A large-scale Korean film festival is being held in London.
Echoes in Time: Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema.
The 19th London Korean Film Festival, organized in collaboration with the British Film Institute (BFI), the Korean Cultural Centre UK, and the Korean Film Archive, is featuring a special retrospective titled Echoes in Time: Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema. This event runs from October 28 to December 31, with its opening ceremony at the BFI Southbank theater in London.
The Korean Cultural Centre UK (directed by Seung-hye Sun) has selected Park Beom-su's film Victory as the opening film for the London Korean Film Festival, which runs from November 1 to 13. Set on Geoje Island in 1984, Victory follows the story of Pil-seon (played by Lee Hye-ri) and Mina (played by Park Se-wan), whose lives revolve around cheerleading, portraying themes of encouragement and mutual support. This film was also selected as the opening piece for the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival. Director Park Beom-su will attend the opening ceremony, participating in a Q&A session with the audience.
Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, Seung-hye Sun, emphasized the event’s significance:
“We are launching a large-scale retrospective of Korean cinema in partnership with the British Film Institute here in London. Simultaneously, the London Korean Film Festival opens with Victory, a film that signifies the vibrant future of Korean cinema. Through this program, audiences in London will experience the historical depth and aesthetic achievements of Korean cinema, reflecting Korea's rapid development throughout the 20th century. Every film showcases the aesthetic victories made possible by the boundless passion and creative talent of Korean filmmakers.”
The Echoes in Time retrospective is an ambitious exploration of Korean cinema’s history. It opens on October 28 with The Female Judge (1962), and includes 13 films from the Golden Age of the 1960s, such as Yu Hyun-mok’s neorealist classic Aimless Bullet, and 17 films from the New Korean Cinema wave (1996-2003), including Jeong Jae-eun’s youth drama Take Care of My Cat. This comprehensive program will showcase a total of 42 films, including one animated feature and 11 films by women directors, in over 70 screenings.
The December lineup includes Golden Age masterpieces like The Coachman (1961), A Mother and Her Guest (1961), The Empty Dream (1963), The Devil’s Stairway (1964), The Murderer (1965), and The Sea Village (1965). Films from the New Korean Cinema wave, such as The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well (1996), Christmas in August (1998), The Quiet Family (1998), Whispering Corridors 2 (1999), Peppermint Candy (1999), Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), Die Bad (2000), The Foul King (2000), Oldboy (2003), and Untold Scandal (2003) will also be screened at BFI Southbank.
Additionally, various special events are scheduled. Professor Steve Choe from San Francisco State University will discuss how Korean cinema evolved with the country’s economic and political transformations during the 1960s and 1990s. Professor Jinhee Choi from King’s College London will give a talk on the representation of girls in Korean cinema, and some screenings will feature introductory talks by film experts.