[Movie 2007] Secret Sunshine 밀양 Milyang

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October 8, 2009

 

France to salute Jun Do-yeon with cultural honor

 

Actress Jeon Do-yeon [Asia Economic Daily]

 

Cannes award-winning actress Jeon Do-youn will receive an honor by the French government for her contribution to the country's culture, according to her agency on Thursday. The 36-year-old actress will be presented with the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres medal on Saturday of the ongoing Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), announced N.O.A. Entertainment.

 

The award is one of the three levels of cultural order established in 1957 by the France's Minister of Culture and confirmed in 1963 as part of the National Order by President Charles de Gaulle. Worldwide names including writer J.K. Rowling of the "Harry Potter" series, Hollywood movie stars George Clooney, Sharon Stone and Leonardo Dicaprio and South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun are preceeding recipients.

 

Jeon has received over dozens of top recognition on both the small and big screen since her debut in 1990. She won her first international acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007, receiving the award for Best Actress in director Lee Chang-dong's film "Secret Sunshine".

 

Reporter : Ko Jea-wan star@asiae.co.kr l Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> l asiae.co.kr

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Honour for South Korean actress

 

 

Jeon was presented with the award by France's trade minister

South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon has received one of France's top art awards at a film festival in her home country.

 

French Trade Minister Anne-Marie Idrac made Jeon a knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at the Pusan International Film Festival.

Jeon won a best-actress award at the Cannes film festival in 2007 for her role in The Secret Sunshine. Ms Idrac called Jeon "one of the most talented actresses in South Korea today." Her previous films have included The Scandal and You Are My Sunshine.

 

France's Order of Arts and Letters was set up in the 1950s to recognise contributions to the arts and literature. Recent recipients of the chevalier award have included Kylie Minogue, Jude Law, George Clooney and children's illustrator Quentin Blake. The highest order of commander has been given to Dennis Hopper, Bob Dylan and Clint Eastwood.

 

Among the highlights of the Pusan International Film Festival have been a screening of I Come with the Rain, an international thriller starring US actor Josh Hartnett, South Korea's Lee Byung-hun and Takuya Kimura of Japan.

 

Also at the festival, Indian director Yash Chopra has been honoured as filmmaker of the year. Chopra, who founded one of India's top studios, Yash Raj Films, has enjoyed close working relationships with some of Bollywood's biggest stars including Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

 

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

[imtoghai]

I just finished watching this movie. Hm, I didn't quite grasp the ending. May someone please explain? :/

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May 29, 2010

[10LINE] Korean actress Jeon Do-youn

Senior Reporter.Kang Myoung-Seok Editor.Jang Kyung-Jin, Lucia Hong

Clockwise from top center: actress Lee Hye-young, actress Moon So-ry,

director Lee Chang-dong, actor Song Kang-ho, and director Im Sang-soo [10Asia]

Jeon Do-youn

"A friend who says she wants to become like me so badly that she will seal the deal at the risk of her future has only seen the pretty and fancy side to me. It's not difficult to become like me. It's just hard for someone to want to become like you."

- Jeon Do-youn's line from her cameo appearance on SBS TV series "On Air."

About life as an actress. About life as Jeon Do-youn.

Lee Chang-dong

Director of movie "Secret Sunshine." Jeon Do-youn said that she did not have the confidence to act in "Secret Sunshine" after reading the scenario, but director Lee said, "If you said that you had the confidence for this role then I wouldn't have believed you" and encouraged her. And she won the best actress award at Cannes Film Festival for her role in "Secret Sunshine." Instead of showing off her acting skills and abilities through her role in "Secret Sunshine," she was able to act out accordingly to director Lee when he said, "The acting skills of Jeon Do-youn is terribly good. Impeccably good. However, that is it so stop acting." Through the movie "Secret Sunshine" she left the impression of Jeon Do-youn to the audience and acted out as if the actual Jeon Do-youn lost her child. And Jeon was able to endure and act a female character that lost her husband and child, couldn't freely forgive anyone and as someone who couldn't be easily comforted. It was the kind of acting that only Jeon Do-youn can pull off and not any other actor or actress. Just like what movie producer Shim Bo-kyung said, "I knew that Jeon Do-youn will show us more in the future" because of her role in "Secret Sunshine" and Jeon stepped into a new territory for any actress.

Song Kang-ho

Co-star from the movie "Secret Sunshine." She got out of her seat after seeing Song Kang-ho act in "Memories of Murder" and before "Secret Sunshine" premiered in theaters Song said, "For actor Sul Kyong-gu, he has the movie 'Peppermint Candy' then for Jeon Do-youn, her movie is 'Secret Sunshine.'" Just like their previous works they left behind their specialty and naturally fell into their characters. The moviegoers were aware of Jeon Do-youn and Song Kang-ho in "Secret Sunshine" and they were immersed with the film as if they were part of the movie. For the two actors it doesn't matter the production or the name of the character, instead they are remembered for the 'acting abilities' of Jeon Do-youn and Song Kang-ho and their skills are broaden as they add on more movies. Song starred in the movies "Secret Sunshine," "Thirst" and "Secret Reunion" which mixed in action and comedy, but it is hard to find a production like that for a Korean actress. And for an actress like Jeon the possibilities in starring in a melodrama like SBS' "Shoot for the Stars" and "Lovers in Prague" increases. Both actors act really well. However, they are two different sexes and the gap seems bigger than one thinks.

Senior Reporter: Kang Myoung-Seok two@ Editor: Jang Kyung-Jin three@, Lucia Hong luciahong@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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November 12, 2010

Founder of largest English K-pop site 'Soompi'

Korean-American web developer creates first global online community devoted to K-pop, Asian entertainment

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

 

Main page of the ultimate K-pop site “Soompi”

If you’re looking for news about a SuperJunior concert, reviews for a 2NE1 album, recaps of Korean drama "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" or simply anything about Korean entertainment, chances are you’ll find it on Soompi.com.

Soompi.com is the oldest and currently the largest English-language online community devoted to Korean and Asian entertainment, with a million unique visitors every month.

Soompi has come a long way from its early days as a personal online shrine devoted to K-pop started by Korean-American Susan Kang in 1998.

"I had recently graduated from college with nothing much to do. As a recent fan of both K-pop and the Internet (AOL was all the rage), I noticed that there weren't any English-language sites devoted to Korean pop music or TV dramas, so I purchased a book called `Make Your Own Website with Microsoft Word '97’, and the rest, as they say, is history," Kang said, now a 35-year-old mother living in Irvine, Calif., in an email interview with The Korea Times.

Kang’s original site, Soompitown, was fairly simple. She would just upload photos of her favorite K-pop acts like H.O.T., S.E.S., Shinhwa and FinKL and English translations of Korean magazine articles, as well as post CD audio samples and her own album reviews. Basically, Kang ran the website out of "love" for K-pop.

(If you’re wondering about the meaning of Soompi, it simply refers to a nickname that a roommate’s family gave Kang in college.)

 

In the early 2000s, hallyu or the Korean wave began spreading around Asia and international fans discovered Soompi, the first website that actually provided English-language information about their favorite Korean stars.

Soon Soompi became more and more popular, requiring more servers and more technical expertise. A team of volunteers helped moderate the forums and post content on the website, but Kang, who also worked full-time as a web developer, was running the website on her own as a hobby and it was starting to feel burdensome.

For one, it was getting expensive to pay for the server fees out of her own pocket, although it was partially funded by member donations and small ad buys.

Then came the fateful day, Oct. 5, 2005, when the entire Soompi website crashed. Its entire database of 80,000 members and millions of forum posts was gone. "I seriously thought of just making that the end of Soompi, as I'd been running the site as a hobby for seven years at that point, and was paying for the servers completely out of my own pocket," she said.

"The turning point was when we re-opened an empty forum with 0 members and 0 posts, and within 5 days, we already had 40,000 members. That's when I knew that Soompi was bigger and more important than just one person's hobby."

Soon, it became apparent that a more serious, business-oriented approach to Soompi was needed.

In 2006, Joyce Lan Kim, a lawyer then working for technology firms in Silicon Valley, joined Soompi to handle the business side, albeit on a part-time basis.

"I joined the company, working on advertising and thinking of ways the company can break even. Susan never started this with business in mind. It was always just about fun. It was about bringing K-pop to the people. But how we make this sustainable is our job," Kim told The Korea Times at a coffee shop in downtown Seoul, last week.

Last year, Kang and Kim both decided to leave their full-time jobs and focus on Soompi.

The 33 year old Kim, who studied at Cornell and Harvard universities and received a law degree from Columbia University, had no second thoughts giving up a law career. She sees Soompi as a good business opportunity with K-pop’s potential to expand around the world.

Soompi is may not yet be profitable, but there is no doubt it is an Internet success with 500,000 registered members, and attracts over one million unique visitors every month ("That's like a small city," Kim quipped.) Revenues are currently generated from ads, premium membership and affiliate programs, but not enough for the company to break even.

There may be other K-pop websites that attract more hits, but Soompi has the most activity among community members, such as posting content and comments on the site. "Our success comes from covering such a wide variety of topics - not only the latest K-pop news, but Korean dramas and variety shows, original fan fiction, our own member-run shops, beauty & fashion, among so much more," Kang said.

Aside from sections on entertainment news, fan clubs and beauty & fashion, Soompi also has its own weekly music chart and annual contests, such as Soompi Idol, Soompi Dance Idol, Soompi Ulzzang, fan fiction writing and graphics contests.

All contests were originally started by Soompi members themselves. This year, Soompi Ulzzang Contest, a modeling competition for Soompi members, has become an official event and sponsored by Korean entertainment company Sidus HQ.

Member feedback is invaluable to keeping Soompi relevant. Whenever new features are launched, Soompi looks at the comments from members and makes the appropriate tweaks. Members can also vote for which Soompi fan clubs should be created next, as well as recommend new forums and sub-forums.

Soompi is working to make the site more user-friendly. "It's not a hobby anymore. We have to do it for real. Functionality is very important for us. We are definitely working on making it easier to use, and on getting great content," Kim said.

In terms of technical innovations, the Soompi Street Teams Twitter application is being launched. This will make it easier for fans to get their favorite K-pop idols on Twitter’s top trending topics.

"We wanted to make it easier for everybody to join together and tweet in support of their celebs. Twitter is not just for K-pop, because it's for everyone... Each time a K-pop celebrity ends up as a Twitter topic, people go, `who is this guy?’ Like when (SuperJunior member) Kim Hee-chul was trending on Twitter, everyone was talking about him... We can expose more people to the world of K-pop," Kim said.

An Asian website

Soompi is no longer just devoted to Korean pop music, but Asian pop and entertainment in general. It is also very much a global community, with most members from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia.

The majority or 81 percent of Soompi members are Asian, while 8 percent are white, 5 percent are multi-ethnic and the rest are African-American, Hispanic and other ethnicities. The most surprising fact was 60 to 80 percent of the non-Asian groups said they "know some Korean."

"It’s mostly non-Koreans, as opposed to 7 or 8 years ago when majority were Korean-Americans. Now Korean Americans are a minority on the site. We have ever growing number of people who are not even Asian. We have Caucasians, African-Americans, Middle East, Latin American, South East Asians," Kim said.

Soompi stands out because of its tight-knit community and its members. "Soompi is very community-focused, not just information or gossip-focused. It feels like home to many, and there are many members who have literally grown up on the site ― from Junior High to High School to College to getting married and having children," Kang said.

Noticeably, the Soompi forums are relatively free from the anti-fans and trolls who frequent K-pop websites to post vitriolic comments that rile up fans.

"I think our biggest defining feature is our members. Our members are the ones who do the subtitles, episode recaps and organize fan meetings," Kim said. "We have good members."

Future of Kpop & Soompi

Perhaps it is not an exaggeration to say that Soompi has helped give a boost to K-pop and Korean entertainment’s popularity among English speakers.

But while K-pop is undeniably big in Asia, there is yet to be a real K-pop breakthrough in the U.S., despite attempts by Rain, Wonder Girls and Se7en. "Honestly, I'm not sure if the U.S. is ready to accept Asians as idols, as Asians are still widely portrayed as awkward geeks or kung fu masters on TV and film, but I do believe it's just a matter of 'when', not 'if'. I hope it's sooner than later," Kang said.

Looking back, Kang admitted being constantly amazed and inspired by the level of commitment and amount of time people will willingly volunteer to support their favorite idols. "Passion will drive people to do crazy and wonderful things," she said.

In the future, Soompi hopes to leverage its brand value as the oldest K-pop online resource, and to continue fanning the flames of K-pop and Asian pop fever around the world.

"In 10 years, I'll be 45 years old. I hope by then, the Soompi community will still be going strong, with the love for Korean and Asian pop being passed to a much wider audience. We'll still be providing the best place for people to express their fandom and meet others who share their passion," Kang said.

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January 2, 2011

Soompi.com shows Hallyu where to go

By Yang Sung-jin (insight@heraldm.com) koreaherald.com

Soompi.com is the world’s biggest English-language online community dedicated to Korean pop culture. It boasts some 1.4 million visitors daily. More importantly, 90 percent of its members are non-Koreans.

The website is widely regarded as a promising social network venture that has secured a solid user base on the strength of Korean cultural content. Softbank of Japan has already invested in Soompi.com and other investors are lining up amid the outlook that the website will emerge as a key gateway to Asian pop culture for English-speaking audiences.

Soompi.com CEO Joyce Kim, who lives in San Francisco, said in an interview that Hallyu is still in the early stages of growth internationally and the website would help foster its development online as “the central online activity hub for all fans of Hallyu and Asian pop.”

Joyce Kim

As for Hallyu, Kim noted that the near absence of a legitimate distribution of Korean pop content is a serious problem that is often neglected by Koreans.

The following are excerpts from the e-mail interview with Kim.

Korea Herald: How did Soompi.com start, and how did you get involved in the site?

Joyce Kim: Soompi was started by my co-founder Susan Kang in 1998 as her own personal website dedicated to her interest in Korean dramas and music. During the initial first few years, Susan would scan Korean entertainment magazine articles, translate them into English and post them on the site. Slowly, a community began to grow around the site and Susan soon had people volunteering to help with the site. As the first Hallyu wave began to grow, the site also began to grow. Soon, there were hundreds of thousands of visitors each month.

I met Susan because she is the older sister of my best friend from law school. We initially started to work together on Soompi in 2006 when the site growth was really taking off which meant server expenses were also taking off. I was helping Susan set up the advertising system on the site and eventually we decided to officially create a company and work on Soompi together. At first, we both kept our full-time jobs (Susan as a coder and me as a lawyer) and worked on Soompi during our nights and weekends. But by the end of 2008, the site was so active that it was obvious that the site needed more support. We made the decision to leave our jobs in 2009 and work on Soompi full-time.

KH: If you define Soompi.com, what is it?

Kim: Soompi is an online fan community for Hallyu. Soompi’s greatest strength lies in our members. Ninety-nine percent of the content on Soompi is user-generated content so our members are the ones who find the information to share and discuss. They spend a great deal of time online answering each other’s questions. No amount of money or marketing can create the organic community that sites like Soompi have.

KH: Who are Soompi members?

Kim: Soompi members are mostly young Americans of many different backgrounds (Asian, Caucasian, black and Latino) followed by people in their teens and 20s in South East Asia (Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, etc). They are typically very fashionable and up on the latest trends since they follow entertainment so closely. When they come to Soompi, they are often looking for the latest news about Hallyu and to meet other passionate fans. Hallyu fans love to work together to do events and share their love for their idols.

KH: What aspect of Hallyu appeals to Soompi members?

Kim: Soompi members love the celebrities ― their personalities, their visuals, their songs ― all of it. In fact, many of our members (90 percent of whom are not Korean) have started to learn Korean to better understand the music and dramas. Hallyu has definitely started to grow beyond its typical Asian boundaries. I think we will see Hallyu spread to the U.S., Latin America and Europe in 2011. However, for Hallyu to be truly successful abroad, Korean entertainment companies need to better understand international fans better ― this is important for creating new fans and reaching out to new markets.

KH: What can Korean websites and firms interested in Hallyu learn from Soompi?

Kim: I would say two differences between Soompi and Korean sites are 1) we really take into consideration the community’s desires when we build new products ― meaning oftentimes we look at community feedback first when thinking about new features and 2) we push out features before they are 100 percent perfect ― sometimes it means it has bugs, but it also means we can get our full community reaction quickly and fix or change things as needed.

For entertainment firms working in the Hallyu industry, it is important to make the music and drama content easily available for international fans. People in Korea do not realize how hard it is for international fans to buy the music and dramas legally ― there are not good options available. If entertainment firms made their content for easily available for international purchase, then more international fans would buy the content. But at the moment, we cannot even easily register on Korean websites.

KH: To create new and successful services based on social network service, what should and shouldn’t Korean venture startups do?

Kim: I see many Korean startups that are testing or half-heartedly targeting the global market. The decision whether to go global should be made early as it significantly impacts the kind of team that needs to be built and the product. If you are building an SNS service targeting the international market, then you should create your team abroad.

KH: What was the purpose of your latest visit to Seoul, and what did you feel when you were in Seoul?

Kim: I visit Seoul at least once a year to meet with Korean entertainment companies and Korean Internet startups. On the entertainment front, there is strong interest in online and social media strategy from the entertainment companies. This is one of the big growth opportunities for Hallyu. But I think Korean entertainment companies will need to hire people with international Internet experience to really open that opportunity.

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December 24, 2012

 

South Korea to hold film festival in Tehran

 

Source: PressTV 

 

A number of cinematic productions directed by South Korean filmmakers are slated to be screened during a film festival in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

 

The event, as the first Korean film festival in Iran, was organized by the embassy of South Korea in Tehran in collaboration with the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF), the Iranian secretary of the festival Pouneh Nedaie said. 

 

 

A Barefoot Dream by Kim Tae-gyun, Barking Dogs Never Bite by Bong Joon-ho, and Secret Sunshine by Lee Chang-dong are among the Korean films scheduled to be screened at the festival. 

 

The first edition of a Persian-English journal titled Blue Silk is slated to be unveiled during the three-day event. 

 

The festival can provide the opportunity to expand cultural relations between Iran and South Korea, Nedaie who is also the Good Will Ambassador of South Korea in Iran noted. 

 

The Korean film festival is set to be held at the Iranian Artists Forum from December 26 to 29, 2012. 

 

FGP/FGP

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March 22, 2013

 

Jeon Do-yeon Gets Special Honor at Florence Film Fest

 

Source: The ChosunIlbo

 

Jeon Do-yeon, who received the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for "Secret Sunshine" in 2007, is gaining international recognition again, this time as the first Korean actress to have a session dedicated to her at the Florence Korea Film Festival. In its 11th year, the feast of Korean cinema in the Italian city runs until Sunday.

 

Eight of Jeon's films are on the schedule, including "The Contact," "Happy End," "Untold Scandal," "My Mother the Mermaid," "Secret Sunshine," "My Dear Enemy," "The Housemaid" and "Countdown."

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November 4, 2013

 

Korean cinema featured in Europe

Korean film festivals held in Spain, Hungary, England and France

 

By Claire Lee The Korea Herald

 

Following Festival du film Coreen a Paris, a film festival exclusively featuring Korean cinema which kicked off Oct. 29, screenings of Korean films are taking place in three other European countries.

 

In Spain, Centro Cultural Coreano en Espana (Korean Cultural Center Spain) is hosting the sixth annual Spain Korean Film Festival in Madrid, from Nov. 11 to 29. 

 

The festival is a retrospective of famed director Lee Chang-dong, who also served as Korea’s Culture Minister from 2003 to 2004. Viewers will be able to see a total of five works by Lee: “Poetry” (2010), “Secret Sunshine” (2007), “Oasis” (2002), “Peppermint Candy” (2000), and “Green Fish” (1997).

 

Among the works, “Poetry” won the Best Screenplay prize at the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival, as well as the Best Picture and Best Actress prizes at the Grand Bell Awards in the same year in Korea. 

 

Starring veteran actress Yoon Jeong-hee, the film tells the story of Mi-ja, an aging woman in her 60s who begins writing poems while developing Alzheimer’s disease and raising her troubled grandson alone. 

 

 

“Secret Sunshine,” on the other hand, deals with a single mother whose husband recently died. She moves to Miryang, a small town in South Gyeongsang Province, the hometown of her late husband. In spite of her attempts to start a new life, her young son is abducted. Actress Jeon Do-yeon, who played the protagonist in the film, won the Best Actress prize at the 2007 Cannes International Film Festival for the role.

 

The festival will also screen the 1993 Korean film “To the Starry Island,” for which Lee wrote the screenplay, and 2009 film “A Brand New Life,” in which Lee participated as one of the producers.

 

The same edition of the festival will be held in Barcelona from Dec. 1 to 15.

 

In Hungary, a special film festival featuring Korean cinema kicked off on Monday, at Urania Nemzeti Filmszinhaz in Budapest. Organized by the Korean Cultural Center in the city, the festival is screening some of the most successful Korean films of the past decade, including Park Chan-wook’s 2003 film “Oldboy,” director Chu Chang-min’s 2012 box-office hit “Masquerade,” and director Jang Hoon’s 2010 spy thriller “Secret Reunion.”

 

In the U.K., the London Korean Film Festival kicks off on Nov. 7, with director Huh Jung’s thriller “Hide and Seek.” Organized annually by the Korean Cultural Centre U.K., the festival celebrates its 8th edition this year. 

 

The lineup includes many of this year’s box-office hits, including Kim Seong-woo’s disaster thriller “The Flu,” Jang Cheol-soo’s comedy-drama “Secretly, Greatly,” Song Hae-sung’s family drama “Boomerang Family,” director Kang Woo-suk’s “Fist of Legend,” and Lee Jun-ik’s “Wish,” which deals with a child victim of sexual abuse. 

 

“Hide and Seek” director Huh Jung and actor Son Hyun-joo, who plays the film’s protagonist, will be in London for a special Q&A session to be held on Nov. 7. Other Korean cineastes attending the festival and participating in Q&A sessions include director Song Hae-sung, actor Park Hae-il, director Kang Woo-suk, actor Sol Kyung-gu, and director Kim Jee-woon. This year’s full lineup of films and events is available at http://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/korean-film-nights-and-events.

 

Meanwhile, Festival du film Coreen a Paris, a film festival exclusively featuring Korean cinema, kicked off its eighth edition on Oct. 29, screening a total of 45 Korean films. Director Lee Jun-ik had a special talk session after the screening of his latest film “Wish” on Oct. 31. The festival wraps up on Tuesday. 

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December 17, 2013

 

How Korean Actress Jeon Do-yeon Builds Trust With Her Audience

 

By Jeyup S. Kwaak WSJ

 

Jeon Do-yeon in ‘Way Back Home’

 

South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon has spent most of her 20-year career playing strong or troubled women that challenge social norms, a rarity in a country where the number of strong female lead roles pales in comparison to those available for male stars.

 

Ms. Jeon returned to the screen last week in that familiar capacity in director Pang Eun-jin’s “Way Back Home.” The drama is based on the true story of a housewife who agrees — after her family runs into financial difficulties — to smuggle a friend’s suitcase to France that she thinks is filled with unpolished gemstones in return for a fee. She later realizes that she has been used as a drug mule after she is caught at the Paris airport with a bag containing cocaine.

 

Unable to explain the situation in a foreign language, the woman eventually is sent to a prison in a French-administered Caribbean island — beyond her family’s reach and neglected by the South Korean embassy in Paris thousands of miles away.

 

Ms. Jeon said she initially felt “stifling frustration” after reading the script but tried to shift her focus on the woman’s longing for her child and husband. “It’s not a movie that’s meant to make wounds,” she said.

 

Ms. Jeon’s performance has drawn comparisons to her showing in “Secret Sunshine,” the 2007 film directed by Lee Chang-dong that earned her the best-actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival that year and global recognition.

 

The 40-year-old actress told The Wall Street Journal that she attributed her success to luck, adding that the reality has “always been disadvantageous for women” due to the dearth of challenging female roles in Korean cinema.

 

“I want to be an actress that can give a sense of trust to a film that people want to see when my name is on it,” she said.

 

 

‘It’s not a movie that’s meant to make wounds.’

 

Ms. Jeon said that the best recompense for her work is the offer of another role, adding that awards don’t drive her. She keeps her palm-shaped trophy from Cannes hidden in a closet.

 

She said she feels “an enormous sense of loss” after finishing the cycle of a film shoot and the subsequent media interviews for a movie’s promotion.

 

Since her Cannes win, Ms. Jeon’s star power has risen significantly at home, too, and she stands in a league of her own, according to filmmakers and critics. But perhaps because of her choice of difficult women, Ms. Jeon has yet to produce a major commercial success at the domestic box office.

 

That could change with “Way Back Home”: The film ranked second at the weekend box-office, behind the blockbuster “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” which pulled in 6.56 billion won ($6.2 million), according to the Korean Film Council. “Way Back Home” earned 4.46 billion won in the three days ending Sunday.

 

While the film has earned mixed reviews, critics have hailed Ms. Jeon’s performance.

 

“I can’t imagine anyone else in the role,” said Seoul-based film writer Pierce Conran. “Jeon has always had an incredible talent for portraying strong characters masking their vulnerability.”

 

“Way Back Home” executive producer Seo Young-hee describes Ms. Jeon as “peerless among actresses of her generation,” and she was Ms. Seo’s first choice from the film’s inception.

 

Ms. Jeon is now working on the martial-arts period drama “Memories of the Sword” with South Korean heartthrob Lee Byung-hun, best known outside the country for his role as Storm Shadow in the “G.I. Joe” movie franchise.

 

“Memories of the Sword” is slated for release next year.

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December 27, 2013

 

The actor of his generation

How Song Kang-ho ruled Korean cinema in 2013 

 

By Chung Hyun-chae The Korea Times

 

Song Kang-ho’s three movies in 2013 (Snowpiercer, The Face Reader, The Attorney) have combined to sell more than 20 million tickets. / Korea Times

Song Kang-ho could be described as the ultimate late bloomer. His reputation until the mid-1990s was that of a passionate but limited theater actor who was frequently excluded for big roles because no director in Daehangno wanted his Hamlet to speak with a funky, Gyeongsang Province accent.

 

Song’s future in film, however, proved to be dramatically brighter. The 46-year-old’s filmography almost overlaps with the list of the definitive works in Korean cinema in the past 20 years both in art-house fare and mass-market hits.

 

Reading the impressive resume that includes "Green Fish’’ (1997), "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’’ (2002), "The Host’’ (2006), "Secret Sunshine’’ (2007) and "Thirst’’ (2009), one may wonder how Song managed not to be involved in Park Chan-wook’s 2003 masterpiece, ''Oldboy.’’

 

While Song’s status as the country’s most influential cinematic talent has been safe, he went on and made 2013 his most commercially-successful year anyway.

 

He appeared in Bong Joon-ho’s American debut, "Snowpiercer,’’ and "The Face Reader,’’ a thriller based on Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) Korea,  two of the biggest hits in a year when Korean theaters set an all-time audience record of 200 million plus.

 

Song is finishing the year just as strong. His third movie, "The Attorney,’’ inspired by late President Roh Moo-hyun during his lawyer days, has garnered more than 3.4 million moviegoers after it was released on Dec. 18.

 

Song’s three films this year have already sold a combined 20 million tickets. More than 80 million moviegoers have watched Song’s movies since he broke through with Green Fish.

 

Critics say the secret to Song’s success is simple: his acting is very, very good.

 

"He has a realistic, understated delivery that is very powerful and convincing,’’ said Jeon Pyeung-kuk, film critic and Kyonggi University professor.

 

"He just disappears into his role. He can be a detective, an anonymous middle-class father, a face reader and lawyer. He is not your traditional, good-looking movie star, but he is what you really call an actor. His talent is prolonging his success because great directors such as Bong, Park and Kim Ji-woon are always eager to work with him.’’

 

Bae Kook-nam, another critic, agreed that Song’s versatility as an actor is impressive.

 

"He is memorable in roles that seem unassuming at once. There is not a better actor who can dramatize the average, lower-class Korean male,’’ he said, referring to Song’s performance in the 2007 film, "The Show Must Go On,’’ which actually happens to be one of the actor’s few box office flops.

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March 5, 2014

 

Jeon Do-yeon, debuting three films this year

 

Source: Donga via Hancinema.net

 

 

The Queen of Cannes has started running again.

 

She's persistently busy with work and is expected to star in three consecutive movies this year.

 

Jeon Do-yeon starred in the martial arts movie "Memories of the Sword" which completed filming at the end of February. Even though she may be exhausted from non-stop action, she has chosen to move onto the next one without taking a break.

 

The next likely movie she'll act in is "Rouge" which is about a detective and a woman in the gang organization. She was offered a role in this during the making of "Memories of the Sword" and was positive about it.

She's currently taking in every possibility for the movie and is considering to make time in her schedule.
 

Jeon Do-yeon is a known actress who was awarded the Best Actress with the movie "Secret Sunshine" in Cannes and has been very careful about her work. She's become suddenly active and is looking at various movie genres.

 

The reason for Jeon Do-yeon's sudden change in route seems to be from the successful results of the movie "Way Back Home", a woman framed for transporting drugs and imprisoned in a foreign land; this successful movie gathered approximately 2 million viewers and proved the actress' box office dominance.

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April 30, 2014

 

Cannes Competition Jury to Feature JEON Do-yeon

SECRET SUNSHINE Star Returns to Croisette 

 

by Pierce Conran KOFIC

 

Photograph ⓒcine21 

 

Following the revelations of its main program and sidebars, the Cannes Film Festival has announced the full jury for its upcoming 67th edition.

 

Joining the previously announced jury president Jane Campion will be a coterie of world cinema figures including Korean star JEON Do-yeon. JEON, one of the preeminent thespians in the Korean film scene, is no stranger to the Croisette, having attended the festival as the lead actress of LEE Chang-dong’s 2007 competition title Secret Sunshine, for which she won earned the festival’s Best Actress prize, and IM Sang-soo’s The Housemaid in 2010.

 

The acclaimed star is also known for her roles in films such as E J-yong’s Untold Scandal (2003), LEE Yoon-ki’s My Dear Enemy and last year’s The Road Home from PANG Eun-jin. Following SHIN Sang-ok’s invitation in 1994 and LEE Chang-dong’s selection in 2009, JEON is the third Korean figure to feature in Cannes’ main competition jury. Korean jurors for other sections in previous Cannes editions have included Busan International Film Festival founder KIM Dong-ho and acclaimed filmmaker Bong Joon Ho. 

 

The veteran star joins a lineup of fresh creative talent from Korea with new films screening in the South of France, following the already announced invitations of July JUNG’s debut feature A Girl at My Door in the Un Certain Regard section and sophomore works The Target by CHANG and A Hard Day by KIM Heong-sun, which will participate in the Midnight Screenings and Director’s Fortnight lineups, respectively. This year’s Cannes Film Festival will unspool from May 14th to 25th .

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May 15, 2014

 

Jeon Do-yeon arrives in Cannes

 

By Kim Tong-hyung The Korea Times

 

 

Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon, left, and American director Sofia Coppola attend the opening ceremony of this year’s Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Thursday (KST). /AFP-Yonhap.Jeon Do-yeon graced the red carpet with an elegant black dress and heels at the opening ceremony of this year’s Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Thursday (KST).

 

Jeon, a star of several critically acclaimed films such as "Secret Sunshine” (2007) and “The Housemaid” (2010), joins jury president Jane Campion and other influential figures in world cinema, including Sofia Coppola, Willem Dafoe and Gael Garcia Bernal. Chinese director Jia Zhangke, French actress Carole Bouquet, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn and Iranian actress Leila Hatami complete the list.

 

Previous Korean jury members at Cannes included late director Shin Sang-ok (1926-2006), at the 1994 event, and director Lee Chang-dong for the 2009 event. Lee was the director of ''Secret Sunshine,’’ which won Jeon the best actress award at the 60th Cannes festival in 2007.

 

Nineteen films are in competition at Cannes this year and the jury will decide the winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or award and the main prizes such as best actress and best actor.

 

The films in competition for this year’s event includes Mike Leigh’s ''Mr. Turner,’’ a life story of artist JMW Turner; Ken Loach’s "Jimmy’s Hall," which dramatizes the deportation of a 1930s Irish activist; and Tommy Lee Jones' period western ''The Homesman.’’

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October 4, 2015

Korean actress no longer feels stress from 'Queen of Cannes' moniker

BUSAN, Oct. 4 (Yonhap) -- Actress Jeon Do-yeon said Sunday she had felt burdened by the moniker "The Queen of the Cannes" but now feels comfortable with it.

She gained the nickname on her home country after becoming the first Korean to win the best actress at the Cannes Film Festival for "Secret Sunshine" by director Lee Chang-dong in 2007.

"I once felt much burden due to the title. I wanted to get rid of and overcome it, but couldn't," Jeon acknowledged during an open-air talk program during the Busan International Film Festival here. "I think I have to live with the title as long as I work as an actress because Cannes' best actress was such a huge award."

  

South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon answers questions from fans durng an open-air talk program at the Busan International Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2015. (Yonhap) South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon answers questions from fans durng an open-air talk program at the Busan International Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2015. (Yonhap)

This year has been an emotional roller coaster for the 42-year-old actress.

She was highly acclaimed by critics for her masterful performance in "The Shameless," a domestic stylish noir two-hander that was screened at the 68th Cannes Film Festival.

But her following work "Memories of the Sword" managed to collect a mere 430,000 viewers in local theaters despite her brilliant performance as a blind female sword master. The Korean-style martial arts film also received unfavorable reviews.

A melodrama film "A Man and A Woman" featuring her and actor Gong Yu is scheduled to open in theaters later this year.

"I think this is the first time for three of my works to open in a one-year period," she said. "Actually, I was physically and mentally exhausted. But this film festival invigorated me."

 "The Shameless" secured an invitation to a non-competition category of the 20th edition of the Busan festival. Jeon played Kim Hye-gyeong, a bar madam used by a cop to hunt down her lover, who is a murder suspect.

Asked what moniker she wants to have if she can instead of "The Queen of the Cannes," she jokingly answered: "a box-office princess," meaning a top money-making actress.

"I used to be called 'box-office princess of the movie world.' Please call me that."

 sshim@yna.co.kr.

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October 4, 2015

"Queen of Cannes" Jeon Do-yeon, "I didn't want my act to be false"

Source: Segye via Hancinema.net

Actress Jeon Do-yeon spoke her mind about the nickname, 'Queen of Cannes'.

Jeon Do-yeon appeared at the Open Talk – Showing Interview on the 4th. Her movie "The Shameless" was nominated for the Panorama Section and appeared in various public appearances.

Jeon Do-yeon started off by saying, "I wasn't here at the BIFF as often as I thought. It's thrilling for me and I regret not being here before".

She took home the Best Actress for "Secret Sunshine" in 2007 at the Cannes International Film Festival and earned the title, 'Queen of Cannes'.

Jeon Do-yeon said, "It's very pressuring, the title. I wanted to overcome it but it was too much. I think this nickname will be with me for as long as I am an actress. I don't want to get rid of it but just accept it and do my best".

She continued, "I have received many awards so far. In the past I thought awards were given just by making a movie but now I know different. I don't make movies to get awards but I make movies to meet the audience. I always feel supported by those who cheer for me".

She was asked when she found it toughest yet and she said, "I had it rough the most during "Milyang". Director Lee Chang-dong asked me to show him the real thing but I didn't know what that was. So I felt resentful. If I was to make the movie again, it might become a different one".

Jeon Do-yeon has been acting non-stop. It's been 23 years since she's started acting. "I've always wanted to be an actress who can act until I'm old. I think I can". She also wants to be in black comedies and series movies. She even mentioned a possibility of reuniting with Hwang Jeong-min.

When she was asked what kind of an actress she wanted to be, she said, "I just want to be a good actress. I want to be a trustable one and not make my audience regret watching my movie".

Meanwhile, Jeon Do-yeon starred in the movie "The Shameless" as the woman of a murderer who falls in love with a detective. She took home the Best Actress at the 24th Buil Movie Awards.

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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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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. 

[rubie]

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