldest to newest and played an essential role in making a wide range of Korean cinema available to global audiences and diverse film industries.
Christoph TERHECHTEㅣHead of Berlin International Film Festival ForumㅣGermany
Christoph Terhechte was born in 1961, in the city of Münster, Germany. He studied political science and journalism at the University of Hamburg and started his career as a film journalist in 1984. After he worked as a writer of “taz”, a daily newspaper in Germany, Christoph moved to Paris, working as a freelance journalist. He also worked as a head editor in the film section at the Berlin city magazine “tip”. He promoted European cinema by working on the film selection and editorial work of the European Low Budget Film Forum in Hamburg. Christoph Terhechte has been a member of the selection committee of the Berlin International Film Festival Forum since 1997 and was appointed head of the Berlinale section in 2001. Working as a head of the International Forum of New Cinema of the Berlin International Film Festival, Christoph Terhechte has actively introduced Korean cinema to European audiences.
Past Recipients of the Korean Cinema Award (Position held at the time of the award presentation)
21st
Laurence HERSZBERG (Director-general of Forum des Images, France)
20th
Wieland SPECK (Director of the Berlin International Film Festival Panorama, Germany)
19th
Corinne SIEGRIST-OBOUSSIER (Director of Filmpodium, Switzerland)
18th
Charles TESSON (Artistic Director of Cannes International Film Festival Critics’ Week, France)
17th
HAYASHI Kanako (Festival Director of Tokyo FILMeX, Japan)
16th
Julietta SICHEL (Former Program Director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic)
15th
Bruno BARDE (Festival Director of Deauville Asian Film Festival, France)
14th
Riccardo GELLI (Director of Korea Film Festival in Florence, Italy)
Jeannette Paulson HERENIKO (President of Asia Pacific Film.com, Former Director of Hawaii International Film Festival, USA)
13th
Richard PEÑA (Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, USA)
12th
Sabrina BARACETTI (Festival President of Udine Far East Film Festival, Italy)
Jean-François RAUGER (Head Programmer of the Cinémathèque Française, France)
11th
Martial KNAEBEL (Festival Director of Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland)
TERAWAKI Ken (Former Director-General of Cultural Affairs Department of Japan, Japan)
10th
Dieter KOSSLICK (Festival Director of Berlinale, Germany)
Thierry FRÉMAUX (Artistic Director of Cannes International Film Festival, France)
9th
YANO Kazuyuki (Festival Director of Yamagata International Documentary Festival, Japan)
Phillip CHEAH (Festival Director of Singapore International Film Festival, Singapore)
8th
PARK Byoung-yang (President of Asia Film Production, Japan)
LEE Bong-ou (President of Cine Quanon, Japan)
7th
Alain Jacques Louis PATEL (Festival Director of Deauville Asian Film Festival, France)
6th
Eva ZAORALOVÁ (Festival Director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic)
5th
Martin & Anna Louisa GIROD (Directors of Stadtkino Basel, Switzerland)
4th
Serge LOSIQUE (Festival Director of Montreal International Film Festival, Canada)
LEE Young-il (Film Critic, Korea)
3rd
Gilles JACOB (Festival Director of Cannes International Film Festival, France)
Moritz de HADELN (Festival Director of Berlinale, Germany)
2nd
Aruna VASUDEV (Editor-in-Chief of CINEMAYA, India)
SATO Tadao (Festival Director of Fukuoka Film Festival, Japan)
1st
Adriano APRÀ (Festival Director of Pesaro International Film Festival, Italy)
Tony RAYNS (Film Critic, UK)
Alain JALLADEAU (Festival Director of Festival des 3 Continents, France)
Ulrich GREGOR (Director of International Forum, Berlinale, Germany)
Larry KADISH (Programmer of Museum of Modern Art, USA)
Ancha FLUBACHER-RHIM (Deputy Festival Director of Jeonju International Film Festival, Korea)
Simon FIELD (Festival Director of Rotterdam International Film Festival, UK)
Gilsotteum[/caption]
The 22nd Busan International Film Festival Korean Cinema Retrospective spotlights actor Shin Seong-il (1937 ~) who has a unique and legendary stardom in Korean film history. He started his career with Romantic Papa directed by Shin Sang-ok in 1960 and has now starred in over 500 movies.
He started his career as a famous teenage star in 1960s and maintained his career until the 2000s, the achievements made in these years showcase his talent is a remarkable actor. Director Park Chan-wook said, “If there is Mifune Toshiro in Japan, Marcello Mastroianni in Italy, Gregory Peck in America and Alain Delon in France, we have Shin Seong-il. For all the times and places, never was there a country that both film industry and art are so dependent on one person. Without understanding Shin Seong-il, it is hard to get grasp of Korean film history nor Korean modern cultural history”.
Sadly, it has been revealed that he is now fighting lung cancer; however, he retains his chiseled look and well-built figure back. Numerous films such as The Barefooted Young (1964), Keep Silent When Leaving (1964), Dangerous Youth (1966), and A Burning Youth (1966) made him a major star. He also received more attention by becoming part of a famous star couple after marrying Um Aing-ran. In 1964, the same year they were married, the couple starred in 26 movies. After the marriage, in addition to Um Aing-ran, Shin Seong-il partnered with different top actresses like Kim Ji-mee, Yoon Jeong-hee, and Moon Hee. A total of 51 of his movies were screened on theaters in 1967, and it shows how popular he was. Shin became a national actor starring in movies made by renowned directors of the 60s such as Kim Kee-duk, Lee Man-hee, Kim Soo-yong, Chung Jin Woo, and Lee Seong-gu as well as built a solid career after the 70s. Movies such as Heavenly homecoming to stars (1974), Winter Woman (1977) and Gilsotteum (1985) confirmed his presence showing his appealing and diverse acting. He starred in Door to the Night in 2013 and tried to continue his career through new films; however, he is bravely fighting cancer now.
The Busan International Film Festival is going to screen his 8 major works through this year’s Korean Cinema Retrospective: The Barefooted Young, Early Rain, Mist, The General’s Mustache, Eunuch, A Day Off, Heavenly homecoming to stars, and Gilsotteum. The true colors of actor Shin Seong-il can be seen at this year’s Korean Cinema Retrospective.
* Korean Cinema Retrospective Screenings
The Barefooted Young (1964), Director KIM Kee-duk
Early Rain (1966), Director CHUNG Jin Woo
Mist (1967), Director KIM Soo-yong
The General’s Mustache (1968), Director LEE Seong-gu
Eunuch (1968), Director SHIN Sang-ok
A Day Off (1968), Director LEE Man-hee
Heavenly homecoming to stars (1974), Director LEE Jangho
Gilsotteum (1985), Director IM Kwontaek