August is Korean Film Month in New York City - Part 1

It never rains it pours. In the month of August, (the month that is usually the driest culture-wise in NYC), there will be not one, not two, but three different Korean Film Festivals.

The first is a rare opportunity to see films from the golden age of Korean cinema, which lasted from the mid-1950's through the early 1970's (realism was all the rage). The mini-festival, called If Orson Welles Were Korean... includes four landmark films from the period, and it includes a rare screening of The Aimless Bullet, the film voted "Best Korean Film of All Time" by Korean film critics in 1999. The films and dates are as follows:

• A Seaside Village (1965) -- This one screened tonight, August 2. Sorry for the late post.
• School Excursion (1969) Dir: Hyun-mok Yu. From a remote island off mainland Korea, a devoted teacher takes his class of children to Seoul for the first time. Once in Seoul, the children are shocked by both the fast-paced metropolitan life and the wastefulness of it. The film can be seen as a mixed commentary on the industrialization of Korea. Tuesday, August 3, 6:30
• Hee-Bin Jang (1961) Dir: Jung Chang-hwa. Jang Hee-bin is a tale of treachery and murder in the highest levels of Korean royalty. The film stars Jee-mi Kim, one of the most popular Korean actresses of the ‘60s. It is also notable as the last film on which Im Kwon-Taek, considered by many the greatest Korean director, worked as an assistant director. Wednesday, August 4, 6:30
• The Aimless Bullet (1961) Dir: Hyun-mok Yu. Banned in Korea on its original release, The Aimless Bullet chronicles the hopeless life of a North Korean family living in Seoul in the years following the Korean War. A public accountant struggles to support his troubled family, even as he watches depression and despair slowly destroy his family’s lives. Thursday, August 5, 6:30
• The Coachman (1961) Dir: Dae-jin Kang. After the Korean War, few trucks were available in Korea. As a result, horse-drawn wagons were a major source of transportation for heavy goods. The men who drove the horses were usually very poor and badly paid; the rich horse owners took most of the earnings of the wagons, leaving only a pittance for the drivers. This film tells the story of one such driver, Choonsam, and how, after many troubles and suffering, he and his family finally came to find happiness. Friday, August 6, 6:30

All films are subtitled, except for The Coachman, though an English synopsis will be handed out.

Filmbrain has read wonderful things about The Aimless Bullet, and he will make every effort to make it to that screening.

All screenings are free and being shown at:
Korean Cultural Service in New York
460 Park Ave. (at 57th St.)
6th FL.

Comments

[Juan]

It might help if people know the films are playing at:

Korean Cultural Service in New York
460 Park Ave. (at 57th St.)
6th FL.
New York, NY 10022

and that they are FREE!

Or they could just google it ...

[Filmbrain]

Oh...how stupid of me!

Thanks!