K-Movie fever returns: Five Korean movies at Habitat International Film Festival
NEW DELHI: The Korean movie (K-movie) buffs in India have a reason to rejoice as the ongoing Habitat International Film Festival (HIFF) is screening five critically acclaimed Korean films in New Delhi.
The Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI), which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary of its establishment in India, has collaborated with India Habitat Centre (IHC) to screen five Korean films at the prestigious Habitat International Film Festival (HIFF) – May 6-15.
The screening of five Korean movies in India is a major development since January 2020 when OSCAR winning Korean movie PARASITE was released on 100 screens across India in 20 cities. It was for the first time in India’s silver screen history when a foreign language film with English subtitles was released across India in regular shows.
The Korean films being screened at the HIFF include, Director Lee Joon-ik’s black and white film “The book of fish” which expresses a cross-status scholarly exchange between Jeong Yak-yong’s. He was one of the greatest Korean thinkers in the later Joseon period, and wrote highly influential books about philosophy, science and theories of government, and held significant administrative positions, and was noted as a poet.
Other Korean film includes older brother, ‘Jeong Yak-jeon’ and ‘Changdae’ along with Director Lee Jung-kook’s “In the Name Of The Son” which shows the revenge of an individual with the pain of the times, as well as “The Cave” (Dir. Lee Young ah), “Chorokbam” (Dir. Yoon Seo-jin), “Seire” (Dir. Park Kang) which were screened at the 26th Busan International Film Festival.
Being organized at the Stein Auditorium in India Habitat Centre in New Dehi, the HIFF is screening a total of around 50 films from 20 different countries. The HIFF is returning after a pause of two years owing to Covid-19 pandemic.
Habitat International Film Festival aims at promoting and presenting new and refreshing cinema to the Indian audience that goes beyond the commercial films. And with the same purpose, Korean Films presented at the Habitat International Film Festival focus on works of new, writer-oriented directors and independent films.
HIFF Schedule Content Duration Date Time 5.6(Fri) 17:30 The book of fish (Dir. Lee Joon-Ik) 70min 5.8(Sun) 16:00 In The Name Of The Son (Dir. Lee Jung-gook 90min 5.10(Tue) 18:30 The Cave (Dir. Lee Young ah) 90min 5.12(Thu) 18:30 Chorokbam (Dir. Yoon Seo-jin) 90min 5.14(Sat) 16:00 Seire (Dir. Park Kang) 110min
In a statement, Hwang Il-yong, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre India, said, “Habitat International Film Festival is one of those few events in New Delhi where you can enjoy art films. In particular, this year, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Korean Cultural Centre, we think it is a great honour to be able to screen five Korean films at this prestigious Film Festival. Just as Korean Wave content resonated greatly in India, we hope that, through this event the audiences would be able to appreciate the artistic values of these independent films.”
According to a IHC statement, with diversity at the forefront, this edition of HIFF also brings together a pan-Indian selection of films from a plethora of Indian languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit, Malayalam, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Assamese, Bengali and more.
Noted film critic and journalist Anna M. M. Vetticad will be introducing the section of Malayalam films that paved the way for a New Wave of Malayalam cinema. Short films and documentaries, Q&A and interactive sessions, and a Festival Café serving a selection of International Street Food provide the quintessential buzz and ‘Festival Flavour’. The festival from its year of inception has evolved into an indispensable annual experience in the cultural calendar of Delhi.
- Title of the film THE CAVE
Country South Korea
Language Korean
Year of release 2021
Duration 110min
Direction LEE Young-ah
Synopsis
“He has the same oral structure as my late husband.”
After her husband, Kyung-chi’s sudden passing, Min-hee moves to Jeju Island with a few unresolved questions in mind. She settles into the house Kyung-chi had always wanted, and gets to know a neighbor named Mok-ha and her twenty-year-old son, Tae-kyung. She takes a liking to self-confident and exuberant Mok-ha, but at the same time, has odd feelings toward Tae-kyung. As Min-hee learns more about them, she is swept over by turbulence of emotions.
Cast YOO Da-in, CHO Eun-ji, HA Kyung, JUNG Young-seop, HEO Jae-ho, SHIN Ki-hwan
Screenplay LEE Young-ah
Producer KIM Kyoung-soo
Cinematography LEE Joo-hwan
Editing LEE Young-ah
Sound WaveLab
Music PYO Chang-hoon
Age suitability N/A
Awards N/A
Festivals 26th Busan International Film Festival – Panorama
- Title of the film CHOROKBAM
Country South Korea
Language Korean
Year of release 2021
Duration 89min
Direction YOON Seo-jin
Synopsis:
When the curtain of green night rises, we will watch a fraction of one family’s drama.
A night guard finds a dead cat hanging by the neck. Because of the happening, he is tense but doesn’t say much about it to his wife. Wonhyung, the son of the night guard works as a clinical social worker. He seems to only make ends meet. Then Wonhyung’s grandfather’s death drags this whole family into an unexpected journey of reminding them of old memories. And at the grandfather’s house, they happen to meet one woman.
Cast LEE Tae-hoon, KIM Min-kyung, KANG Gil-woo
Screenplay: YOON Seo-jin
Producer: LEE Ji-eun
Cinematography: CHOO Kyeoung-yeob
Editing: LEE Hak-min
Sound: HA Nam-gyu
Music: Hiroyuki Nagashima
Age suitability: N/A
Awards: 26th Busan International Film Festival – CGV Arthouse Award
Festivals: 26th Busan International Film Festival – Vision – CGV Arthouse Award
- Title of the film IN THE NAME OF THE SON
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
Year of release: 2020
Duration : 90min
Direction : LEE Jung-gook
Synopsis
The unexamined life is not worth living.
Chae-geun, who is making a living through designated-driver service, lives in agony because he still cannot forget what happened in Gwangju in May 1980. To keep his word with his son, he decides to avenge those who do not show regret. Chae-geun uses his job to make an approach to one of the generals who were responsible at that time. Now, everything is ready for the revenge.
Cast: AHN Sung-ki, PARK Keun-hyong, YUN Yoo-sun
Screenplay: LEE Jung-gook
Producer: LIM Jun-hyung
Cinematography: JUNG Yong-hyun
Editing: LEE Jung-gook
Sound: LEE Ki-jun
Music: JUNG Je-hwan
Age suitability: 12 Rating
Awards: 2021 Tagore International Film Festival – Critic’s Choice Award, 2021 Cannes World Film Festival: Best Narrative Feature Film, 2021 World Film Carnival Singapore
Critic’s Choice Award, 2020 Chicago Indie Film Awards – Best Actor Award/ Best Producer Award
Festivals:
2021 New York International Film Awards, 2021 London International Cinema Festival, 2021 Cannes World Film Festival, 2021 World Film Carnival Singapore, 2020 Busan International Film Festival, 2020 Chicago Indie Film Awards
- Title of the film SEIRE
Country South Korea
Language Korean
Year of release 2021
Duration 102min
Direction PARK Kang
Synopsis
Who breaks the rule shall take responsibility for it.
There is a superstition in Korea that no one should visit a wake when there’s a baby under three weeks among the family members; but Woo-jin doesn’t believe it. He receives a text message that his ex-girlfriend passed away, and despite his wife’s dissuasion, he goes to the wake and mourns for her. After that day, strange things start to happen, and his baby becomes sick without reason. His wife now demands him to transfer this misfortune to other people by stealing a few things- two things from any store, one thing from a stranger.
Cast SEO Hyun-woo, RYU Abel, SIM Eun-woo
Screenplay PARK Kang
Producer RHEE Yoon-joo
Cinematography HWANG Gyeong-hyeon
Editing HAN Jee-hee
Sound LEE Min-seob, AN Ki-sung
Music JANG Young-gyu
Age suitability N/A
Awards 26th Busan International Film Festival – FIPRESCI Award
Festivals 26th Busan International Film Festival – New Currents
