Spotlight on: Ryoo Seung-Wan

More than just the Action Kid

The opening night for KOFFIA is just around the corner for Sydneysiders! With a special Q&A session featuring the producer and director of the opening film 'The Unjust', KOFFIA shines a spotlight on director Ryoo Seung-Wan, his career and his invaluable contribution to Korean cinema.

After creating one of the most phenomenal debut features in Die Bad, a kinetic coming of age drama, Ryoo Seung-wan was initially misunderstood as Korea’s answer to Tarantino. While influences of Peckinpah, Scorsese, Buster Keaton and the Shaw Brothers were apparent in his features, Seung-wan injected an enthusiasm and creativity that was missing in Korean genre and commercial cinema.

From the wild homage to films he grew up with in the Dachimawa Lee shorts to the gritty noir No Blood No Tears, the director balanced extreme realism with fantastical cinematic sensibilities. While most of this was due to Seung-wan’s partnership with action choreographer Jung Doo-hong, it also developed as the director matured in his filmmaking.

After the slapstick wuxia-styled Arahan, Seung-wan would return to a scrappier form of action in Crying Fist, which would also signal the director’s graduation from the “enfant prodige” label and his move beyond traditional critical boundaries. Perfectly blending action with story, Crying Fist was something entirely the director’s – completely stripped of his influences and defying generic conventions.

After returning to homage for City of Violence and a feature version of Dachimawa Lee, Ryoo Seung-wan’s newest feature, The Unjust, expands the director’s territory into social commentary, with a more solid, steady, and intense stylisation. A hard boiled thriller with heavy characterisations of prosecutors and the police force, the film continues his long-standing partnership with brother, Ryoo Seung-beom, and is his most commercially successful film. A further movement into new territory, The Unjust proves Ryoo Seung-wan is one of Korea’s most diverse and talented filmmakers.

By Julian Buckeridge , AttheCinema.net

julian@atthecinema.net

Can't get enough of Ryoo Seung-wan? Join us at our Masters & Students event where Variety's Russell Edwards will host a forum with Ryoo Seung-wan himself. The event also features a special screening of Park Chan-wook's award-winning Night Fishing and top prize winner at the Critic's Week at Cannes Film Festival Blue. Dr. Bruce Isaacs will also give a presentation on digital aesthetics. Watch the Young Korean Filmmakers in Australia finalist films, and the awards ceremony as well. This is an event you can't miss!

Its time to HOLD ON TIGHT!

Check out episode 1 of our HOLD ON TIGHT series.

Directed and produced by Sujin Jeong and William Suen.
Sound and music by William Suen
Talent: Ann Margarett Cortez, Aude Rey, Hyun Shin, Sujin Jeong, William Suen

Special thanks to Jimmy Le, Kenny Son, Claudia Sutiono, Timothy Duong, Yujin Choi and the staff at the Korean Cultural Office.

Why the KOFFIA experience is worth a ride

The 2nd official Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) is on in Sydney this coming August 24 – 29, and will even be rolling into Melbourne for the first time this year in September.

While some movie goers may be deterred by the thought of reading subtitles and deciphering cultural differences in foreign films, the wicked line-up of films for KOFFIA will be sure to prove that there’s much to gain in checking out something outside of the comfortably familiar. Catering to the tastes of horror junkies, action/thriller lovers, indie hipsters and even family-friendly types, KOFFIA is a festival experience that celebrates the breakout of Korean films in international spaces – a phenomenon that could not have been foreseen a couple of decades ago.

Before the 90s, the Korean film industry wasn’t making back any of its money. Relying on Hollywood imports and cheesy melodrama to get people into cinemas, Korea’s film industry was on the verge of simply closing up shop due to its serious lack of profitability. But once the political and economic climate of Korea began to change so did the nation’s films. Even with direct American competition in the country itself, Korean production companies proved that strong concepts and innovative direction could beat foreign competitors, offering the world something that was culturally striking and yet, uniquely familiar.

KOFFIA: The History of Korean Cinema

Korean cinema now stands at a very interesting point in its history. As the eyes of international film festivals, leading American production companies and regional importers (such as China, Japan, and Vietnam) look to the Korean film industry for inspiration (and ways to make money), it seems like global audiences can’t get enough of what this geographically small but remarkable country has to offer in terms of its dramatic art onscreen.

And while celebrating Korean cinema’s success is a large part of what KOFFIA is all about, I think this special event in Sydney is more interesting and exciting in relation to Korean cinema’s rising position. That is to say, I don’t think Korean cinema has seen enough widespread attention (especially in Australia) in order to claim a dominant position in the international landscape of filmmaking. It is still a growing industry, and despite the success it may have seen in the past decade, the nation’s filmmakers are pulling all sorts of moves (good and bad) to win over an international audience. For this reason, Korean cinema deserves to be seen, reflected upon and at the very least, given a chance.

KOFFIA opens in 2010

The Australian film industry itself is continually looking for ways to tell exciting, culturally-specific and yet, widely appreciated stories. Australian filmmakers, film buffs and movie-goers are those who have an eye for originality, inspiration and the daring in film, as we ourselves live in a country full of diverse ideas and people. And considering 2011 is the year of Australia-Korean friendship, what could be a better way of getting to know each other than a movie date?

Whether you end up loving it, hating it, not understanding any of it or just getting weirded out, the distinctly different, new and eye-opening (literally!) experience of KOFFIA is definitely something to look out for.

The KOFFIA 2011 Official Trailer is here!

Hold on Tight! KOFFIA 2011 is here.

Experience the story, the adventure, the rollercoaster ride of Korean cinema this August and September.


KOFFIA 2011 Official Trailer from Koffia 2011 on Vimeo.

This trailer was edited by Kang Minji.

koffia.com.au

KOFFIA: History of Korean Cinema

To tide you over until KOFFIA 2011 arrives, which is in just 3 weeks time, we take a look back at the History of Korean cinema. Taking special note as to how it has developed over the years, and highlighting some of the most critically acclaimed films of all time, take a look below

Thanks to Kevin Park for the slick editing and Samuel Choi for the great soundtrack.