Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CINEMA
Seoul's Chungmuro neighbourhood has long been the heart of the nation's vibrant and crit-
ically acclaimed film industry, which has been at the forefront of
hallyu
or the Korean
Wave of popular culture sweeping across Asia and the world.
Directors haven't shied away from major issues, such as the Korean War with
Taegukgi
(2004) and its turbulent political aftermath in
The President's Last Bang
(2005). Pervasive
social issues in modern Seoul - such as the blistering pace of city life and the shifting no-
tion of family - are tackled in films like
The Way Home
(2002) and
Family Ties
(2006),
both quietly touching. The horror films
Memento Mori
(1999) and
A Tale of Two Sisters
(2003) provide gruesome shocks for the genre aficionado, and for an action-revenge flick -
something Korea excels at - nothing tops the jaw-dropping
Old Boy
(2003).
Filmmaking used to be a boys' club. No longer: superb films by female directors are re-
ceiving greater recognition. These include Jeong Jae-eun's
Take Care of My Cat
(2001),
the pitch-perfect story of five girls coming of age in the suburbs outside of Seoul, and Yim
Soon-rye's
Waikiki Brothers
(2001), a sobering exploration of those left behind by Korea's
economic rise. Yim's
Forever the Moment
(2008) follows the Korean women's handball
team into the 2004 Olympics, offering a more reflective take than is the genre standard.
dustry and features numerous reviews. The bookshop Seoul Selection has a great selection of
Korean DVDs.
