Articles by Song Seung-hyun
Song Seung-hyun
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[Newsmaker] Hong Sang-soo’s ‘The Novelist’s Film’ wins grand jury prize at Berlinale
Filmmaker Hong Sang-soo’s 27th feature “The Novelist’s Film” on Thursday won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at Berlin International Film Festival. The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival is being held from Feb. 10 to 20 as an in-person event. “I really didn’t expect this big prize. I’m very surprised. Thank you all the jury members for your appreciation,” Hong said in an acceptance speech in English. “I feel like I should say somethin
Film Feb. 17, 2022
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[Herald Interview] Director Jang Cheol-soo defends provocative scenes in ‘Serve the People’
After the press screening of director Jang Cheol-soo’s new film “Serve the People” on Monday, a few local media outlets criticized his work, saying that it has too many unnecessary erotic scenes. During his interview via Zoom with a group of local reporters on Tuesday, Jang addressed these criticisms. “I did not intend to make it provocative. I value the emotion (of the characters),” Jang said. “When filming sex scenes, I focused on how I would portray the c
Film Feb. 16, 2022
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Pre-event of 20th Director’s Cut Awards to be held on Thursday, Friday
The 20th Director’s Cut Awards announced on Tuesday that it will hold its special pre-event Director’s Chair online on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., before the award ceremony takes place on Feb. 24. Director’s Chair is a panel discussion event that had been held in person with five nominated Korean directors for the award. However, the event organizer, the Directors Guild of Korea, said that this year it is holding it through Zoom, and audiences will be able to watch on bot
Film Feb. 15, 2022
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‘Hellbound’ director Yeon Sang-ho joins hands with Smilegate
Director Yeon Sang-ho, best known for producing the Netflix series “Hellbound” and directing smash-hit zombie film “Train to Busan,” has signed a partnership deal with South Korean game developer Smilegate. The game company is responsible for the popular role-playing PC game Lost Ark in November 2018. The South Korean game developer and Yeon will together create a new universe with its own storyline which can be adapted for use in games, movies, TV dramas and webtoons
Film Feb. 14, 2022
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Documentary film ‘Comfort’ tells untold story about former ‘comfort women’
The late Kim Soon-ak had been testifying about her experience living as a wartime sex slave of the Japanese military, and also her life living as a housekeeper after Korea‘s liberation before she died in 2010. However, there were parts of her life that she had been reluctant to speak out in public about for quite some time. After the Japanese colonial period ended, she lived in prostitutes’ quarters and did sex work at a US military camp town to survive. Director Park Moon-chil&
Film Feb. 13, 2022
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[Eye Plus] Special museum dedicated to craft artworks from past, present
The Seoul Museum of Craft Art located in Jongno-gu, central Seoul is a special space where people can enjoy all kinds of crafts from the past to the present. Opened last year, the Seoul Museum of Craft Art has more than 23, 257 craft artworks and related data. The new museum is built on the former Poongmoon Girls‘ High School site. This location is special because it is where the house of King Sejong’s son Prince Yeongeung was located and the place where King Sejong
Culture Feb. 12, 2022
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[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week
Death on the Nile (US) Opened Feb. 9 Crime Directed by Kenneth Branagh While on a honeymoon cruise down the Nile River, enviably rich socialite Linnet Doyle (Gal Gadot) is found shot to death in her stateroom. Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) looks into the case, but murders keep on happening, shocking and confusing everyone on the cruise. The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (Korea) Opened Jan. 26 Action, Comedy Directed by Kim Jung-hoon Set in the Joseon era, pirate captain Hye-ra
Film Feb. 11, 2022
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Comedy film ‘Idol Recipe’ may be too maverick for its own good
Featuring many current and former K-pop bandmates, such as Woohee from Dal Shabet Bae, Jongup of B.A.P and Ryu Ho-yeon of Noir, upcoming comedy “Idol Recipe” is chock-full of musical performances. What the film does not have are such things as the five elements of a coherent plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. Instead, it tells its story shuttling back and forth between scenes of the present and the past based on characters’ seemingly rand
Film Feb. 10, 2022
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‘Oldboy’ Choi Min-sik to return to big screen as genius mathematician
Korean actor Choi Min-sik is returning to the big screen for the first time in three years as a genius mathematician in “In Our Prime” directed by Park Dong-hoon. The historical drama “Forbidden Dream” which was released in 2019 was actor Choi’s most recent work. Director Park’s new film started shooting in March 2020 and was originally set to be released during the first quarter last year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had had to delay its openi
Film Feb. 9, 2022
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‘Love and Leashes,’ Girls’ Generation Seohyun’s debut film is about sex
Seohyun of K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation has shed her image as a girl-next-door in her debut film “Love and Leashes,” a rom-com directed by Park Hyun-jin. “When I first read the script, it was fresh and shocking. It was a role that made me want to take up the challenge as an actor,” Seohyun said during an online press conference held on Tuesday. “Not only did it (the script) have a unique topic, it also showed how a man and a woman come to understand the
Film Feb. 8, 2022
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Big-budget Korean films likely to be out of sight in local theaters, for now
It will be difficult to find big-budget Korean films in the coming month or so as many of them have delayed their opening dates. No films with a budget of more than 10 billion won will open before April, as they delayed their release dates. This is partially due to a surge of COVID-19 cases here. The number of moviegoers hit a new low over the Seollal holiday, usually one of the busiest times of the year for movie theaters in Korea. According to the Korean Film Council’s data, during
Entertainment Feb. 7, 2022
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Hong Sang-soo, Kim Min-hee to attend Berlinale together
Filmmaker Hong Sang-soo and actor Kim Min-hee will participate in the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, which will take place from Feb. 10 to 20 as an in-person event. In January, the auteur’s 27th feature, “The Novelist’s Film,” was listed along with 17 other movies that will vie for the Gold and Silver Bear awards at the Berlinale. Kim, who is in a relationship with Hong and also considered his muse, is a lead actor and co-producer for “The Novelist&rsqu
Film Feb. 5, 2022
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Florence Korea Film Fest to kick off in April
Taegukgi Toscana Korea Association on Thursday announced that this year’s Florence Korea Film Fest will take place at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence, Italy, from April 7 to 15. Some of the movies also will be screened online on the platform Piu Compagnia during the festival. Although the event organizer has not revealed the full list, it said 12 Korean actors, directors and producers will attend the film festival to mark its 20th anniversary. During the last 20 years, over 2,000 Korea
Film Feb. 4, 2022
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[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week
The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (Korea) Opened Jan. 26 Action, Comedy Directed by Kim Jung-hoon Set in the Joseon era, pirate captain Hye-rang (Han Hyo-joo) and her crew go on a journey to look for hidden treasures of the Goryeo Kingdom that no longer exist. Troublemaking swordsman Muchi (Kang Ha-neul) and his followers also decide to join them. However, on their way, they are met with all sorts of adversities. Kingmaker (Korea) Opened Jan. 26 Drama Directed by Byun Sung-hyun Oppositi
Film Feb. 4, 2022
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Busan International Film Festival aims to connect Asia’s film industry
Busan International Film Festival announced its vision and goals to expand its presence in Asia on Tuesday. Established in 1996, BIFF is the first international film festival in Korea, held annually in the local theaters of Busan. According to the BIFF secretariat, it held the first general meeting of 2022 on Jan. 27 at BIFF Hill of the Busan Cinema Center. Following the meeting, it announced its new vision to hold an event to link filmmakers and moviegoers in Asia. BIFF‘s previous visi
Film Feb. 2, 2022
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