KOFFIA 2013: My Experience by Ben

I am currently writing this last blog post for KOFFIA 2013, when I should be reading a chapter of an Honours cohort member’s thesis. That being said, since I have been unable to attend any of the films bar ‘A Werewolf Boy’ on Opening Night, I think I can express some disappointment regarding the unfortunate clash of schedules. 

On the other hand, the optimist in me points out I was at least able to attend one film – and a very good one at that. I did not know that Korean cinema would gather this much attention in Sydney, let alone in Australia so far from the amount of interest generated in Brisbane. I was aware of the interest towards K-Pop due to the increasing number of non-Korean friends asking me about learning the Korean language, but I was not expecting this much attention and dedication towards Korean films. This is something incredible to see and I hope the Korean Cultural Office and other organisations will sustain and increase the momentum gathered thus far.

There is always something pleasant about watching movies at the cinema and ‘A Werewolf Boy’ was no exception. Despite entering the cinema with the impression of the movie as a Korean adaptation of ‘Twilight,’ I left the big screen appreciating the amount of depth and substance present in Chul-soo. ‘Architecture 101’ struck a chord with me even as a current university student, while ‘9 Muses of Star Empire’ made me think twice about the Korean entertainment industry. Finally, the Short Film selections were superb with each entry having a unique voice that deserves your attention.

Since all my reviews have been rather verbose and dense (I blame my essay-writing mindset), I will end this post with a positive and short epiphany. If I were to reprise my role as Blogger next year for KOFFIA 2014, I will have at least something going towards my way: this time next year, I will have more or less graduated. I will therefore be able to come up to Sydney to watch more movies. Granted, quantity often does not dominate quality, but Korean cinema is able to harness both aspects. So why not see as many Korean films as possible?

By Ben Lee