Jeon Do-Yeon 전도연 [Drama “Crash Course in Romance” | Movie “Kill Boksoon” (NETFLIX)]

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June 5, 2017

Bucheon Film Fest to spotlight actress Jeon Do-yeon

Poster for Jeon Do-yeon’s special exhibition at BIFAN (BIFAN)

This year‘s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will feature a special exhibition focusing on the works of actress Jeon Do-yeon, BIFAN announced Monday.

“The exhibition will screen the major works from Jeon Do-yeon’s 20 years of acting onscreen. It will feature a press conference, a discussion with viewers, an exhibition of posters and stills from her films, and a booklet of Jeon‘s acting career,” said BIFAN in a statement. 

Jeon debuted with the 1997 drama film “The Contact” and has since led a prolific and varied career. Her major works include “No Blood No Tears” (2002), “My Mother, the Mermaid” (2004), “The Housemaid” (2010), “Countdown” (2011) and “The Shameless” (2015). Jeon won best actress at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in director Lee Chang-dong’s “Secret Sunshine.” 

BIFAN will run for 11 days starting July 13.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)

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June 6, 2017

The 21st Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, 'Jeon Do-yeon Exhibit'

Source: Sports Donga via HanCinema.net

There's going to be a special exhibit for Jeon Do-yeon who celebrates her 20 years acting life this year.

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will be holding a special exhibit for Jeon Do-yeon from the 13th to 23rd of June.

The exhibit will consist of displays of her past work, press conferences, communication with the crowd and poster displays. Movies "Secret Sunshine", "My Mother, the Mermaid", "The Housemaid - 2010", "The Shameless" and other 17 movies will be screened during the event.

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June  9, 2017

BiFan Makes Contact with JEON Do-yeon Program
17 Film Retrospective for Korean Screen Siren in Bucheon

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

With just a few weeks to go before its 21st edition, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan, Chairman CHOI Yong-bae) has begun to reveal parts of its lineup. Within the program this year will be a special section dedicated to the films of JEON Do-yeon, one of South Korea’s leading actresses.

Under the heading ‘Contact, JEON Do-yeon’, the program will include 17 of the works JEON has appeared in, including key titles such as RYOO Seung-wan’s No Blood No Tears (2002), PARK Heung-sik’s My Mother, The Mermaid (2004), LEE Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine (2007) and IM Sang-soo’s The Housemaid (2010).

BiFan chose to honor JEON, who “has captivated audiences with her unique presence and has been a part of some of the proudest moments in Korean cinematic history.” In a statement, the festival mentioned the “special relationship between BIFAN and JEON Do-yeon dates back to 1997 when the very first edition of the festival showed The Contact.”

The program is being co-curated by BiFan programmer MO Eun-young and noted film critic and director JUNG Sung-il (Cafe Noir, 2010). Beyond the films, special talks and events with JEON will be held, and there will also be an exhibition as well as a book dedicated to her career.

JEON got her start in the late 1990s with romantic titles such as The Contact, which is referenced to in the section’s name. She has appeared in increasingly daring fare and eventually earned the Best Actress Award from the Cannes Film Festival in 2007, for her starring role in Secret Sunshine. She subsequently was invited back to participate in the main competition jury of Cannes in 2014. JEON’s last film role was in LEE Yoon-ki’s A Man and a Woman alongside TRAIN TO BUSAN star GONG Yoo.

The 21st BiFan will take place from July 13th to July 23rd.

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July 12, 2017

Bucheon Film Fest Seeks to Draw in Local Film Industry 

By Jason Bechervaise The Korea Times

The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) kicks off its 21st edition this evening with the world premiere of the Korean dark comedy "Room No. 7" set in a DVD room starring Shin Ha-kyun and directed by Lee Yong-seung.

This year there are 289 films from 58 different countries being shown, but the genre film festival is evidently trying to place an emphasis on Korean films illustrated by the increase of local films screening at the festival with 109 invited this year _ including the festival's opening film _ compared to 65 last year.

In an interview with The Korea Times, festival director Choi Yong-bae said, "This year, BIFAN is keeping its sights on Korean films and filmmakers, and by doing so, BIFAN is trying to be faithful to its goals."

Commenting on the overall health of Korean genre films, Choi cited recent Korean masterpieces such as "The Battleship Island" (2017), "Train to Busan" (2016) and "The Wailing" (2016) as large-scale films that also have mass appeal. "It is a positive thing for large-scale commercial genre films to be produced," Choi said.

"However, on the other hand, opportunities for small and mid-scale movies by creative and experimental new directors are relatively insufficient. I feel it is necessary for such directors to have more opportunities."

BIFAN, therefore, is a festival where such directors are given the chance to showcase their work including Lee with his sophomore feature "Room No. 7," which was produced by Myung Films headed by influential producer Sim Jae-myung. Lee's previous film "10 Minutes" bowed in Busan in 2013 to strong reviews, and then secured a healthy run on the international festival circuit, including the Berlin film festival.

Under Choi who joined the festival last year, BIFAN expanded its industry program with B.I.G (the BIFAN industry Gathering) launched last year. This broader program combined NAFF (Network of Asian Fantastic Films) _ a program that focuses on supporting the production of genre films in Asia, education, and global exchange _ with the addition of Korea Now, Made in Asia, and New Media programs, according to Choi.

The "Korea Now" program, for example, includes a filmmakers' workshop, a BIFAN scenario showcase and a Korean Film Policy Roundtable event, which will discuss the Korean Film Council's (KOFIC) new status and policies under the Moon Jae-in administration.

Choi who is also a well-established film producer heads the festival as it seeks to form closer ties with the local film industry, which is reflected in the festival's selection of films and its industry programs.

In December 2004, the then popular festival director Kim Hong-joon was dismissed by the former mayor of Bucheon, Hong Geon-pyo. The film industry responded by boycotting the festival.

"The film festival was ostracized by the film community for about ten years. BIFAN has recently started to restore the trust that was once lost," Choi said.

"The vision for this festival, which has taken the first step to getting back on track after a period of stagnation, is to not only have the film community return to BIFAN, but to earn their complete trust."

While the festival looks ahead, it is also reflecting on its past as it honors the renowned Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon and her career on the silver screen, which spans two decades.

Jeon's debut on the big screen was in Chang Yoon-hyun's "The Contact" that was shown at the BIFAN's inaugural edition in 1997, which was also a time when the local industry began to experience tremendous growth.

Giving audiences an opportunity to reflect back on Jeon's illustrious career also enables festival goers to see how the contemporary Korean film industry has evolved.

The special program titled "Contact Jeon Do-yeon" will include screenings of the 17 films she starred in, the publication of a book commemorating her work, and the actress herself will attend the festival.

Other notable programs at the festival this year include "Terrible Women: Monsters and Villainesses" that focuses on horror films and feminism, a retrospective of Spanish genre filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia, while the "Best of Asia" program will feature the most popular films from around Asia in 2016 such as "Train to Busan" and "Cold War 2."

Underscoring the festival's emphasis on Korean cinema, it also features a special program titled "Hong Ki-seon: The Cinema Beyond Suppression," which showcases the director's work including his final film "The Discloser" which he made before he died in December 2016.

The festival will also screen films from across the globe, which includes Alexandre O. Philippe's documentary "78/52" about the iconic shower scene in Hitchcock's "Psycho" that is also screening at the festival _ as is the Hong Kong action blockbuster "Shock Wave" and Julia Ducournau's "Raw" about a student desperate to fit in at school who abandons her family's vegetarian principles and searches for raw meat.

Also showing at the festival is "Okja" directed by Bong Joon-ho who will be attending a Q&A in Bucheon giving BIFAN audiences a chance to see the visionary auteur who continues to challenge industry norms.

Choi, who produced Bong's "The Host," said, "Bong has already initiated conversations about the future of the film industry, which has given everyone the chance to contemplate the question of how audiences will watch movies in the future. I believe that's the greatest role he has played."

BIFAN continues until July 23.

jase@koreanfilm.org.uk

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Photo: cine_21

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July 13, 2017

Actresses Jeon Do-youn and Kang Su-yeon

South Korean actresses Jeon Do-youn (L) and Kang Su-yeon pose for a photo during the opening ceremony of the 21st Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in Bucheon, south of Seoul, on July 13, 2017. (Yonhap) (END)

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July 17, 2017

Actress Jeon Do-yeon marks 20th anniversary of her debut

Source: The Dong-A Ilbo

Actress Jeon Do-yeon marks 20th anniversary of her debut

A press conference was held on last Friday to celebrate actress Jeon Do-yeon’s 20th anniversary of her debut. She appeared on the stage wearing a mini dress and was humble to hear much praise from audiences, most of them were insiders of the Korean movie industry. They praised her by saying that she left her mark in the Korean film history.

Her first movie was a melodrama titled, "The Contact (1997)." Since then, Jeon uniquely positioned to be the best actress in Korea and appeared on 17 films including "Secret Sunshine," which gave her the best actress award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. She was the woman with an affair in the movie "Happy End," and was an innocent girl who is falling in love for the first time in "The Harmonium in My Memory." She appeared in many movies in various genres including action, film-noir, and romance.

As for the question of asking her favorite movies among the ones she played, she picked three movies -- "The Contact," "The Secret Sunshine (winning the best actress at the Cannes)," and "Happy End."

She hinted on her next film. “I want to meet a director who demands me something that I haven't thought of and distresses me. I’m waiting all the time," she said. "I don’t know when I’ll take my 18th movie and about my future career. I’ll try harder.”

Sun-Hee Jang sun10@donga.com

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July 17, 2017

Jeon Do-yeon Takes a Rare Look Back at Bucheon Film Fest

By Lee Tae-hoon The ChosunIlbo

Actress Jeon Do-yeon on Friday reflected upon her illustrious career at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, which is holding a retrospective to honor her. The annual 11-day festival runs until Sunday.

"When I started out, I had no idea I would be acting this long, but it became my dream and my path. I want to keep on going," she said at a press conference on the second day of the festival.

All 17 of Jeon's films are being screened at the event. Its director, Choi Yong-bae, said that simply having her at the festival makes it a success. Jeon debuted in film with "The Contact" in 1997, which was invited to the very first festival launched the same year.

"When it comes to filming, I always want to feel and work like a newcomer. So I initially resisted the idea of a retrospective. But eventually I agreed to accept it as an encouragement to 'keep up the good work,'" she said. "To be honest, I haven't seen all of my films on the big screen. It was only three years ago that I saw 'The Contact' in a cinema for the first time. So I intend to take advantage of this opportunity to see them all in a theater."

Jeon looks for a completely different genre and character with every new project. She singled out "Secret Sunshine," for which she won the best actress award at the 2007 Cannes International Film Festival, as a turning point in her career. "Before 'Secret Sunshine,' I 'acted' emotions. But filming 'Secret Sunshine' I learned I don't have to do that and I can just express what I feel."

"I still look for scripts that force me to step outside myself, and hope to work with directors who can dissect me and help bring out new sides of me," Jeon said. 

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July 23, 2017

Casting these actors and actresses would guarantee success at the box office!
Korean investment companies in the film industry have selected the 2017 version of [magic potions at the B.O.] or box office champions ~

Source: Korea Star Daily, translated by Barbara at LBH soompi via EverythingLBH.com



Who are the big time actors in the 2017 “Chungmuro” edition that guaranteed box office success? There exists a galaxy of stars in the movie circle that would induce audiences to voluntarily purchase movie tickets. They are named “box office guaranteed success”, “trustworthy actors” or “ magic potions at the box office”. They are the darlings of movie producers and distributors, and they attract large capital investments. Movie Investors like these stars and cast them in their movies because they can assure the investors that they can get back their investments. These major producers: CJ E&M, Lotte Entertaiment, Mega Box Plus M, Showbox and New Entertainment have voted and selected the 2017 edition of “Chugmiro box office magic potions”. The total scores are based on their votes.

Leading the pack among actors is Song Kang Ho absolutely. 



The number 1 “Box Office Magic Potion” is Song Kang Ho. Four out of the 5 giant production companies selected him and the remaining company voted him second. He is the current highest paid Korean actor, commanding KRW1,000,000,000 per movie. This high salary reflects his popularity, To put it bluntly, he is the first “go to guy” for all scripts that require an actor over 40 years oid. Investors said: “Song Kang Ho remains number one over many years because he possesses all the qualities that the Korean audience like in an actor: humor, sensitivity, dominance and acting skills that no one can match. 



Comprehensive ranking for the runner-up is Ha Jung Woo. Among the five giant production companies, one even voted him for the first place. His biggest attraction is his affinity with the audience. Investors said: “No matter what role he is given, he is able to portray the character is his own distinctive style. In addition, he has a special relationship with the audience. His success in the movies ”Terror Live” and “The Tunnel” which were adapted from webtoons elevated even more the trust audience has in him.



Comprehensive ranking for third place is Lee Byung Hun. With “Inside Men” , he earned the investors’ trust. They feel that “Lee Byung Hun has amazing acting skills which are very attractive. Whenever a Lee Byung Hun movie is mentioned, everyone looks forward to it. Furthermore, he has uncanny vision in choosing scripts. Therefore whether it is the script or his acting are worthy of trust.”



Comprehensive ranking for 4th place is Hwang Jung Min. He acts at least in one movie per year. By virtue of “Ode to My Father” and “Veteran” he became an actor with audience surpassing 10,000,000 in each of the two movies. Furthermore, most of his works return easily the capital to his investors, making him naturally the darling of investors. 



Comprehensive ranking for fifth place is Gang Don Won. Among actors in their 30s, his appearance, acting and box office strengths are the most balanced. His work ethic is serious and his crew loves him. Professional revealed: "Although his box office results have not been good lately, but he possesses a distinctive aura and is widely accepted as an actor by the film industry.



The number 1 female actress “Box Office Magic Potion” is Son Ye Jin. 

The Leading lady that guarantees success at the box office is absolutely Son Ye Jin. Her appearance in “The Last Princess” last year gave her a big hand. Two of the five giant production companies voted her number one. The remaining three companies voted her in second place. She received a total of 22 points. Although there is a big price gap between actors and actresses, Son Ye Jin is the highest paid actress. Investors said: “ Let us say that Son Ye Jin has very few failures in her works; her work ethic is great, her image is good. If you take into account her looks and acting skills, she is absolutely the champion.” 

Kim Hye Soo received comprehensive ranking for the runner up. She is a very balanced actress. Most of the professionals in the business considered that her dominance in acting is what attracts her to her audience. They praised her: “From the moment Kim Hye Soo decided to act in a movie, the value of the movie rises.” 



Comprehensive ranking for third place is Jun Ji Hyun. As her works are not numerous, there is a huge ripple effect whenever there is an announcement that she will act in a movie. Professionals analyzed as follows: “She does not act in too many movies, but every appearance is enough to release public curiosity. Her popularity will rise to heated levels. However what is uncertain is whether the movie would be successful, unlike Son Ye Jin who has been proven in her works. Her image and popularity are really good, but the feeling of stability is lacking. 



Han Hyo Joo ranks fourth. Although investors put a lot of emphasis on the age and sex on their analysis, but strictly from the acting point of view, Han Hyo Joo is trusted by her audience. Investors said: “Whenever Han Hyo Joo is casted in a lead role, there is never any objection. She is steadfast, and steady actress. Her looks, acting skills, friendliness, positively striving image are very balanced. 



Comprehensive ranking for fifth place is Jeon Do Yeon who received Best Actress in the Cannes Film Festival. Professionals have this to say: “ Although her acting skills are very solid, but her choice of scripts are very different. Rating for her works has wide margins. She received praises for her acting, but her box office disappoints and is regretful. 

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July 25, 2017

Two decades with JEON Do-yeon
Two directors met JEON at BIFAN

by KIM Su-bin / KoBiz

This year’s BiFan hosted “Contact”, a special retrospective that celebrated the 20 year film career of JEON Do-yeon. The retrospective screened all 17 of her movies including her film debut The Contact (1997), Secret Sunshine (2007) for which she won 9 best actress prizes including the Cannes International Film Festival, and her most recent work A Man and A Woman (2016). Additionally, press conferences and guest visits were also held with JEON, giving audiences a chance to interact with the acclaimed star. KoBiz attended ‘Directors Meet JEON’ which was held on July 15 at CGV Bucheon. At this event JUNG Ji-woo of Happy End (1999) and OH Seung-uk of The Shameless (2015) had a talk with JEON.
 
“I cannot act unless persuaded.”

“I built a skeleton and JEON brought it to life, with flesh and blood,” says OH, looking back on the first shooting they had. “My murmuring lines finally became a character,” remembers JUNG, the very moment when JEON began reading the script. What they wanted to mention in common was ‘vitality.’ 
 
JEON learned the importance of communication between the director and with fellow actors when shooting Happy End. “In the past, the only thing that mattered to me was how to express what the director wanted. Nobody cared what I thought, and I did not dare say it either. However, JUNG kept asking my opinion. I felt he was respecting what I wanted to do.”
 
Still, there are bound to be conflicts when shooting. “When we have a conflict, I listen to what the director has to say first, and tell him what I think. I ask him to persuade me. I’ll never be that character if I just do what I’m told. OH introduced such an anecdote. In The Shameless there is a scene where JEON is to stab KIM Nam-gil with a knife. But JEON told me that she may not stab him if she is not up to it. So I was very much nervous the entire day, thinking maybe I wrote the script wrong. Then JEON finally said she felt like it.” JEON says she kept thinking why, until she finally understood KIM Hye-kyung, the character she was playing, and felt KIM through her character. “I finally understood their way of loving, those who were living like beasts.” OH adds “JEON is very strict with herself. She would never attempt to deceive the audience.” 

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 “Hard working personas in the film are reflections of myself”

 

In the middle of the event, JUNG asked an interesting question: “Don’t you feel bored to be back to real life, from the exciting film scene?” JEON says she is often asked similar questions by her daughter as well: “Mom, what do you find fun?” “It is true that I find film making the most exciting. It is fascinating. During shooting you don’t even sleep well but I love it. After 2-3 months of such excitement, I indeed feel bored to be back to real life. I would ask myself ‘how much more of these boring days?’ I envy guy actors in that aspect. They are fully booked for the next couple of years. For some, shooting looks like a normal 9 to 5 job where you go to work everyday. They would tell me to get a hobby or something, but nothing interests me.”
 
JUNG went on with more interesting questions. “Are actors born to be an actor or are they trained to be one?” JEON replies that you have to have natural sentiments. “You have know how to express emotion, and that is something you are born with. However, as you live on, you learn new things from sufferings. That is what you only can learn as your life goes on.” OH reckons that JEON has a superb capacity for empathy. “She identifies herself with those weak and suffering people. I guess that is the very essence of JEON as an actress.”
 
One participant asked her why she often plays self-sacrificing characters, to which JEON replied that it is part of her own personality. “I kind of lose myself when I am acting. I don’t care if I get hurt or wounded, because what I am doing and what I will be doing are so important for me. I know too much sacrifice makes people uncomfortable, but that is how I am.” Another participant added that JEON’s characters are very much self empowered and strong. “I sometimes want to play a weak character that is loved by a lot of people, but it is just not me.” commented JEON. 
 
“As a girl, I never dreamed of becoming an actress.”

 

A participant asked JEON what it is like to be an actress in the Korean film industry. JEON replied “These days films are divided into men’s films and women’s films. Genres are gender specific as well, about which I am not at all happy. This trend has been so long that I get extremely bored as well. It is not just me, but my fellow actresses as well. They envy the kind of characters that I used to play in the 90s, that you rarely meet these days.”
 
JEON confesses that she has an insatiable appetite for characters. “I like all kinds of characters. I want to be in every film that there is, playing their women’s versions. For example, a women’s version of Ocean’s Eleven, and so on. They say I have been on the screen for the past 20 years and what more is there that I should want to do. They are wrong, there is a lot more for me to do. But look at them, these directors only employ guy actors. They say they want to work with me, but none of them actually gave me an offer.” She was being sarcastic and passionate at the same time.
 
JEON reminisces on the times she used to be an ordinary kid at school. “I never dreamed of becoming an actress, thinking that only special people can make it. So at the beginning of my film career, I thought I could quit it anytime I wanted to. But as I went on, I found out how much I loved acting and what it meant to me.” JEON says she feels like she is dreaming to have her own retrospective. “I refused it at first. Now I think it is a good thing that I finally said yes. I guess it is kind of a mid term exam, where I can begin things again. I am very much grateful for the audience, and feel deeply touched to be here, blessed with great joy and energy.”

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August 16, 2017

Actress Jeon Do Yeon Donates Movie Tickets to Teenagers in Jecheon

Source: The ChosunIlbo

Actress Jeon Do-yeon made a cash donation worth 500 movie tickets at this year's Jecheon International Music and Film Festival, which wrapped up on Tuesday.

Actress Jeon Do-yeon (2nd from left) poses after making a donation at the Jecheon International Music and Film Festival.

The donation will be used to offer cinema experiences to underprivileged teenagers in Jecheon.

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Photo List: Dynamic Acting Studio, Seoul  @d.a.studio_korea

 

Talented, admirable and respectable Korean actors

 

#HwangJungMin #JeonDoYeon # ChoJinWoong # ChunWooHee
#NaMoonHee #YooHaeJin #HanSukKyu # KimHyeSoo 
#SongKangHo #SulKyungGu# MoonSoRi #KwakDoWon 
#OhDalSu #BaeDooNa #JoSeungWoo #KimHyeJa  
#LeeSunGyun #GongHyoJin # KimYoonSeok #JangJinYoung 
#LeeByungHun #KimYunJin #GoHyunJung #ParkHaeIl

 

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October 9, 2017

 

Jeon Do Yeon To Appear On JTBC’s New Variety Show

 

Source: Soompi by Y. Chang

 

 

Actress Jeon Do Yeon will appear on JTBC’s new variety show “Rated G” (literal title).

 

After a year since starring in tvN’s drama “The Good Wife,” Jeon Do Yeon decided to join “Rated G” after she was asked by Im Pil Sung, the director of movie “Scarlet Innocence.” She revealed that it was because she supported the show’s goal of promoting independent films.

 

Led by Moon So Ri, Yoon Jong Shin, and Kim Gura, “Rated G” is a reality show featuring how Korea’s popular directors make short movies. The movies made by 10 directors will be screened through the program’s online live channel each time and face viewers’ evaluation. Profit made through this project will be dedicated to promoting numerous independent films.

 

“Rated G” is set to air its first episode on October 15 at 10:30 p.m. KST.

 

Source (1)

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November 28, 2017

 

Max Movie - My Daily Survey | 

Kim Hye Soo tops movie ticket power for 2 consecutive years

 

Source: Max Movie

 

 

Max Movie - My Daily has conducted a survey from November 3 till November 20 which revealed the list of the best female movie actresses with the highest ticket power in Korea.

 

The ranking as follows:

 

1. Kim Hye Soo

2. Son Ye Jin

3. Moon So Ri 

4. Jeon Do Yeon

5. Chun Woo Hee

6. Ra Mi Ran

7. Gong Hyo Jin

8. Kim Tae Ri

9. Jeon Ji Hyun

10. Han Hyo Joo

 

^ Details of participants taking part in the survey conducted.

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Clips: frisatur0000

#Throwback #HarmoniumInMyMemory #LeeByungHun #JeonDoYeon #BehindTheScenes

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March 24, 2018

 

[Guest Film Review] "Secret Sunshine"

 

Source: HanCinema.net

 

 

Drama and, quite frequently, melodrama seems to be the genre Koreans love the most. Lee Chang-dong has proven himself, repeatedly, to be the contemporary master of the genre through his deep explorations of human soul and "Secret Sunshine" is another testament to the fact. The film won the award for Best Film at the Asian Film Awards and at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and sold 1,710,364 tickets nationwide in South Korea alone.

 

The script is based on the short fiction "The Story of a Bug" by Lee Cheong-joon and revolves around Lee Sin-ae, a woman whose husband recently died instigating her somewhat baseless decision to move to his hometown, Miryang (the literal translation of the town's name is Secret Sunshine) along with her little boy. On their way there, her car breaks down and Kim Jong-chan, a local mechanic comes to her help, with the two of them immediately becoming friends, although he seems to want much more from her. Sin-ae soon manages to adapt to her new environment, as much as her son does, despite some minor incidents of gossip, particularly with the help of Kim, who follows her around like a puppy. Soon though, another tragedy hits her already fate-stricken life, when on a night she is out drinking, her son is abducted. After the shocking events, Lee finds herself completely devastated, joining a local cult after the repeated pleas of a local pharmacist, and trying to fight grief that reaches the borders of madness. All the while, Kim stays by her side.

 

Lee Chang-dong directs a highly insightful, heart-breaking drama about a woman who finds herself completely unable to control her fate, and subsequently, her life, with devastating consequences. As the director deconstructs her, he makes a point of highlighting the fact that the disasters finding her are not only instigated by fate, as a general concept, but also by her poor decisions. In this manner, Lee avoids the reef of the melodrama, instead presenting a highly realistic drama.

 

 

The portrait of a woman that gradually succumbs to madness, not being able to fathom her misery and her responsibility, is definitely the focal point of the film, but is not the only one. Dealing with grief is another one, with Lee highlighting the fact that this is not always possible, particularly when combined with loneliness, which is another state-of-mind that seems to permeate Sin-ae. These two concepts benefit the most by the outstanding performance of Jeon Do-yeon, who presents her deconstruction and the fact that she is not completely logical from the beginning of the story, in the most impressive manner. Lee Chang-dong, as is his usual tactic with his protagonists, demanded a lot from her, having her present a number of psychological statuses and different behaviors, and she delivers to the fullest, anchoring the film in the process.

 

Another focal point of the film, although on a secondary level, is religion and particularly the concept of the cults, with Lee portraying it with documentary-like realism. The fact the Sin-ae finds some temporary solace in the cult, after some hard proselytizing from the pharmacist who seems to perceive her blights as an opportunity to draw her in, but does not avoid succumbing to madness in the end, presents Lee's comment on the matter, subtly, but rather obviously.

 

 

Song Kang-ho as Kim Jong-chan does, once more, what he does better than any Korean actor, presenting a character that lingers between the dramatic and the comic with his trademark gusto, with his performance providing a much needed relief from the dramatic nature of the movie.

 

Regarding the production values, Lee Chang-dong aims at simplicity here with Jo Yong-kyu's cinematography implementing his will to the letter, mostly composing the film with "plain" shots. The same applies to Kim Hyun-II's editing, which allows the film to flow smoothly, stripped of complex narrative mechanisms and the surrealism of Lee's previous films, thus allowing the focus to be on the story.

 

"Secret Sunshine" is another great film by the Korean master, and a truly shuttering portrait of a woman, stripped though, by the forced instigation of sentimentality so frequently associated with the melodrama.

 

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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April 9, 2018

 

JEON Do-yeon and SUL Kyung-gu to Celebrate BIRTHDAY
Stars Reunite for Sewol Ferry Drama

 

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

 

 

Seventeen years after appearing together in PARK Heung-sik’s romantic drama I Wish I Had a Wife (2001), stars JEON DO-yeon and SUL Kyung-gu are reuniting for the upcoming film Birthday (working title). Marking the feature debut of former LEE Chang-dong assistant director LEE Jong-eun, the film focuses on the events of the Sinking of the MV Sewol on April 16, 2014.

 

The film will follow a wife and her husband who grapple with the sudden passing of their son during the Sewol Ferry Disaster that gripped the nation. JEON plays the wife who tries to support her family after the event by working in a grocery store while SUL deals with the guilt he feels for not having been there for his family when the tragedy occurred.

 

LEE Jong-eun formerly worked as a script supervisor on LEE Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine (2007), as an assistant director on A Brand New Life (2009), which was produced by LEE, and in the directing department of LEE’s Poetry (2010).

 

JEON’s last film was LEE Yoon-ki’s melodrama A Man and a Woman (2016), following which she returned to the small screen after a long absence for the Korean adaptation of The Good Wife. SUL has been quite busy of late, appearing in four films in 2017 (The Merciless, Lucid Dream, MEMOIR OF A MURDERER and 1987: When the Day Comes), and has several films on the way in 2018, including I Want to See Your Parents’ Faces and Idol.

 

Both actors have garnered enormous acclaim for working with LEE Chang-dong in the past. SUL established himself through the films Peppermint Candy (2000) and Oasis (2002), while JEON earned the Best Actress Award from the Cannes Film Festival for Secret Sunshine in 2007.

 

Birthday will go into production in April and will be financed and distributed by Next Entertainment World and produced by LEE Chang-dong’s company PINEHOUSE FILM, as well as NOWFILM and TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016) outfit REDPETER FILMS.

[rubie]

June 28, 2018

 

Kakao to Invest in Talent Agencies

 

By Jang Hyeong-tae The Chosun Ilbo

 

Kakao M, a subsidiary of dotcom giant Kakao, is taking steps to buy three entertainment management agencies.

 

Kakao already owns Melon, Korea's No. 1 online music-streaming site.

 

Kakao M said Wednesday it will buy a stake in BH Entertainment, which has among its stable of actors Lee Byung-hun, Ko Soo, Yoo Ji-tae and Han Ga-in. It will also acquire a partial stake in J,Wide Company, which manages Lee Sang-yoon and Daniel Choi. It did not say how much it is paying. 

 

It also signed a strategic tie-up agreement with Soop Entertainment which manages actors like Gong Yoo, Kong Hyo-jin and Jeon Do-yeon.

 

The move is aimed at tapping into the resurgent Korean Wave and using the entertainment business as a bridge to access overseas markets.

 

Kakao M plans to spin off its contents business into a separate unit. Lee Jae-wook, head of Kakao M, said, "We will take the new unit public next year.

[rubie]

January 1, 2019 

 

'Parasite' headlines Korean cinema in 2019

 

Spoiler

Actor Song Kang-ho is seen in Bong Joon-ho's new film "Parasite." / Courtesy of CJ Entertainment

 

By Jason Bechervaise The Korea Times

 

Last year it was Lee Chang-dong's "Burning" that stood out. He certainly didn't disappoint. In 2019 it is Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" that holds the most promise in terms of the Korean films set to hit screens over the next twelve months. 

 

In truth, this year it's looking a bit lighter than usual, perhaps reflecting two concerns for the industry: a string of high-profile films such as Kim Jee-woon's "Illang: The Wolf Brigade" flopped in 2018, while working regulations to limit the amount of hours crews can work is set to increase budgets. 

 

That being said, there is still much to look forward to. Indeed, in 2018 there were encouraging signs in the form of mid-budget features such as "Little Forest" and "On Your Wedding Day" that succeeded in pulling in the crowds. Some of the best Korean films have been produced on such budgets making this a healthy development for the industry.

 

'Parasite'

 

Quite possibly premiering in Cannes in May with a local release soon to follow, there is much to anticipate with a new Bong Joon-ho film. But this new feature is notable because it will mark his return to Korean language films; his last Korean film that was not an international co-production was "Mother" in 2009. 

 

Starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong and Jang Hye-jin, it follows two families who are markedly different yet also alike. Shot around the country including Jeonju where a set was built for the film, comparisons are already being made to Kim Ki-young's 1960 classic "The Housemaid" that centres on a family. 

 

Much like Lee Chang-dong, Bong is incapable of making a bad film. Expect this to feature in top 10 lists at the end of 2019.

 

'Hit-and-Run Squad'

 

Released in time for the Lunar New Year season, Han Jun-hee's action-thriller looks promising. Han who brought us the thrilling "Coin Locker Girl" brings together Kong Hyo-jin ("Door Lock") and Ryoo Joon-yeol ("Believer"). The pair work together on a hit-and-run squad to bring down a former formula one racing driver who has become a businessman. 

 

'Beasts that Cling to the Straw'

 

Featuring a host of names including Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung and Youn Yuh-jung, it's the casting that makes this one to look out for. Directed by Kim Yong-hoon, the mystery-thriller is an adaptation of Sone Keisuke's novel of the same name. It follows a number of characters as they find themselves in challenging circumstances. 

 

'Birthday'

 

Also starring Jeon Do-yeon is the first commercial film to deal with the 2014 tragic Sewol ferry sinking. The actress will play a woman who is coming to terms with the death of her son who was on board the ship, while Sul Kyung-gu will star as the boy's father. The drama will mark the feature debut of Lee Jong-eun who has worked under Lee Chang-dong on "Secret Sunshine" and "Poetry." 

 

'Astronomy'

 

Han Suk-kyu and Choi Min-sik reunite in Hur Jin-ho's period drama about Korea's most revered monarch King Sejong, and the renowned scientist and inventor Jang Yeong-sil. Han will play the King, while Choi has been cast as Jang. The pair played leading roles in the seminal action-thriller "Shiri" (1999) that ushered in the local blockbuster era. Famous for his melodramas, Hur Jin-ho also collaborated with Han Suk-kyu on his iconic film "Christmas in August." The director will be hoping to repeat the success of his period film "The Last Princess" that was a commercial hit in 2016. 

 

'Naratmalssami'

 

Another period film also centered on King Sejong to be released in 2019 is Cho Chul-hyun's feature debut. Featuring Song Kang-ho and Park Hae-il, the film follows the King (Song) and the monk who assisted him (Park). King Sejong is famous for having created Hangul, the Korean writing system. Cho has produced a number of films including many of Lee Joon-ik's features, while he also co-wrote Lee's "The Throne" ― also starring Song Kang-ho. 

 

'Find Me'

 

In her first role in a feature since Park Chan-wook's "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" Lee Young-ae's return to the big screen is bound to attract attention. The actress plays the mother of a boy with cognitive impairment who goes missing and she goes looking for him. The film marks the feature debut of Kim Seung-woo. 

 

'Chiefs of Namsan'

 

Although Woo Min-ho's "Drug King" was a disappointment, his next political thriller about the former Korean Central Intelligence Agency Chief Kim Jae-gyu who assassinated former President Park Chung-hee in 1979 sounds intriguing. With Lee Byung-hun playing the lead role as Kim Gyu-pyung (based on Kim Jae-kyu), it is perhaps more in line with his hit "Inside Men" than his more recent film that failed to fully integrate the turbulent 1970s backdrop. Given the story, comparisons to Im Sang-soo's "The President's Last Bang" are inevitable. 

 

Other films 

 

There are also a host of other films set to greet audiences this year. Kim Joo-hwan who made the immensely entertaining "Midnight Runners" is helming the action film "The Divine Fury" starring Park Seo-joon. Kwon Oh-kwang ("Collective Invention) will bring us "Tazza 3," Jang Jae-hyun ("The Priests") returns to Catholicism in "Sabaha," Won Sin-yeon ("The Suspect") is set to provide much spectacle in the period action film "Battle," while Kwak Kyung-taek and Kim Tae-hoon are partnering up for the Korean War film "The Battle of Jangsari" that will star Hollywood actress Megan Fox. 

 

Jason Bechervaise is professor of entertainment and arts management at Korea Soongsil Cyber University.