Hwang Jung-Min 황정민 [Upcoming Movies: “12.12: The Day”, “Mission Cross”, “Veteran 2”, “Hope”]

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Source: OBSNEWS

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December 29, 2014
Genre Diversity from Major 3 in 2015Big Lineups Feature Period, Thriller, Drama, Mystery Fare

by Pierce Conran Korean Cinema Today
With 2014 winding down, another big year for the local industry which cracked 100 million admissions on December 23rd, people are looking to the horizon for a glimpse of what’s in store for the new year from Korea’s major film studios. Continuing a period film trend that kicked off with Masquerade in 2012, each studio will once again present at least one costume drama in their new lineups. Beyond that, local staples such as thrillers and dramas appear prominently, but less common genres also abound along with genre hybrids. New war and mystery films will be programmed alongside romantic thrillers, a genre that has gained traction in Korea since the success of Helpless (2012). Regardless of genre, studios are also demonstrating an affinity for films set in different time periods, with a diverse range of projects taking place at different points of the 20th century. ▶ CJ Entertainment 
Following the stunning success of Roaring Currents, which soared well past any previous records to clinch 18 million admissions during the summer, CJ Entertainment is poised for another big year in 2015 with a varied lineup comprised of high profile thrillers, period films and dramas. Following the release on the romcom Love Forecast on January 15th, their first tile of 2015, CJ’s next major title will be C’est si bon, which will be released in time for the Lunar New Year holiday, falling on February 19th. A music biopic of the popular folk duo Twin Folio, the film takes place in the 1960s, largely in the C’est si bon music bar where three young men form the C’est si bon Trio, a group that would later turn into Twin Folio. Directed by Cyrano Agency’s (2011) KIM Hyun-seok, the film stars JUNG Woo (Red Family), KANG Ha-neul (Mourning Grave), JIN Goo (The Target) and HAN Hyo-joo (Cold Eyes), while KIM Yun-Seok (The Thieves, 2012) and KIM Hee-ae (Thread of Lies) appear as some of the same characters in later sequences set in the 1980s. For spring, CJ have five titles scheduled, including the JEON Do-yeon (Secret Sunshine, 2007) thriller The Shameless (working title), the KIM Hye-soo (Tazza: The High Rollers, 2006)/KIM Go-eun (Eungyo, 2012) vehicle Coin Locker Girl (working title), the mature drama Salute d’Amour (working title) from Taegukgi (2004) director KANG Je-gyu, the romantic thriller Perfect Proposal, with LIM Soo-jung (All About My Wife, 2012)) and YOO Yeon-seok (A Werewolf Boy, 2012), and the mystery romance Remember You (working title), with JUNG Woo-sung (Cold Eyes) and KIM Ha-neul (Blind, 2011). The studio will reserve its big guns for the summer, which will see the releases of action thriller Veteran (working title) from RYOO Seung-wan and the period-set action drama Empire of Lust (working title). Teaming up once again with his The Unjust (2010) stars HWANG Jung-min and YU Hae-jin, as well as younger star YOO Ah-in (Punch, 2011), RYOO’s Veteran features a detective who goes up against a big corporation in what promises to be another tightly choreographed action extravaganza from the maker of The Berlin File. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) star SHIN Ha-kyun leads the cast of Empire of Lust as an army general who must keep a close eye on a young prince with ambitions to seize the throne. At the same time, he falls in love with a Gisaeng, whom he takes as his concubine, not realizing that she aims to carry out a vendetta against him. The film is being helmed by Blind’s AHN Sang-hoon. ▶ Showbox

Also primed for a big year is Showbox, the studio behind two of three biggest Korean films of all time (The Host, 2006; The Thieves). Given the recent success of high profile period films in the last two years (including their titles The Face Reader and Kundo: Age of the Rampant), the studio is anchoring its slate with a pair of costume dramas, as well as two star-driven thrillers. First out of the gate this year for Showbox will be their gangster thriller Gangnam Blues, from A Dirty Carnival (2006) mastermind YU Ha, on January 21st. Showbox’s Lunar New Year title will follow in February. The only major Korean sequel of the year, Detective K: Secret of the Lost Island will reteam KIM Myung-min as the Joseon era detective with OH Dal-su as his sidekick. KIM Sok-yun also returns to the director’s chair for the follow-up to the 2011 hit. Later in the year, the company will present Assassination, a 1930s thriller from The Thieves helmer CHOI Dong-hoon shot in Shanghai. Along for the ride in the high octane film will be stars HA Jung-woo (The Berlin File), JEON Ji-hyun (My Sassy Girl, 2001) and LEE Jung-jae (New World). Another thriller in the works is the LEE Byung-hun (A Bittersweet Life, 2005) vehicle Inside Men, in which the global star plays a political fixer. The film, from Man of Vendetta (2010) filmmaker WOO Min-ho, will also star CHO Seung-woo (Marathon, 2005) and BAEK Yoon-shik (Save the Green Planet, 2003). Also scheduled for later in the year will be period drama The Throne, from King and the Clown (2005) director LEE Joon-ik and starring screen icon SONG Kang-ho (Memories of Murder, 2003) as King Yeongjo, who famously ordered his son’s death by suffocation in a large wooden chest filled with rice. Rounding out Showbox’s upcoming slate is The Classified File, a new detective thriller set in 1970s Busan from Friend (2001) director KWAK Kyung-taek. The film stars KIM Yun-seok and YU Hae-jin. ▶ Lotte Entertainment  Following the success of their films The Fatal Encounter and The Pirates this year, Lotte Entertainment will also be entering the fray by presenting a new period blockbuster in 2015, not to mention the first Korean war film since 2011’s The Front Line and major new dramas and thrillers. Featuring major star wattage with the presence of LEE Byung-hun and JEON Do-yeon, in addition to KIM Go-eun and BAE Soo-bin (26 Years, 2012) in supporting roles, Memories of the Sword is an action period epic from PARK Heung-sik, the director of My Mother, the Mermaid (2004). Later in the year, Lotte will present Western Front 1950 (working title), a Korean war film featuring SUL Kyung-gu (Oasis, 2002) and young star YEO Jin-gu (Hwayi: A Monster Boy). A tale of cooperation between South and North Korean soldiers at the tail end of the war, the film marks the directorial debut of The Pirates scribe CHEON Seong-il. Also on the cards for Lotte is So-Nyeo (working title), a female-driven mystery drama from Like a Virgin (2006) co-director LEE Hae-young. The film will feature A Werewolf Boy lead PARK Bo-young as a student at a mysterious boarding school in 1938. So-Nyeo will also feature Hope actress UHM Ji-won.

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January 12, 2015
Ode to My Father extends box office streak
By Kevin Ma FilmBiz Asia'Ode to My Father 국제시장 (pictured) has extended its winning streak at the South Korea box office to four weekends.
Between Friday and Sunday, the J.K. YOUN 윤제균 | 尹薺均 film earned ₩9.12 billion (US$8.4 million) from 1.13 million admissions, representing a week-on-week drop of 31.5%. It has now earned ₩75.6 billion (US$69.6 million) from 9.69 million admissions. The CJ Entertainment Inc ＣＪ엔터테인먼트 release is expected to break the ten million admissions mark this week – the 14th film to do so.
Taken 3 remained in second place, earning ₩3.01 billion (US$2.77 million) from 363,000 admissions between Friday and Sunday. The action sequel has earned ₩14.2 billion (US$13.1 million) from 1.77 million admissions after two weekends.
The top new film this weekend was biopic Unbroken, earning ₩1.59 billion (US$1.47 million) from 202,000 admissions on its first five days. British family comedy Paddington opened fifth-placed, earning ₩1.47 billion (US$1.35 million) from 195,000 admissions over five days.
Local comedy Casa Amor: Exclusive for Ladies 워킹걸, about two women who start an adult products business, earned ₩883 million (US$814,000) from 108,000 admissions over five days.
Indie documentary My Love, Don't Cross That River 님아, 그 강을 건너지 마오 dropped to sixth place, earning ₩36.2 billion (US$33.3 million) from 4.64 million admissions after seven weekends. The Con Artists 기술자들 dropped to seventh place, earning ₩19.4 billion (US$17.9 million) from 2.51 million admissions.

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January 13, 2015
‘Ode’ likely to pass 10M admissions.BY JIN EUN-SOO [jes@joongang.co.kr] INSIDE KOREA JOONGANG DAILY

Korean movie “Ode to My Father” is on its way to hitting the 10 million admissions mark in the coming week. 
It attracted 1.1 million viewers during the weekend, which brought its four-week total to 9.6 million, according to the state-run Korean Film Council Monday. 
Distributed by CJ Entertainment, director Yoon Je-kyun’s family odyssey set in the second half of the 20th century in Korea added 9.1 billion won ($8.3 million), equivalent to 43 percent of weekend ticket sales at the box office, to its gross sales of 75.6 billion won since opening on Dec. 17.
Featuring Hwang Jung-min as Deok-soo, who becomes the breadwinner of his family at a young age after losing his father during the Hungnam Evacuation in the 1950-53 Korean War, the film has triggered nostalgia from local viewers. 
Falling far behind in second place was Hollywood action star Liam Neeson’s flick “Taken 3” with 364,423 attendees. 
The third installment of Neeson’s revenge trilogy in which he plays a former CIA agent has taken 14.2 billion won so far in local theaters. 
“Penguins of Madagascar,” created by DreamWorks Animation, was at No. 3, attracting an audience of 301,565 at 532 screens nationwide. 
The cute penguin quartet from the third edition of “Madagascar” in 2012 earned themselves their own franchise, receiving a mighty welcome from fans young and old. 
Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken,” which drew advance attention with nationalist protests in Japan against the film for its depiction of the brutal prison camps that existed in the country during the World War II, opened in fourth place with 147,785 viewers. 
Actor Jack O’Connell plays Louis Zamperini, a heroic Olympic runner from the United States who survived years of horrifying torture and violence in several Japanese concentration camps as a prisoner of war when his plane crashed into the Pacific. 
When the movie’s storyline was unveiled, some right-wing politicians in Japan denounced the feature, citing that it distorted the truth, and called for Jolie to be banned from visiting the country. 
Comedy “Paddington,” a film adaptation of Michael Bond’s popular children’s book of the same title, debuted in fifth place with 142,507 viewers. 

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December 23, 2014
REVIEW: Ode To My Father..By Jason Bechervaise Screen Daily
 Dir: JK Youn. South Korea. 2014. 126mins
The latest blockbuster to come out of South Korea feels a little forced at times, but despite its expansive scope spanning over sixty years of tumultuous history, fortunately, it does not buckle under the weight of its own ambitions. Rather, director JK Youn (Haeundae) does what he does best and delivers a compelling and moving feature that explores the separation of families following the Korean War.
While Youn may not produce some of Korea’s best cinema due to his commercially driven projects, he does know how to produce large-scale films.
Locally the film trumped The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies to top the box office selling over 1.1 million tickets ($8.2 million) on its opening weekend (December 19-21). Going forward, while it will face further competition during the Christmas and New Year season in the form of other Korean releases such as Lee Won-suk’s period film The Royal Tailor, potential strong word-of-mouth could result in a significant final tally, but this will also depend on whether it can also attract the younger demographic.  
The film’s primary target is the Korean audience, especially those of the older generations, and so it’s somewhat localized to an extent, but Youn’s uncomplicated and accessible approach along with the film’s strong visuals that spans three different countries (it’s set in Korea, Germany and Vietnam) could also make it an appealing prospect overseas as evident with its invitation to the Berlin Film Festival in February where it screens in the Panorama Section.
The film begins in the present day where we are introduced to the leads: an elderly man called Duk-soo (Hwang Jung-min) along with his wife Young-ja (Kim Yunjin) and close friend Dal-goo (Oh Dal-su) who reside in the coastal city of Busan where Duk-soo’s family run a small store at the international market.
The film soon flashes back to 1950 when Duk-soo – then a young boy – loses grip of his younger sister as he tries to board SS Meredith Victory, an American cargo Freighter that evacuated 14,000 refugees in Hungnam, North Korea in 1950 during the Korean War. His father turns back and searches for his daughter, but as the ship heads to Busan, Duk-soo is effectively left to take the father role and support his mother and two younger siblings.
The film then chronicles Duk-soo’s life as he moves to Germany to work in the mines where he meets his wife who is working as a nurse, then returns to Korea before heading to Vietnam in the 1970s to take on more hazardous work as he makes a number of sacrifices for his family.
Duk-soo never gives up on finding his sister, and father, however, as the film takes an emotional turn when a local broadcaster assists families, including Duk-soo, in locating loved-ones in the early 1980s.
Filming such a narrative is an audacious undertaking, but Youn’s team that includes cinematographer Choi Young-hwan (The Berlin File, The Thieves) and the talented production designer Ryu Seong-hie (Mother, Oldboy, A Bittersweet Life) are up to the task demonstrating yet again what Korean crews are capable of doing.
Shot in the Czech Republic, Thailand and Busan, each scene has been carefully crafted to depict a particular place in a specific era with little indication of any difficulties in the process of doing so though the limitations of CGI does become apparent at times.
Korean melodramas are synonymous for their sentimentality so it’s unsurprising that the film suffers slightly from an attempt to drive emotion especially given the theme, but fortunately, the film’s strong craftsmanship and the more witty areas of the script compensates for the film’s more tearful moments.
Hwang Jung-min (New World, The Unjust), one of Korea’s busiest and most versatile actors pulls off another captivating performance playing a character in his twenties through to his elderly years, and Kim Yunjin (Shiri, Lost TV series) does much the same. Oh Dal-su (The Attorney) meanwhile gives the film that much needed humorous touch.
While Youn may not produce some of Korea’s best cinema due to his commercially driven projects, he does know how to produce large-scale films even if they lack the depth many of his contemporaries are able to deliver.

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January 12, 2015
Korean Modern History and Korean FilmsHow the Modern History is Dealt with in Korean films by KIM Hyung-seok KOBIZ  
It’s not easy to come across 20th century history in Korean films. Historical films which have become quite popular due to its spectacular action scenes are usually set during the Joseon dynasty or earlier, yet the modern era is rarely treated. The colonial time, the Korean War, division and dictatorship contain many stories, but films seem reluctant to talk about them. The main reason might be ideologies. Different ideologies have clashed along the modern history of Korea. Moreover, the conflict is still ongoing today. In this sense, the setting of Ode to My Father is unusual. There was a large invested in the film which is about an ordinary person who stands at the center of Korean modern history. Deok-su (HWANG Jung-min) and Yeong-ja (KIM Yun-jin) are fictional characters, but their path of life shows the history of the generation right after the Korean War. They experienced war as children and devoted their lives to industrialization as they grew up. This follows the modern history of Korea.
- See more at: http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/features.jsp?pageIndex=1&blbdComCd=601024&seq=318&mode=FEATURES_VIEW&returnUrl=&searchKeyword=#sthash.vhUMXa8a.dpuf

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January 13, 2015
'Ode to My Father' Set to Pull 10 Million Viewers
Source: The Chosun Ilbo


The melodrama "Ode to My Father" is set to become the 14th film ever to draw 10 million viewers here on Tuesday. 
The first film to achieve the mark in Korean cinema was the 2003 blockbuster "Silmido." 
As of 2013, the average Korean moviegoer saw 4.12 movies a year to rank at the top of the world after the U.S. (3.88). Third is Australia (3.75) followed by France. 
Although 2014 statistics are not yet out, a calculation based on data from the Korean Film Council shows each Korean saw 4.19 films, even more than the previous year. 
◆ Older Viewers
Almost 40 percent of those who bought tickets for "Ode to My Father" on the website of theater chain CGV were in their 40s or above, way more than for other movies. 
CGV said many young people also bought tickets for their parents, so older viewers definitely make up the majority of the audience for the film. 
The weepie follows a man through notable events of the postwar years, milking the sacrifices of the generation that built modern Korea for all they are worth. 
Movie critic Oh Dong-jin said, "In Western countries, aging rockers can still release new albums and go on tour because they have their legions of old fans who are active consumers of their products. It seems that there is a similar trend developing among older Koreans who want something that suits their taste." 
The trend was evident in the epic movie "Roaring Currents," based on the life of legendary Admiral Yi Sun-shin. The film also drew more than 10 million viewers.  
◆ Precedents 
So far the only movies that bridged all generation gaps were blockbusters that opened in vacation seasons along with other major productions and spread by word of mouth on social media. But "Ode to My Father" did not follow this formula. 
It opened rather quietly in mid December and was not much talked about on social media. Instead, it became a topic in the family or other social gatherings. 
A staffer with JK Film, which produced the movie, said the film is popular because it strikes a chord with several generations.
A CGV spokesman said, "The popularity of this movie stems from the power of sharing memories that are passed down from one generation to another and transcends politics."

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January 14, 2015
'Ode to My Father' attendance

Shown is a poster at a movie theater in Seoul on Jan. 14, 2015, of "Ode to My Father," the film depicting the life of a typical father who sacrificed himself to support his family through South Korea's turbulent modern history from the 1950-53 Korean War until recently. The film attracted 10 million viewers on the day, the 28th day since its debut on Dec. 17. (Yonhap) (END)

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January 14, 2015
Film on modern Korean history tops 10 million in attendance
Source: The Korea Herald
A domestic film depicting the life of a typical father from Korea's older generation became this year's first movie to surpass the 10 million viewer mark at the local box office, a market tracker said Wednesday.
"Ode to My Father" hit the milestone at 10,001,709 viewers Tuesday, 27 days after it opened on Dec. 17, the Korean Film Council said, adding that it became the 14th film ever to attract 10 million viewers at the local box office.
In South Korea, average budget films seen by more than 10 million people are considered big commercial successes. Including "Ode to My Father," only 11 domestic films have so far received more than 10 million viewers.
The film has been No. 1 at the box office except on opening day. It especially appeals to middle-aged and older audiences who rarely go to see movies.
Youn Je-kyun has become the first Korean director to have two films viewed by more than 10 million people, following "Haeundae," which sold 11.45 million tickets in 2009.
"I'm just so thankful," Youn said. "I'm grateful to everyone who has seen this movie for understanding my sincerity."
"Ode to My Father" tells the story of an ordinary father named Deok-su (played by Hwang Jung-min) who sacrificed himself to support his family through the country's turbulent modern history from the 1950-53 Korean War until recently.
The film's success comes amid controversy over the film's alleged attempt to idealize the past under the rule of authoritarian regimes.
But some critics say such a debate helped push up ticket sales, stoking the people's curiosity about the film.
"The film was able to top 10 million in attendance with the combination of various factors, such as being a story of a family and a father, curiosity caused by political debates and an aggressive marketing strategy of CJ Entertainment," Jeong Ji-wuk, a film critic, told Yonhap News Agency.
The ten other Korean films seen by more than 10 million people are "Roaring Currents" (2014, 17.61 million), "The Host" (2006, 13.01 million), "The Thieves" (2012, 12.98 million), "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2013, 12.81 million), "Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King" (2012, 12.31 million), "The King and the Clown" (2005, 12.30 million), "Taegukgi" (2004, 11.74 million), "Haeundae" (2009, 11.45 million), "The Attorney" (2013, 11.37 million) and "Silmido (2003, 11.08 million).
Among non-Korean films, "Avatar" (2009, 13.62 million), "Frozen" (2014, 10.29 million) and "Interstellar" (2014, 10.24 million as of Tuesday) are on the list of films that have attracted over 10 million viewers in South Korea. (Yonhap)

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January 14, 2015
'Ode to My Father' exceeds 10 million viewers  Source: STARN News
Movie 'Ode to My Father (International Market)' exceeded 10 million viewers, and director Yoon Je Kyun left brief comments in appreciation.
Movie 'Ode to My Father' was officially released on December 17th, and on January 13th, the movie officially exceeded 10 million viewers. Director Yoon Je Kyun, who had attracted 10 million viewers with movie 'Haeundae' back in 2009, became the first Korean film director who directed two films that attracted 10 million viewers.
'Ode to My Father' exceeded 10 million viewers 6 days faster than 'Haeundae (11,453,338 viewers),' 5 days faster than 'The Attorney (11,375,954 viewers),' and four days faster than 'The Host (10,917,221 viewers)' and 'Miracle in Cell No.7 (12,811,213 viewers).' Most of the movies get less and less viewers as time passes, but 'Ode to My Father' started getting even more viewers in its 2nd and 3rd weeks.
Director Yoon Je Kyun said, "All I can say is thank you. The joy and excitement was just overwhelming when 'Haeundae' exceeded 10 million viewers, and now, I feel grateful for the fact that many people recognized my efforts. Thank you is the best thing that I can say at the moment."
All of the actors and actresses also got to set up a major milestone of their career as 'Ode to My Father' exceeded 10 million viewers. 'Ode to My Father' became the first film that attracted over 10 million viewers for Hwang Jung Min and Kim Yoon Jin, and Hwang Jung Min, who played as Duk Soo, said, "I feel so overwhelmed, and I would like to share this joy with all of the audiences. 'Ode to My Father' could become so successful thanks to all of the audiences."
Kim Yoon Jin, who played as Young Ja said, "'Ode to My Father' is a tribute to all of our parents and grand parents, and it is going to remain as one of the most meaningful films of my career. I feel so overwhelmed for such amazing love and supports that so many people have showed for the movie, and I hope that they will keep showing the same supports for the film for a long time."
In addition, actor Oh Dal Soo said, "The love and supports that many people have showed for the movie is much more precious than the total number of viewers. Thank you so much, and please keep showing a lot of supports for Korean films."
Meanwhile, CJ E&M, the distribution agency of 'Ode to My Father,' also made a great achievement of producing another major hit film.
/Reporting by Lee Mi-Ji en@starnnews.com

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January 14, 2015
'Ode to My Father' hits 10 million in ticket sales
By Kim Bo-eun The Korea Times
/ Yonhap
Director Youn Je-Kyoun's "Ode to My Father" is the first film to hit 10 million ticket sales this year.
The Korea Film Council said Wednesday the film had accumulated sales of 10,000,677 tickets after 154,606 people saw it at 848 theaters across the country on Tuesday.
The film was released on Dec. 17.
"Ode to my Father" is the 14th movie to reach 10 million, and the 11th among domestic films.
It has been number one at the box office since the day after it was released. The state-run council attributes the success to the large middle-aged and elderly audience.
The film depicts the life of a man who sacrifices his dreams to support his family in the 1950s up to the present. / Yonhap
On New Year's Day, a record-setting 751,253 people watched the film, exceeding the 672,682 who last year saw "The Attorney," another box office hit that drew more than 10 million viewers.
Youn also became the first director with two films to top 10 million. "Haeundae," a disaster film released in 2009, attracted 11.45 million viewers the same year.
One critic caused controversy by calling Youn's latest film a "conservative" movie that "glorifies the sacrifices of the older generation." The controversy, however, may well have attracted more viewers.
The domestic films that topped 10 million in ticket sales are, in order of sales: "Roaring Currents" (17.6 million); "The Host" (13.01 million); "The Thieves" (12.98 million); "Miracle in Cell No.7" (12.81 million); "Masquerade" (12.31 million); "King and the Clown" (12.3 million); "TaeGukGi: Brotherhood of War" (11.74 million); "Haeundae (11.45 million); "The Attorney" (11.37 million) and "Silmido" (11.08 million).

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January 14, 2015
What the success of movie ‘Ode to My Father’ means to Koreans
Source: The Dong-A Ilbo  "Ode to My Father (also known as Kukje Market in Korean)" directed by Yoon Je-kyoon is set to become the 11th Korean movie that garners more than 10 million viewers. Great popularity of this melodrama movie has made Yoon the first Korean movie director who produced two "10 million club movies," following "Haeundae" in 2009. While great numbers of middle-aged and older generations from their 40s to 70s visited theater, the movie has unexpectedly drawn younger generations and succeeded in pulling both young and old moviegoers.
"Ode to My Father," which is the first domestic movie to draw 10 million viewers this year, traces life of a father who has sacrificed for family while living through difficulties in the modern history of Korea after the Korean War in 1950. Life of the lead character Deok-su (played by Hwang Jeong-min), who gave up his own dream and lived a life full of commitment for his family, pulled heartstrings of many viewers.
The movie hero’s lines, such as “We were born in difficult days. I believe it was fortunate that we had gone through such hardships, not passing the burden to our children,” or “Father, I lived a good life. But it was full of difficulties to me,” became buzzword. Many moviegoers were moved to tears by the scene where Deok-su meets with his youngest sister, who got lost and departed from the family during Heungnam Evacuation of 1950, in the reunion event of families separated by the Korean War.
Major scenes in the movie including Heungnam Evacuation, dispatched miners and nurses to West Germany, engineering technicians sent to the war-torn Vietnam, and the reunion of separated families are all significant events that hold importance in the modern history of Korea. The lead character’s life, going through waves of difficulties to support his family in the least-developed country at that time, 50 years ago, has drawn sympathy from the generation who lived out those days and the youth who never knew about such history. Some of half-learned critics belittled the movie, saying “(It makes me) vomit” or “Ultra-right movie,” but such critics only caused strong backlash.
"Ode to My Father" itself has nothing to do with politics or ideology. But industry insiders analyze that sensational success of the movie would bring about great repercussions to the domestic movie industry where the leftist literature has been so powerful and influential. So far, anti-America and anti-government codes have almost dominated movies about modern Korean historic events and many believed that such movies can make a box office hit. However, the movie that depicts lives of grandparents, fathers and mothers who toiled sweat and blood to achieve industrialization and feed families in the war-ravaged and poverty-stricken land has become a great success in the box office. Storm of the movie "Ode to My Father" will contribute to strike ideological balance and secure cultural diversity in the domestic movie industry.

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Source: Newsen

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January 15, 2015
‘Ode’ reaches 10 million admissions
BY SUNG SO-YOUNG [so@joongang.co.kr] INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily
Korean film “Ode to My Father” has become the first domestic movie to reach 10 million admissions this year, according to the Korean Film Council on Wednesday. 
The film, which was released on Dec. 17, chronicles the life of an ordinary Korean father who goes thorough ups and downs during the country’s modernization. 
It became the 11th Korean film to set the record. 
Many local films such as “The Host” (2006), “Haeundae” (2009) and “The Attorney” (2013) have achieved such a feat, but “Ode to My Father” attracted 10 million viewers in the shortest period of time. 
Director Yoon Je-kyun became the nation’s first director to have two movies - “Haeundae” and “Ode to My Father” - under his belt that attracted more than 20 million moviegoers altogether. 
Since the film is set in Korea’s modern history, some critics say the film beautifies the past. 
But the controversy surrounding the film is said to promote it even further. 
Director Yoon, however, said he “just wanted to talk about his father and his generation, who sacrificed themselves for their children.” 
“Avatar” (2009) and “Frozen” (2013) are among international films that attracted more than 10 million moviegoers to movie theaters in Korea. 

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January 15, 2015
'Ode to My Father' Becomes 11th Film to Draw Over 10 Million Viewers
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
"Ode to My Father" has become the first film of the year to attract 10 million viewers in Korea and is the 11th domestic film to do so overall.
The film achieved the feat on Tuesday, less than a month since its release on Dec. 17. 
Director Youn Je-kyun is now the first Korean director to have two films that drew over 10 million viewers, following the success of "Haeundae,” which brought in 11.45 million viewers in 2009.

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January 14, 2015
Ode To My Father tops 10m in S Korea
By Jean Noh ScreenDaily

In South Korea, CJ Entertainment’s Ode To My Father has topped the country’s landmark 10 million admissions, taking in $72m according to the Korean Film Council’s ticketing database.
Directed by JK Youn, whose previous hit Haeundae (2009) also topped 10 million, Ode To My Father is now the 11th local film to do so. 
In total, 14 foreign and local films have made it into the 10 million club, led by Roaring Currents (17.6m admissions), Avatar (13.6m admissions) and The Host (13m). The most recent include Interstellar (10.1m) and Frozen (10.2m).
The film is set for a European premiere at the Berlinale next month in the Panorama section. Head of the section Wieland Speck says the film “depicts the legacy of an unprecedented development in recent history with a grand cinematic power and its human dimensions: the rise of a troubled and divided nation, South Korea.”
Starring Hwang Jung-min, from films such as New World and The Unjust, with Kim Yun-jin, best known from the US TV Series Lost, the film is dubbed a “generational epic” by CJ and has garnered some controversy in traditional and new media for its depiction of a generation’s sacrifices for family and country.
The story follows a young boy in the chaos of the Korean War who is separated from his father and sister, settles in Busan with the rest of his family as refugees, and grows up to go to the coalmines of Germany and the Vietnam War.
Released Dec 17, Ode To My Father has stayed in the top spot ahead of local and US films such as The Con Artists and The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies.

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January 15, 2015
REVIEW: Ode to My Father
By Derek Elley FilmBiz Asia
Family melodrama, across 30 years, is a five-star weepie with a two-star script. Asian events.
A Korean family suffers nobly through 30 years of history in Ode to My Father 국제시장, a five-star weepie with a two-star script. In his first directorial outing in five years — since the entertaining tsunami-disaster movie Haeundae 해운대 (2009) — J.K. YOUN 윤제균 | 尹薺均 (aka Yun Je-gyun), who's largely been producing in the meantime (Harmony 하모니 (2010), Quick 퀵 (2011), Sector 7 ７광구 (2011)), comes up with a conventional panegyric to Korean grit and family ties that wears its heart on its sleeve and seems solidly aimed at local audiences, who've responded in huge numbers to the mix of familiar stereotypes (brawly/weepy), nationalistic sentiment and conservative values. Smoothly staged within the limits of its ₩18 billion (US$16 million) budget, partly thanks to fine visual effects, it's a tribute to Youn's technical sleight-of-hand but is a disappointment coming from a film-maker who started his career with much sparkier fare like the high-school gangster comedy My Boss, My Hero 두사부일체 (2001) and gross-out comedy Sex is Zero 색즉시공 (2002).
Youn's true penchant — for comedy — comes through entertainingly here and there, as in a '60s sequence where the hero Deok-su and his friend Dal-gu sing the national anthem to prove their patriotism, Dal-gu's sexual exploits with a German woman twice his size, and the duo's escape from Saigon in the '70s. There's also a weird strand of humour — aimed solely at local audiences — in which the pair come across national icons in their early years: Hyundai Group founder Jeong Ju-yeong 정주영|鄭周永, gay fashion designer Kim Bong-nam 김봉남|金鳯男 (aka André Kim) and legendary traditional Korean wrestler Lee Man-gi 이만기|李萬基, plus '60s/'70s pop star NAM Jin 남진 | 南珍 (played by TVXQ pop star JEONG Yun-ho 정윤호 | 鄭允浩, aka U-Know) in the Vietnamese jungle. Amusing as these are, they don't sit comfortably in a movie that's largely built along the lines of a family melodrama.
In a story that's clearly infused with personal elements (even down to the same family name), Youn and co-writer PARK Su-jin 박수진 (Quick) has concentrated on four key events that are branded on the memory of South Korea's older generation: the mass evacuation by the US navy in Dec 1950 of civil-war refugees from Heungnam in the North to Busan in the South, the Gastarbeiter programme of the '60s which saw Koreans work as miners and nurses in West Germany, the Vietnam War of the '70s in which South Korea provided military and service personnel for the South, and the mammoth 1983 TV special by state broadcaster KBS which reunited over 10,000 families separated by the Korean War 30 years earlier. The last provides the emotional climax of the movie, and resolves the Yun family's separation that started it: as an all-out tearjerker (with the emphasis on "all-out") it's undeniably effective, though the film's overall structure is unnecessarily complicated by bookends showing the aged Deok-su and his wife reminiscing in the present day about past hardships.
Youn had originally wanted to include a fifth key event (the first Middle East construction boom of 1975-83) but ditched the idea for reasons of length — wisely, as the movie is already episodic enough, and the theme of reunion, which should unite the whole structure, already plays second fiddle to the more affecting friendship between Deok-su and his childhood pal Dal-gu, who share history together. Part of that is due to the dialogue, which is purely serviceable, but part is also due to the script's inability to hew to a consistent tone and longer dramatic arc, without diversions.
A lively actor who can handle both drama (The Unjust 부당거래 (2010), New World 신세계 | 新世界 (2013)) and comedy (Battlefield Heroes 평양성 (2011), Man in Love 남자가 사랑할 때), HWANG Jeong-min 황정민 | 黃晸玟 is well cast as the somewhat wastrel hero who's burdened by becoming head of the family after his father disappears during the Korean War, and the mid-40s star manages to look convincingly young in the long-haired '60s and '70s. He's partnered well by hatchet-faced character actor OH Dal-su 오달수 | 吳達庶 as his pal, though the latter is more a sidekick than equal partner. As Deok-su's great love, KIM Yun-jin 김윤진 | 金侖珍 (Shiri 쉬리 (1999), US TV's Lost, Harmony) is just okay, and looks even more fake in "old" make-up than Hwang. Other roles come and go without much depth — including JEONG Jin-yeong 정진영 | 鄭鎭榮, briefly, as the father — though KIM Seul-gi 김슬기 is memorable as Deok-su's pouty younger sister.
Visual effects, especially for the famous refugee evacuation by SS Meredith Victory in 1950, are good, and Thailand doubles for Vietnam more convincingly than the Czech Republic's Ostrava does for the German city of Duisburg in the '60s. The original Korean title is simply the name of Busan's Gukje (International) Market — so-called because it originally sold foreign goods — in which the Yun family owns a small shop. Youn himself is also from Busan, in which his previous Haeundae and Miracle on 1st Street １번가의 기적 (2007) were set.

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January 16, 2015
ODE TO MY FATHER Hits 10 Million AdmissionsFirst Film of 2015 to Reach Milestone by June Kim KOBIZ

JK YOUN’s paternal and nostalgic drama Ode to My Father has exceeded the 10 million admissions point, as anticipated. The film, starring HWANG Jung-min, KIM Yun-jin and OH Dal-su, opened in theaters on December 17th last year, and is still performing well at the box office. Ode to My Father took second place at the box office on the day of its release, which quickly changed to the top spot the next day. The film kept first place until yesterday, January 15th. According to the Korean Film Council’s Integrated Ticket Sales Network, the film has sold 10.29 million tickets in total to date. It has demonstrated quick growth by hitting a million admissions by the fourth day of its release, then jumping to five million on its 15th day, and reaching 10 million by January 13th. The film, with its global themes of family and sacrifice, was released in approximately 40 screens in North America. It first opened in Los Angeles on Christmas Day, and then expanded to New York, Boston, Vancouver and Toronto on January 9th.

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Source: Movist

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January 16, 2015
Epic Film Sends Crowds of Visitors to Busan
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
The hugely popular film "Ode to My Father" has proved to be a tourism boon for Busan, the city in which it is set. 
The film has drawn more than 10 million viewers since it was released on Dec. 18 last year. It is about a man's sacrifices for his family throughout the modern period of Korean history spanning more than 50 years.

People wait in line to buy sweet pancakes called hotteok in Nampo-dong, Busan. People wait in line to buy sweet pancakes called hotteok in Nampo-dong, Busan.
Tours of filming spots are filing up. They visit Gukje Market, Jagalchi Fish Market and Haeundae. 
The city's specialty food is also gaining popularity. 
According to online shopping site 11st.co.kr, over half of those who buy Busan specialty food are in their 20s and 30s, reflecting heightened interest in the city.