[movie 2009] Paju 파주

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Paju To Be Released Oct 29

Nigel D’Sa (KOFIC)

Oct 22 2009

Korean distributor MK Pictures is to release PARK Chan-ok’s second feature, Paju, which recently had its World Premiere in competition at the Pusan International Film Festival where it won the NETPAC award. A release date on select screens across the nation is set for October 29.

Starring LEE Sun Kyun (Sagwa), SEO Woo (Crush and Blush), SHIM Yi Young, and KIM Bo Kyoung, it is an atmospheric tale of a schoolgirl (SEO) in love with her sister’s husband (LEE). When her sister dies mysteriously, she suspects him of murder and complex emotions arise between them.

The film played to positive and highly impressed reviews during the festival with SEO’s performance a highlight. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that “Seo delivers one of the most believable depictions of conflicted female emotion as has ever been put on film in Korea.”

Screen International said of director PARK, “This should help to cement Park’s reputation as one of Korea’s most talented art-house directors” while Variety praised the film’s handling of elements of melodrama, action and mystery, saying they “make it function like a Bergmanesque thriller.”

PARK’s directorial debut was the critically praised drama Jealousy Is My Middle Name (2001). Paju is set in the city it takes its title from, a developing city, located close to the North/South Korean border.

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Press Preview + Press Conference

CGV Yongsan

October 21, 2009

Video|DL / Video / Video / Video

via http://blog.naver.com/paju2009/90072202121

credit as labelled + Yahoo

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VIP Premiere

CGV Gangnam

October 22, 2009 8:00pm

Videos

mms://vod.cine21.com/cine21.com/movie/making/2009/10/paju_vipsisa.wmv

[MultiUpload] [Streaming]

http://vod1.ytnstar.co.kr/ytnstar/general/...101175784_s.wmv

[Streaming] [YouTube] [YouTube]

(English subbed) [MultiUpload] <credit: cutiepie's drama goodies>

via Cine21, Break News, http://blog.naver.com/paju2009/90072202268

Oh Man-Seok

Lee Min-Ki

Im Joo-Hwan

PD Lee Yoon-Jung

Yoon Eun-Hye

Kim Dong-Wook

Lee Jung-Jae

Yoon Kye-Sang

Song Joong-Ki

Director Park Chan-Wook

Director Lee Kyung-Mi

Lee Jong-Hyuk

Bang Eun-Jin

Lee Young-Hoon

Uhm Jung-Hwa

Park Sol-Mi

Jo Eun-Ji

Kang Byul

Seo Young-Hee

Yoo Hae-Jin

Kang Sung-Jin

Lee Dae-Yeon

???

Yoo Hae-Jin, Bang Eun-Jin

Uhm Jung-Hwa, Seo Young-Hee

Kim Chang-Wan, Yoon Kye-Sang

credit as labelled + Yahoo

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Special Screening

Lotte Cinema Yeongdeungpo

October 26, 2009

via MaxMovie

via http://blog.naver.com/paju2009/90072489650

<clickable thumbnail>

credit: Daum

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Stage Greeting

KTX Cinema

October 30, 2009

credit as labelled + Naver

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[PREVIEW] Movie "Paju"

by Beck Una, 10Asia (Korean) | Asia Economic Daily (English)

2009.10.12 | 2009.10.30 18:09

He was my sister's husband. I was in middle school. My sister died. I became an adult. We live together. I am in love with him. Does he love me too?

This is the second film by director Park Chan-ok, her first in seven years, starring Lee Sun-kyun and Seo Woo which was shown at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival. If her debut film "Jealousy Is My Middle Name", containing impressive lines such as "Don't sleep with the editor-in-chief, I'm good too", was about jealous and envious males growing up, "Paju" is a journey of one man and one woman who move and leave tracks of their impressions rather than words.

The film's title and setting of Gyeonggi-do "Paju" is more than just a location. It is a third character within the film and, at the same time, serves as a hub for all the accidents and incidents. A momentary passion causes huge incidents such as an unexpected accident, a mysterious fire and a strike for a removal, which are lined up like bus stops. And the mysterious death of the older sister and forbidden emotions between the husband and sister-in-law are used as two headlights which will very slowly and cautiously proceed, as if driving on a local road at night in fog.

The movie again confirms the strength of Lee as an actor, hidden by his beautiful voice and romantic image, in well-balanced acting as he finds the right temperature for him between the cold (guilt, resignation) and hot (passion, love) emotions. Actress Seo Woo, who displayed both strength and loveliness in MBC TV series "Tamra, the Island", further broadens her spectrum as an actor. Cinematography director Kim Woo-hyung's outstanding photography skills consistently maintains the calm, blue-toned screen and makes even the most subtle texture of fog come alive. It is textbook material on how to maintain the essence of an unattractive scenery but capture it in an attractive way.

Those who were unable to come down to Pusan this year or missed a showing at PIFF may rest assured. The cool and blue journey of love, the road to the city of fog "Paju" will open to the audience throughout around the country on October 27.

Editor in Chief : Beck Una one@10asia.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

South Korea at AFM

1 November, 2009 | By Jean Noh, Screen International

Leading ladies are set to dazzle

M-Line Distribution is presenting Cho Chang-ho’s melodrama Lovers Vanished at the AFM. Now in post, it stars Kim Nam-gil and Hwang Woo Seul-hye. And competitive foodie drama Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle is in production, set for local release in early 2010. The company also has the Pusan festival standout Paju, a complicated love story from Jealousy Is My Middle Name director Park Chan-ok, and has taken on European sales for martial-arts fantasy Jeon Woo Chi: The Taoist Wizard for Europe (United Pictures has it for the rest of the world). Hit director Choi Dong-hoon is in post with the film, which stars Gang Dong-won, Kim Yoon-suk and Lim Soo-jung.

Showbox Mediaplex is selling E J-yong’s ensemble drama Actress, with a cast of leading Korean names including Go Hyun-jung and Yoon Yeo-jung as actresses mingling on a fashion shoot. The film is due to be completed by early December.

CJ Entertainment is selling comedy Killer Bride’s Perfect Crime, directed by Goro Ki$hitani (Crows: Episode 0) and starring Juri Ueno and Yoshino Kimura; and So Sang-min’s young-adult drama I’m In Trouble, recently awarded the Pusan film festival’s New Currents Award.

Mirovision has the remake of Kim Ki-young’s The Housemaid in pre-production — the film’s director has been switched from Gina Kim to Im Sang-soo (A Good Lawyer’s Wife) with a casting announcement pending.

FineCut has Lee Chang-dong’s drama Poetry in production, starring Yoon Jung-hee, and black comedy thriller Enemy At The Deadend. Co-directed by Owen Cho and Kim Sang-hwa and starring Chun Ho-jin and Yoo Hae-jin, the film is in post.

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Box Office <credit: KOBIS>

2009/10/30 ~ 2009/11/01

5. 파주

Opening Date: 2009/10/28

3-day Admissions: 55,667

Total Admissions: 79,685

3-day Gross: 421,531,500

Total Gross: 576,433,500

Screens: 215

2009/11/06 ~ 2009/11/08

10. 파주

Opening Date: 2009/10/28

3-day Admissions: 14,872

Total Admissions: 118,498

3-day Gross: 112,725,000

Total Gross: 858,160,000

Screens: 213

2009/11/13 ~ 2009/11/15

13. 파주

Opening Date: 2009/10/28

3-day Admissions: 1,821

Total Admissions: 126,552

3-day Gross: 13,175,000

Total Gross: 914,673,500

Screens: 37

http://blog.naver.com/paju2009/90072219024

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http://www.koreanfilm.org/kfilm09.html#paju

Paju

Paju is a small city located to the northwest of Seoul, quite literally a stone's throw from North Korea. These days it is being developed into a kind of artists' community, with the city government trying to attract book publishers and the like. But the film Paju takes place somewhat earlier, between the years of 1995 and 2003. The city we see in the film is a kind of in-between place, no longer rural but not yet urban, with the fast-paced development attracting gangster types and causing disturbance among long-term residents. For one of the film's main characters, it starts as a place of escape and eventually becomes his home. For another character, it is a childhood home, but the need for escape beckons.

Paju is about the complicated relationship between a young girl and her brother-in-law -- and by "relationship" I don't mean to imply that this is a love story. These are two people whose lives have been upended by freak accidents. The man, Joong-shik (Lee Seon-gyun), is burdened with guilt over a tragic event that took place at the home of his lover in 1995. Later he moves to Paju and marries a woman named Eun-su (Shim I-young). But her younger sister Eun-mo (Seo Woo), who lives with them, has an instinctive distrust of her new brother-in-law. Soon another freak accident will take place, which will lead to additional bouts of trauma, guilt, confusion, and eventually, suspicion.

It took seven years for director Park Chan-ok to complete this follow-up to her critically praised debut film Jealousy Is My Middle Name (2002), another slow-burning drama about people concealing inner emotional storms. Paju is recognizably the work of the same director, but it is broader in scale, more difficult, and, in my opinion, a greater accomplishment. It is without question one of the best Korean films of 2009.

In part, it is the film's willful obscurity that gives it its strength. The narrative is laid out in a patchwork of flashbacks and flash-forwards that replicate the jumbled manner in which the brain stores painful memories. Making sense of it all at first is a mental challenge, but the film gives back at least as much as you put into it. Personally I liked that the story's misunderstandings persist through to the end: this is not a film where all characters come around to accept the same interpretation of the events we have witnessed. Because each character carries a different understanding -- and no character possesses complete knowledge of what happened -- there is a layered complexity to the film's emotions.

Park is also quite skilled at structuring her story in a manner that suggests broader themes without pushing them into your face. The concept of home reappears throughout the film, notably in a plot thread about a group of displaced residents, led by Joong-shik, who fight against construction workers and hired thugs to prevent the demolition of an apartment complex. At the same time Eun-mo is fighting to keep her own home, not because she needs a place to stay but because it represents the memory of her deceased parents. For Joong-shik, the fight to save the apartment complex is grounded in his political beliefs, and the pitched battle that breaks out towards the film's end, with rocks and Molotov cocktails being hurled at bulldozers, recall Korea's political battles of recent decades. But eventually he faces a situation where his social ideals come into conflict with his personal feelings and responsibilities towards Eun-mo.

Paju's other key strength is the sheer cinematic pleasure of watching it. It is a beautiful film, not in a glossy colorful sense, but in the grainy quality of its foggy, unsaturated tones and shadows. Cinematographer Kim Woo-hyung, who has collaborated in the past with Im Sang-soo and Jang Sun-woo, deserves much of the credit for this. The acting is also top notch across the whole cast, with actress Seo Woo receiving particular notice for her performance. She is not a complete newcomer, having won a couple awards for her portrayal of the daughter in last year's Crush and Blush, but this is clearly her breakout role. The character of Eun-mo fits her like a glove, and given that this film is at its core a coming-of-age story, she projects an emotional vulnerability and independent-minded determination that represents what is most memorable about Paju. Seo will probably go on to make many more great films, but I suspect she'll always be best remembered for her performance in this one. (Darcy Paquet)

Again, from Darcy:

2010.01.01: Best Korean films of 2009

[...]

Film magazine Cine21 polled 35 critics and collated the (interestingly diverse) results to determine the following ranking for the year's best films: (1) Mother, (2) Like You Know It All, (3) Paju, (4) Thirst, (5) Breathless. I was included among the 35 critics, and my top five was published in the magazine, but now I'm going to contradict myself and rearrange spots 3-5. Here is my personal top 10:

1. Paju

2. Thirst

3. Like You Know It All

4. Mother

5. A Brand New Life

6. The Actresses

7. Possessed

8. I Am Happy

9. The Pit and the Pendulum

10. Daytime Drinking

The top two films on this list were true standouts for me. Thirst has proven to be an audience divider, but it may well be my favorite Park Chan-wook film. It definitely felt like the first step in a new direction for Park (is it demeaning of his previous work to say that this film felt more mature?). With time I may well change my mind and consider it the best film of 2009. Meanwhile Paju really hit a nerve in me. It's a complex film whose complexities only seem to grow deeper the more you consider them. And I liked it as much for what it didn't show as for what it did. (I can feel that these vague, abstract comments are unconvincing arguments, but how can you to justice to such films in just a few lines?)

[...]

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[K-FILM REVIEWS] 파주 (Paju)

By X, Twitch

December 21, 2009 5:44 AM

You'll never fully realize how beautiful fog can be until you see it from a balcony, as it embraces an entire valley in the early morning, like an ocean of white you'd love to swim in; It's as if, for a very fleeting moment, you could stare at creation from above the clouds. Of course, deep inside the situation is much different: visibility is close to zero, and all the ethereal sights you previously witnessed amount to now is hazy and disconcerting ambiguity - the sinister feeling that you're going somewhere, but you really have no idea where it is; you feel reluctance to continue, but then again it always beats staying put in this hell on earth. Narratively speaking, fog can be quite the powerful device, particularly if you use it with consistent and effective zeal. The moral and emotional fog of a good noir film, for instance, can be just as alluring and glamorous as the sexy cigarette smoke which pervades those frames like a lingering presence working in the background. The most comfortable way of using this narrative device is putting the viewer on top, as he stares at that endless fog down the valley from the balcony of that mountain cottage: they don't tell you what's inside that ambiguous sea of white, which in turn becomes a character of its own, something you approach detachedly (not necessarily from an emotional standpoint). But then you find films which toss you inside the fog, and that's when the experience becomes truly interesting, and all the more challenging. Like in Park Chan-Ok's 파주 (Paju), for instance.

Now a vibrant "new city" in Gyeonggi Province, status which the former county only gained in 1997, Paju had always been a very important center in the peninsula, even going back to prehistoric cultures. Along with Gaeseong (known as Gaegyeong back in Goryeo, and later Songdo during part of the Joseon dynasty) and Pyeongyang up north, the area was one of the most populated amongst all the eight provinces of Joseon, almost on par with administrative centers like Hanseong (Seoul) and other cities down south. Becoming Korea's military mecca after liberation, the city is now trying to establish itself as a cultural hub with the construction of the Paju Book City, over 1.5 million square meters of eco-friendly land completely devoted to the publishing industry, a cultural oasis for writers, critics and public alike. Exactly why Park chose this rapidly growing city for her long awaited-return to Chungmuro is not immediately clear, but in a way reminds of the same traits which led Lee Chang-Dong to choose Miryang in South Gyeongsang province for his 밀양 (Secret Sunshine): we're dealing with places that have a certain personality of their own, enough to make them an invisible companion, always looming behind the corner. In this case, it might certainly be the contradictions of a rapidly urbanizing area clashing with the strong cultural undercurrent which surrounds it - to again use the Lee Chang-Dong model, just like what Ilsan's all too rapid change meant for Han Suk-Gyu's character in his 초록물고기 (Green Fish). But more than such dilemma, Park uses Paju as that big white ocean of fog, enveloping the characters and their ambiguous emotions. It's without a doubt one of the most cerebral films of the year, in no small part because of such approach to storytelling - if the constant back and forth between past and present was not enough.

At the center of this story is the journey of guilt Joong-Shik (Lee Seon-Gyun) experiences, as his entire existence becomes dominated by ambiguous clouds of misfortune and guilt. His relationship with his first love-cum-older schoolmate's girlfriend turns into tragedy, when her infant daughter is severely injured as a result, wounds which hurt him even more than the poor kid. He then moves to Paju to escape from the repercussions of his student activism, where he meets and eventually marries Eun-Soo (Shim Yi-Young), despite the reservations of younger sister Eun-Mo (Seo Woo). Another tragedy strikes, and we find ourselves in 2003 (seven years later), with Joong-Shik still living in Paju, and Eun-Mo returning from years spent in India, journey which certainly didn't help dispelling her skepticism regarding Jung-Shik, particularly now that her suspicions about him even worsened.

Once again, you can blame Chungmuro's marketing gurus for purposely painting a rather misleading picture of what we were going to get in the finished product. Or maybe it was a smart move, if filling theaters was the one and only bottom line? The film only sold in the low six figures, but indie fare of this kind only gets 3~50,000 tickets at best, so call it a success, if you will. The idea which transpired from various trailers and music videos was that of a very dark melodrama about the "forbidden" love between a man and his sister-in-law in a maelstrom of moral ambiguity. From a pure business standpoint, it certainly would make sense to go that way, but if you let the marketing machine influence your expectations, you're likely to leave this experience with regrets and ennui, for Paju is most definitely a Park Chan-Ok film through and through, with all the strengths and weaknesses which come with the territory. We're dealing with layers upon layers of ambiguity, characters rarely expressing themselves in an explicit way, making the process of connecting the dots a bit like finding your way home amidst the fog (which Paju does indeed have copious amounts of, particularly in this film). The idea would be that of looking at the characters in a more detached way (from that cottage balcony, so to speak), but that is something you can only achieve with a second or third viewing, as you will be much too busy trying to find any visible narrative or emotional thread the first time in.

And that might not be the most rewarding of experiences, truth to be told. Paju is a clever, mature film which deals with very real and significant issues by taking off all the unnecessary frills and just presenting them raw, crude and bare. But unless you approach its storytelling with that fog (emotional and in terms of character development) in mind, a lot of this is going to feel like the countless smarmy indie projects which scrape the bottom of Chungmuro's barrel every year, more concerned about manifesting their uniqueness and alleged artistic merit than actually banking on fundamentals, good acting and clever ideas. Particularly one big revelation at the end, if taken out of that context, will come completely out of the blue. Some Korean critics smartly suggested that the film never really gave us any hint leading to that moment, and that the screws all start to fit together only when post-mortem rumination begins. That, of course, is the effect of approaching this work from "inside the fog," trying to follow narrative paths which Park never really wants you to trail. The idea is, it all works and somewhat makes sense if you see Joong-Shik's behavior as a journey of guilt, some form of atonement its very ambiguous destination. The same goes for Eun-Mo and the way she reacts to his behavior. If the trailers had suggested we were dealing with a sort of romance noir on the pitfalls of seeking the prohibited, then maybe the first, inevitable impact wouldn't have been such a crash landing.

But Paju does improve with repeated viewings, that ambiguity morphing from the film's most daunting shortcoming into what is possibly its biggest, maddeningly flawed charm. And if you ignore marketing and think about Park's debut film, the interesting (but, again, flawed) 질투는 나의 힘 (Jealousy is My Middle Name), then you'll be surprised of how similarly structured the two works are - ambiguity, characters obsessed with aspirations they can't fulfill, but still throwing themselves into the fray, be it darkness or fog. The biggest dilemma, then, becomes this reliance on ambiguity itself, which is also at the core of many a film noir's success or failure: it's great to have moral and emotional ambiguity dominating your characters, as it can only make them more humane and realistic, but if you only bank on that, then it probably will not work. It's as if you were looking for Harry Lime the entire film, knowing that you'd be served with one of the greatest entrances in all of cinema. And then a cat plays its game, and the lights shine on a passerby with a cuckoo clock hovering over his head, signaling the film's final moments as you stand unimpressed. Joong-Shik's behavior is understandable, the way he is portrayed (if seen through the aforementioned thematic "lenses") is perfectly coherent, as is the reaction Eun-Mo shows, perfectly consistent with what her character does throughout the film. But where are the spices, the fire? There are moments when the film seems just about to explode, to move onto the next level and truly live up to its potential, but such instances are quite rare. It's as if Park was content on delivering that finely crafted setup, drenching her characters in ambiguity and then scattering the pieces of this narrative puzzle about. It's the kind of film you respect and admire, but alas one with little energy and charm, perhaps because it's too concerned with the fog to care about what's moving inside.

If anything, the film will be remembered for one performance in particular. The entire cast is quite fine, from the usual marvelous job of character actors like Lee Dae-Yeon to the criminally underrated Kim Bo-Kyung - of 기담 (Epitaph) and 하얀거탑 (The White Tower) fame; from the incredibly promising Kim Ye-Ri (one of Chungmuro's newfound jewels, along with Baek Jin-Hee) to the returning Lee Gyung-Young; Lee Seon-Gyun does a respectable job in his familiar way (as in, he's always above average, but you also feel a certain 2% is missing), but it's young Seo Woo who completely steals the show. Saying she was the only choice for this kind of role would be kind of reductive (leaving out names with too much star power like Son Ye-Jin, there is a good chance that Gong Hyo-Jin, Jung Yoo-Mi and Cha Su-Yeon would have been equally good or better, for instance), but she's one of the very few young actresses in Korea who can project an air of maturity and also play much younger roles without mugging for the camera. After her exploits in 미쓰 홍당무 (Crush & Blush) and this year's 탐나는 도다 (Tamra, the Island), this role reinforces the suspicion that she might eventually grow into one of her generation's finest actresses, if she keeps balancing mainstream with more eclectic fare such as this.

Depending upon how you will approach Paju, it might turn into a rewarding - if inherently flawed - experience, but there's also a good chance it might prove to be a rather unnerving journey. Seeing it from a detached point of view will allow you to connect the dots and decode this fragmented and insidiously ambiguous tale of guilt and forbidden desire, but it's that exact detachment which robs the film of any energy, and limits any emotional involvement it might have produced. That's an inevitable risk you have to take when going for such narrative trappings. It's like throwing yourself inside the fog, and after a challenging journey finding that the view on that cottage balcony wasn't all that special...

RATING: 7

파주 (Paju)

Director: 박찬옥 (Park Chan-Ok)

Screenplay: 팍찬옥 (Park Chan-Ok)

Produced by: TPS Company

Int'l Sales: M-line Distribution

Running Time: 112 Minutes

Box Office: #121 - 133,275 Nationwide Admissions - 956 Million Won

Release: 10/28/2009 (18 and Over)

CAST: 서우 (Seo Woo), 이선균 (Lee Seon-Gyun), 심이영 (Shim Yi-Young), 김보경 (Kim Bo-Kyung), 이대연 (Lee Dae-Yeon), 김예리 (Kim Ye-Ri), 이경영 (Lee Gyung-Young)

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http://www.cineart.co.kr/wp/event/view.php...s=on&page=1

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This content has been removed by a moderator.

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http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/profe...s/opening-2010/

Paju opens IFFR 2010

Paju, the second feature film by South Korean director Park Chan-Ok will be the official opening film for the 39th International Film Festival Rotterdam on Wednesday January 27, 2010. Park Chan-Ok was the winner of a Tiger Award in 2003 for her critically appraised debut Jealousy is My Middle Name. In 2006 her sophomore feature project Paju was launched at Rotterdam’s co-production market CineMart.

Rotterdam festival director Rutger Wolfson states about Paju: “I am delighted to have the opportunity for the first time to present a Korean film to our Opening Night guests. Park Chan-Ok’s wonderful film on many levels exemplifies what the Rotterdam film festival is about: the discovery and nurturing of the world’s best independent film talent. I think Paju is a triumph of resilience and a powerful female voice from Asia, ambitious and intimate at the same time, and a film that ultimately really moves you.” The South Korean delegation that will introduce the film to Rotterdam Opening Night audience will include director Park Chan-Ok as well as lead actors Lee Seon-Gyoon and Seo Woo.

Starring Lee Seon-Gyoon, Seo Woo, Sim I-Yeong, and Kim Bo-Kyeong, Paju is the tale of a teenage schoolgirl (Seo) and her complex relation to her older sister's husband (Lee). Set in the city where it takes its name from - a longtime military area and now a developing city located close to the North/South Korean border – its elegantly complex narrative deals with guilt, love and redemption. The result is both uniquely Korean and universally resonant.

Paju played to highly impressed reviews in the Pusan film festival with Seo's performance a highlight. Screen International said of director Park, "This should help to cement Park's reputation as one of Korea's most talented art-house directors" while Variety praised the film's handling of elements of melodrama, action and mystery, saying they "make it function like a Bergmanesque thriller". The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Seo delivers one of the most believable depictions of conflicted female emotion as has ever been put on film in Korea".

Recently introduced at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), Paju won the NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award. The jury described Paju as 'a fine example of passionate, high-quality filmmaking.'

Trailer (English subbed):

[Download]

Related links:

[Variety] 'Paju' to open Rotterdam Film Festival

[Hollywood Reporter] Park Chan-Ok's 'Paju' to open Rotterdam

[Screen International] Park Chan-ok's Paju to open 39th Rotterdam film festival

[Yonhap News] S. Korea's 'Paju' to open Dutch film fest

[Korea Herald] Korea's 'Paju' to open Dutch film fest

[Korea Times] 'Paju' to Open Rocarno Film Festival

[KBS World] Int'l Film Festival Rotterdam to Open with 'Paju'

[Asia Economic Daily] Korean pic "Paju" chosen to open Rotterdam film fest

[KOFIC] PARK's Paju to Open Rotterdam Film Festival

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Dir. Park Chan-ok named top female film figure of year

2009.12.16 14:17

Korean filmmaker Park Chan-ok was named Female of the Year by Women in Film Korea, an organization of female professionals working in the Korean movie industry.

Park, who directed the film "Paju", won the top honor at the "2009 Women in Film Festival", held at Seoul's Cine Cube Multiplex on December 15.

"When I heard the news, I was so surprised that I couldn't really believe it," the director said in her acceptance speech. "Honestly, I thought, 'Do I deserve this award? I just made one movie,'" She went on to thank "the very dedicated and creative staff and actors, the audience and the producers who decided to make this movie."

"Paju", which stars Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun and actress Seo Woo, is about a forbidden love between a woman and her late sister's husband.

The movie received rave reviews from film critics all over the world, winning the NETPAC Award at the Pusan Film Festival in October and being selected as the opening film for the 39th Rotterdam International Film Festival next month.

Other winners at the event included veteran actress Kim Hye-ja ("Mother"), writer and director Bu Ji-young ("Sisters On The Road") and producer Lee Mi-yeong ("Running Turtle").

Reporter : Ko Kyoung-seok kave@asiae.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

Related links:

[Korea Times] Park Chan-ok Named Female Director of Year

[KOFIC] PARK Chan-ok Named Best Femme Filmmaker

[Chosun Ilbo] Park Chan-ok Named Female Filmmaker of 2009

[Guest yobiworld]

i found the raw you have to scroll down it's called Pazu

http://www.youtube.com/user/lakepark2#p/u/181/vAnPqmi7VHY

Im still looking for the subbed if anyone know post a link please im dying to see this

[Guest MissTJune]

The raw movie you can download Here -

http://www.asiatorrents.com/details.php?id...10e213862780b5b

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Rotterdam Fest Invites 8 Korean Films

KBS World

2010-01-22 16:20:59

The International Film Festival Rotterdam has invited eight Korean films, one of which will be the festival opener, to its 2010 event.

The festival, which has played a significant role in introducing Korean films to Europe, will run from January 27th to February seventh in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

A representative from the Pusan International Film Festival said Friday that Park Chan-ok’s “Paju” has been named the Rotterdam festival opener, while Whang Cheol-mean’s “Moscow” and Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother” will be screened at a special section dedicated to established filmmakers.

8 Korean films invited to the Rotterdam film fest

Korean movie poster "Paju" [Myung Films]

2010.01.22

Eight Korean films have been invited to the 39th annual International Rotterdam Film Festival, according to the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) committee on Friday.

Film "Moscow" directed by Whang Cheol-mean and "Mother" by director Bong Joon-ho were chosen for the Spectrum section of the festival which highlights movies that contribute to the international film culture.

Several other films including "Cafe Noir" by Jung Sung-il, "Eighteen" by Jang Kun-jae, "Possessed" by Lee Yong-ju, "Elbowroom" by Ham Kyoung-rock and "Running Turtle" by Lee Yeon-woo were chosen to be featured under the Bright Future category that spotlights new directors.

Director Park Chan-ok's second movie "Paju" will open the film fest considered one of the biggest film festivals in Europe, alongside Cannes, Venice and Berlin, and nicknamed the "Sundance of Europe." The film focuses on the forbidden love between Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun and actress Seo Woo.

The International Rotterdam Film Festival, known for recognizing independent experimental movies on an international level, will be held from January 27 to February 7.

Reporter : Lim Hye-seon lhsro@asiae.co.kr

Editor : Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

Korean cinema in the spotlight at Dutch festival

‘파주’ 로테르담 국제영화제 개막작 선정 기념

JoongAng Daily

January 26, 2010

Korean director Park Chan-ok’s “Paju” has been named as the opening film of the 2010 International Film Festival Rotterdam, which is set to open tomorrow. Provided by MK Pictures

Eight Korean films have been invited to the 2010 International Film Festival Rotterdam set to open in the Dutch city tomorrow, including Park Chan-ok’s “Paju,” earlier named as the festival opener.

According to the event’s Web site, “Moscow” by Whang Cheol-mean and “Mother” by Bong Joon-ho will be screened in its Spectrum section dedicated to established filmmakers worldwide. Moscow tells the story of two former school friends who reunite years later on opposite ends of the social ladder. Mother presents a poignant drama about a mother who goes to extremes to save her mentally ill son, accused of being a murderer.

In its Bright Future section on novice filmmakers, the festival will present “elbowroom” by Ham Kyoung-rock, “Cafe noir” by critic-turned-director Jung Sung-il, “Eighteen” by Jang Kun-jae, “Possessed” by Lee Yong-ju and “Running Turtle” by Lee Yeon-woo.

The festival earlier announced that “Paju” will open the event, with festival director Rutger Wolfson praising it as a “triumph of resilience and a powerful female voice from Asia, ambitious and intimate at the same time.”

The second feature by female director Park portrays modern Korean society through the eyes of a young woman, set in the industrial border town of Paju - a longtime military garrison and now a developing urban hub located close to the inter-Korean border.

*The festival takes place from Jan. 27 to Feb. 7.

Yonhap

[melusine]

http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/if.../opening-night/

'Paju' opens Rotterdam

Screenings of the 14 Tiger competition pics begin Friday

By Ian Mundell, Variety

Posted: Thurs., Jan. 28, 2010, 7:02pm

The Rotterdam Film Festival opened Wednesday with "Paju," the sophomore feature of South Korean helmer Park Chan-ok. Choice marks a return to familiar ground for the fest after last year's Hollywood moment, when "Sopranos" thesp Michael Imperioli presented his directing debut, "The Hungry Ghosts."

"This is the first time that we have had a Korean film as the opening film, and it's high time that we did," said fest topper Rutger Wolfson, before introducing Park to a packed theater.

Nine Korean films have appeared in the fest's competition over the past 15 years, with three taking home Tiger awards. Park won in 2003 with "Jealousy Is My Middle Name." "Paju" appears this year out of competition.

Set in a city close to the border with North Korea, pic tells the story of a teenager (Seo Woo) and her complex relationship with her older sister's husband (Lee Seon-Gyoon).

Public screenings of this year's 14 Tiger competitors begin Friday, including five world preems.

Lineup includes Paz Fabrega's "Cold Water of the Sea" and Levan Koguashvili's "Street Days," the fest's first competitors from Costa Rica and Georgia, respectively.

The U.S. is represented by the feature debut from Chicago-based filmmaker Ben Russell: "Let Each One Go Where He May" follows two brothers on a journey retracing the slave routes of Suriname.

Winners will be announced Feb. 5.

Fest's co-production strand CineMart begins Sunday, with 33 projects looking for coin.

Big names in line include Russians helmers Andrei Zvyagintsev ("The Return") and Alexey Balabanov ("Morphine") and Mexican Amat Escalante ("Sangre").

Also kicking off this weekend is Kino Climates, a meeting of more than 30 small and medium-sized independent cinemas from across Europe that will explore options for filling the niche between multiplexes and established arthouses.

Among Rotterdam's many themes, early buzz centers on "Where is Africa?," an extensive program devoted to independent filmmaking in sub-Saharan and central Africa. With the region largely unexplored by international film fests, no one knows quite what to expect.

Park Chan-ok's Paju opens 39th Rotterdam film festival

28 January, 2010 | By Geoffrey Macnab, Screen International

The 39th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) opened last night with the world premiere of South Korean director Park Chan-ok's Paju.

The first Korean film to open the festival, Paju received a mixed response from the Rotterdam audience. A slow burning character drama with a complex narrative structure, it was not an obvious crowd pleaser although it was praised by some for its artistry. The director, a former Rotterdam Tiger winner, was on hand to introduce the film.

In his opening speech, festival director Rutger Wolfson again drew attention to the crisis facing arthouse distribution. "People often go to the cinema, but increasingly only to see a handful of popular titles," Wolfson commented. "That means that films which have been screened at this and other festivals are released in the cinemas increasingly rarely. The present finance and distribution model for non-commercial film is increasingly under pressure."

Wolfson's remarks came as an early salvo in the increasingly heated debate about film festivals and their relationship with distributors and producers. Festivals such as Rotterdam are beginning to hatch their own production and distribution initiatives.

IFFR's Cinema Reloaded is an attempt to raise financing for an initial slate of three short films from festivalgoers themselves, who are invited to buy "virtual coins" worth $7.1 (€5) that will be used to produce these films. This year, Festival has also started its own "Break-Even Store," a sort of "car boot sale" for auteurs, at which filmmakers are invited to present -- and sell -- their projects directly to consumers.

The local press reported that goods on sale will include coffee beans from auteur Tsai Ming-Liang (whose new film Visages plays in the festival) as well as sculptures, books and DVDs.

Some observers have questioned just how useful festivals are to conventional distributors. British producer Keith Griffiths, whose film Content will world premiere at IFFR's Spectrum sidebar, said: "Festivals are an extremely important part of a film's life but there are so many festivals and they have no economic return. I have never doubted that festivals have a very important part to play but I don't see them as a replacement for finding many different homes for a film in the landscape we now live in."

Festival organisers have reported brisk pre-sales for tickets. Rotterdam regularly posts in excess of 340,000 admissions. The paradox remains that the festivalgoers so keen to see the most adventurous examples of world cinema over the Rotterdam festival fortnight do not attend these movies over the rest of the year.

It is more than a decade since Christopher Nolan presented his low-budget debut feature Following (1998) in the Tiger competition. Since then, few of the festival's Tiger winners have gone on to enjoy international distribution or to carve out reputations to match that of Nolan.

However, Rotterdam remains committed to showcasing adventurous new work that other festivals shy away from. "In Rotterdam, a film doesn't need to be truly perfect," commented Dutch director Martijn Maria Smits (whose debut feature C'est Déja L'été screens in this year's Tiger Competition)."It is for new filmmakers, who are still experimenting, still searching."

Related link:

[Screen International] Will the Tiger earn its stripes?

[melusine]

http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/profe.../dutch-courage/

Dutch courage

The personal and political overlap in Park Chan-Ok's haunting drama Paju, which opens the festival this year. The director talks to Edward Lawrenson

Park Chan-Ok's most vivid memory of shooting Paju, the haunting drama that opens this year's IFFR, is of getting lost on the way to the set. Filming in the South Korean city from which her second feature takes its name, she was en route to her location when a thick fog descended: "The navigation system kept saying the set was nearby, but I couldn't see anything outside to tell which street was which. The director of photography was with me at the time, and he even suggested that we just leave the car and walk."

The incident was telling, Park continues, "not because were were anxious about being late, but because it felt mysterious and a bit out of touch with reality." This sense of strangeness and disorientation enriches the atmosphere of Park's film. Revolving around the relationship between political activist Joong-Shik (Lee Sun Kyun) and his younger sister-in-law Eunmo (Seo Woo), the movie is a subtly textured character study. Using flashbacks to follow her lead couple over a seven-year time span, Park's style is intricate and elliptic, an approach -- she suggests -- that stimulates her audience's curiosity.

At the heart of this is the growing tension between Joong-Shik and Eunmo, and the young woman's suspicion that Joong-Shik was responsible for the death of her sister in a gas explosion. The couple are stalked by events from their past in other ways too: Joong-Shik is on the run from police after the young son of a former lover was injured while in his care, and Eunmo is still struggling to come to terms with her sister's death.

Talking about the couple at the centre of her film, Park comments: "I think people in general are rather mysterious. There's always something about them that you can't quite grasp. Paju weaves in the death of Eunmo's sister, which basically creates something to chase after, something that's palpable. When I look back on it, I think I was inspired by some of the novels I had read by Raymond Chandler, Haruki Murakami or Karel Capek. Their characters chase after a particular question, but somehow, the results become distorted, and the whole chase becomes meaningless."

As well as being an evocative portrait of these two troubled individuals (beautifully played by Lee and Seo), the film also provides a lively and atmospheric picture of its eponymous setting. Fleeing from Seoul, Joong-Shik ends up in Paju, a city near the border with North Korea, and becomes involved in the attempts by a group of squatters to resist the commercial development of a downtown neighbourhood. Depicting the violent struggle between Joong-Shik's band of activists and construction workers, the film reflects some of the political tensions to have erupted recently around the pace and scale of property development in Park's homeland.

"Korean society is quite dynamic", she explains. "There's always construction going on, things being built, torn down, built again. In the past, development in Paju was postponed due to the possibility of war, but ever since relations between North and South have become quite amiable, development is in progress throughout the city. Recently, there's been a lot of press about the serious conflict over the demolition in Yongsan, a particular district in Seoul. It was a serious incident that ultimately led to the deaths of six people. These kinds of tragedies should hopefully stop occurring, but it doesn't seem like there will be a solution to the cycle any time soon."

Honoured to be opening the IFFR -- "It's amazing" she tells the Tiger -- Park is in fact a Rotterdam regular. Paju is a former CineMart project: "We were able to confirm the international potential of the film," she recalls. And in 2003, Park won a Tiger for her debut Jealousy is My Middle Name. "Despite receiving the award, it still took a while for me to get funding for my second film," she says. "Who knows? Maybe it might not have even worked out if I hadn't received the Tiger Award."

Above all the Tiger Award is welcomed by Park as "a sort of reassurance for me not to give up my own ideology or philosophy, if you will, when it comes to film-making. It gave me the courage that I needed to continue making movies. To have your film be appreciated by audiences in your own country feels different from having foreign audiences appreciating your film. It's sort of like having your parents tell you you're pretty and then hearing the same compliment from others. That's what it felt like for me when I received the Tiger Award."

Interview with Park Chan-Ok (English subbed):

http://issuu.com/iffr/docs/dk_02_uk

http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/films/paju/

[Guest yobiworld]

Im dying for someone to sub this :(

[Guest shana67]

Please someone sub this O_O I can't stand to watch this movie *O*