Set against the subdued beauty of a Korean fishing village, The Land of Morning Calm, written and directed by Park Ri-woong, is a restrained and moving exploration of displacement and the quiet tensions beneath everyday life. This is not a story about national identity or grand political themes. Instead, it is about people: ordinary, flawed,…
Tag: Korean Cinema
27th Far East Film Festival: “Love in the Big City” Review
If you never thought a plastic uterus model would make a good plant, prepare yourself for some redecorating. The stolen emblem sitting atop glass marbles as the years tick away is the most profound object you’ll see in the whole of E.oni’s Love in the Big City, a film that, despite the assumed subject matter,…
27th Far East Film Festival: “Dark Nuns” Review
What is the cardinal rule of any horror film? That it needs to be scary, of course. Unfortunately, exorcist drama Dark Nuns seems to have forgotten that. Directed by Kwon Hyuk-jae and a spin-off to The Priests, Dark Nuns follows Sister Giunia (Song Hye-kyo), an unordained nun who moonlights as an exorcist. She is one…
The World Premiere of “The Square”, the Animated Romantic Masterpiece, to Close the 27th Far East Film Festival in Udine
The curtain will officially close on the 27th edition of the Far East Film Festival with the world premiere of The Square, a beautifully made South Korean animated love story. Described as a poetic and visually enchanting work, The Square makes its global debut in Udine. In contrast, and perfectly complementing the tone of the…
27th Far East Film Festival Announces Its Lineup – A True Celebration of Asian Cinema
The 27th edition of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine continues its long-standing mission of showing contemporary Asian cinema. With a lineup of 75 films from 11 countries – including 7 world premieres, 15 international premieres, 20 European premieres, and 19 Italian premieres – the festival presents a diverse mix of popular, auteur,…
Fresh Boy Group NEWBEAT On Living Up To Their Name
We’ve witnessed pineapple hair, wolf howls, and crazier; with K-Pop, there’s no limit to how weird and wonderful things can get. Newest kids on the block NEWBEAT have decided to spark their debut with something very fitting to their name: real hiccups recorded on their predebut release of the same name. At a recent press…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: In Conversation with Lee Yujin, Director of “Manok” – Exclusive Interview
South Korean filmmaker Lee Yujin brings a refreshing and nuanced perspective to the screen with Manok, a film that beautifully combines humour with moving themes of acceptance and belonging. Set in the rural village of Iban-ri, Manok follows its titular character as she returns to her hometown in the wake of her mother’s passing, only…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: Actor Han Gi-chan Discusses “The Wedding Banquet” – Exclusive Interview
Andrew Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet revitalises Ang Lee’s 1993 classic, bringing a contemporary lens to themes of love, the weight of tradition, the complexities of identity, and societal expectations. While the original film followed a dutiful Taiwanese son confronting the pressures of tradition, Ahn’s version expands the narrative, introducing new characters and conflicts that reflect…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: In Conversation with Kim Si-a – Exclusive Interview
At just 16, Kim Si-a proved she is a truly talented young actress with her superb performance in Summer’s Camera, directed by Divine Sung. She beautifully portrayed the emotions of a teenager experiencing grief and self-discovery through her first love. After the world premiere at the 39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, we sat…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: In Conversation with Divine Sung, Director of “Summer’s Camera” – Exclusive Interview
Divine Sung is a filmmaker based in Seoul with an MFA in Film Directing from the Korea National University of Arts. She has directed short films such as True Story (2018) and My Boyfriend and Our Yesterday (2023). Summer’s Camera is her feature film debut. Summer’s Camera had its world premiere at the 39th BFI…
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