Korea in Cinema

Tonight I attended an evening discussion at the ICA entitled ‘What is the future of Korean film?’ Featuring a panel of: Asian film expert Tony Rayns; Head of Programming at the Independent Cinema Office, Simon Ward; and Korean director Jang Jin, the evening did not exactly answer the question it posed as to Korean cinema’s future, but did provide some interesting insights into the commercial world of film-making, as well as some cultural differences.


Discussing Korean films chosen for release in the UK, Simon ward – a man who plays a large role in pushing foreign films into the UK market – made the point that any foreign language film in the UK is immediately bracketed under the term ‘art house’, playing alongside experimental, alternative and independent films and documentaries, whatever the nature of the film. So, whether or not a Korean film is an artistically-shot drama, budget gore-fest or big budget action adventure, it will be classed as art house. A distinction many friends often make whenever I let on that I am going to see a film of non-English speaking origin, thus making me a pretentious wanker.


With this being the case, Mr Ward went on to state that UK distributers will, therefore, search overseas for independent films, more experimental films and, often, less commercial films. As if you are going to be classed as art house, you may as well be art house.


And this made sense to me. If you’re going to see a big budget, visual spectacle that requires little thought, why would you want to spend the whole time reading?! You will choose the Hollywood blockbuster over a Korean equivalent – independent of how good each was – due to the greater ease of the experience. If you want to be a little more challenged and see some risks taken on screen, you probably won’t mind taking the time to read some words at the bottom of the picture, or as I do, learn the language.


This answered an internal question that is always with me when I speak to Nihon-jin; that they seem to have little knowledge of the contemporary Nihon no eiga that I so enjoy. If my Nihon-go no sensei was back home in Toyota, I’m sure she’d go and see the latest Japanese blockbuster, not some unknown independent. Do you think that more British people have seen Dead Man’s Shoes than Harry Potter and his Bleeding Anus?! I don’t either...