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Park Chan-wook Wins Jury Award at Cannes

2009-05-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

South Korea's maestro director Park Chan-wook shared the Jury Prize at Cannes for his vampire thriller "Thirst" with Britain's Andrea Arnold ("Fish Tank") -- his second one after "Old Boy" in 2004.

Read the news wire from AFP below:

(AFP) - CANNES, France, May 24, 2009 (AFP) - Asia's dark and disturbing movies scooped Cannes kudos on Sunday, with awards for cult directors from China and Korea, as well as controversial Filipino auteur Brillante Mendoza.

At Cannes with a blood-and-gore tale about vampire love titled "Thirst", South Korea's Park Chan-wook jointly won the festival's Jury Prize, taking home his second trophy from the festival after "Old Boy" in 2004.

A torrid and unexpectedly graphic gay love movie from China, "Spring Fever", won best screenplay for outlawed director Lou Ye.

And Mendoza, one of the most divisive directors at the 12-day movie bonanza, got the best director prize for a gritty look at violence in "Kinatay", which means massacre and shows the slow butchering of a prostitute into pieces with blunt kitchen knives.

"I know opinions are divided on my movies," Mendoza said after picking up his prize. "I was expecting it."

Mendoza faced a barrage of criticism from some quarters at Cannes at his first showing last year with "Serbis", which was set in a Manila porn-theatre with long close-ups of festering boils and overflowing toilets.

Both films background Manila's poor, with "Kinatay" chronicling a day in the life of a young police officer that begins with his wedding and closes with his involvement in the rape, murder and hacking into pieces of a prostitute.

"This is not just entertainment, these kinds of stories are real," Mendoza said.

Park's priest-turned-vampire suffers cruelly in the movie, from inner demons and physical ills, but picking up his award at the red-carpet ceremony the film-maker in contrast said:

"I think I still have a long way to go to be a true artist because I still don't know about the pain of creation. I only know about the joy of creation."

Park, who describes his rivers-of-blood tale as a "scandalous vampire melodrama," shows a good-Samaritan priest caught in an ethical quagmire after being turned into a vampire by a mysterious blood transfusion.

Lusting not only after blood but after a childhood friend's wife -- who turns into a vampire too -- the priest is drawn into crime while seeking redemption as he soars through windows to rooftops in search of life-saving blood supplies.

*It's interesting to note that both "Thirst" and "Kinatay" star the striking Filipina actress Mercedes Cabral. Her furtive glances in Park's film left an admirable impression. Congrats Mr. Park!

Asian films are flying on a cinematic high! When Juliette Binoche visited Seoul recently, she said that Asian cinema is totally hot right now and are inspiring the int'l film world. Cannes, la creme de la creme among film fests, exemplifies this.

"Thirst" topped the local box office but ceded the No. 1 spot to the romantic comedy "My Girlfriend Isn't an Agent." Still, it's not a bad score for something that is rated R to the core.

>>Read my movie review (one of the first in English) on Park's "Thirst."
>>Read about what Park had to say about his film (though it's a little outdated, it contains the essence of his thoughts on the piece).

Hugh Jackman Jogs With 'Hanbok'-Clad Daughter

2009-05-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hugh Jackman jogging with his daughter, who's pretty in her pink "hanbok" (traditional Korean dress). The "X-Men" star is the honorary ambassador to Seoul; his father worked in South Korea for almost 30 years, so he's a big fan of "bulgogi" (Korean beef), etc.

This is such a precious picture... makes me love him even more :)

>>Read what the Wolverine-cum-Aussie had said during his promotional tour in Korea.

Actor John Cho Aims to Break Stereotypes

2009-05-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

I had my doubts about "Star Trek," since J.J. Abrams, the director, is a "Star Wars" fan. But it was awesome movie (not to mention that Spock is uber sexy). I got to interview charming Mr. Cho for a second time.

Yonhap Photo

It appears that the mission of John Cho, much like his ``Star Trek: The Beginning'' character, is ``to boldly go where no one has gone before.'' If the space pilot Hikaru Sulu seeks new life and new civilizations, then the Korean-American actor strives to break certain Asian stereotypes until one day it won't be necessary to do so.

``Part of my mission as an actor has been to define what an American is. I've played roles that aren't expected of an Asian,'' said the star of the cult comedy ``Harold and Kumar,' and' who popularized the term ``MILF'' in the ``American Pie'' trilogy, in an interview Monday in Seoul.

Asians being typecast as funny ``is a new stereotype,'' said the 36-year-old, explaining that Asian Americans had hitherto been labeled as ``cold, non-humorous and involved in our books.''

(Photo courtesy of First Look) But Cho, one of 2006 People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive, said the ultimate goal would naturally be to not worry about stereotypes for choosing parts.

``Any role that gets repeated (by Asians) will be misinterpreted as a stereotype. The goal of Asians in the arts is plurality of roles. I've always been hindered by me over-thinking what is a stereotype and what isn't,'' he said. ``The more roles there are, the more actors there are. No (Asian) actor has to think about how is this affecting anyone except me, and just think about whether or not I want to do this role.''

In recent years, an increasing number of Korean actors have been cast in Hollywood films, such as Gianna Jun (Jun Ji-hyun) in ``Blood: The Last Vampire.'' ``Hollywood has been so impressed by Korean films, so there is an interest in Korean actors,'' he said, though carefully, not feeling comfortable about commenting definitively on the subject.

Cho does feel however that it is difficult for an actor or director's talents to wholly translate across borders, and something inevitably gets lost. He hopes that a new filmmaking hotspot will arise outside of Hollywood and rival it, so that cineastes wouldn't need to endorse a different culture in order to make a larger impact ― in 50 years or so it could be South Korea, he said.

The actor had appeared in the Korea-United States joint production ``West 32nd'' by Michael Kang, and said he would one day like to appear in a local project. ``I was impressed by the creativity of the concept in Korea cinema. There is a unique Korean vision happening right now. (…) I'd like to work on a Korean movie if I had the opportunity. Mostly (because) I'd like to stay here for an extended period of time,'' said the Los Angeles native.

Meanwhile, ``Star Trek,'' helmed by ``Lost'' and ``Mission Impossible 3'' creative brain J.J. Abrams, is currently topping the North American box office, drawing in more than $79.2 million during its opening weekend according to the Associated Press.

`` I'm very excited,'' he said. ``I know there was some level of suspicion about how we'd handle this franchise that was considered kind of dead.'' The action flick is based on the epic sci-fi television series tracing the adventures of the Federation starship U.S.S. Enterprise, a pan-universe version of the earthly UN.

``It's one of those series that has been consistently on re-runs for 40 years. It has become of part of the cultural fabric of America,'' he said. However, he stopped watching the original series; the lead actor, Chris Pine, who plays the role of Kirk, previously said the same thing to The Korea Times. ``I stopped because I knew much more (about `Star Trek') than I realized; it had been around for so long that I forgot I'd seen and had absorbed it.''

In the original series, Cho's character Sulu was ``very much in command of the spaceship,'' he said. In the prequel, Cho said he portrayed a young Sulu that is ``a little shakier, a little less secure.'' Indeed, the film invited some laughter when the highly trained pilot is unable to launch the spacecraft in one go.

As for playing a role originally played by Japanese American actor George Takei, Cho said it was ``fair game as an actor,'' since the part did not require a Japanese accent or Japanese lines. Unlike old TV series such as ``Mash,'' where non-Korean actors were forging Korean accents,'' he was ``happy my casting fulfills (the original TV series creator) Gene Roddenberry's vision of a multinational spaceship.''

[Mr. Takei was quote as saying in an interview that he did not mind a Korean American playing his former role -- Sulu is supposed to represent Asia, he said.]

In an interview with The Korea Times two years ago, in Busan, Cho said he always wanted to play roles such as a classic American cowboy that he played as child with his younger brother. Starring in ``Star Trek,'' something he grew up watching, seems to be a great start.

Born in Seoul in 1972, Cho immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of six. He stepped into the world of acting by chance while majoring in English literature at UC Berkeley.

>>Read my previous interview with John Cho.

>>Read about Mr. Cho's other film, "West 32nd."

Be Your Own Rock Star

2009-05-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

Record an Album

Lee Jung-hwan, 28, has a passion for singing but never pursued a professional career. He is in fact a busy medical student, but he decided to do something more than just croon his favorite tunes at the local ``noraebang’’ (karaoke) to express his musicality _ he recorded a couple of albums at a studio.

Featuring a dozen tracks, a glossy jacket and casing, they look like professional CDs released by major labels _ except the songs were sung by Lee and his family and an artsy friend designed the covers.

``It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, an eventful and fruitful family event that lasts,’’ he told The Korea Times. The project arose when Lee’s mother heard about a studio where amateurs can make albums.

The family of three took the opportunity to spend several days together, from choosing the songs to the actual recording and designing of the album cover. His family also headed to the photo studio for a family portrait to feature in the album jacket. ``It’s an event where everyone got together and got really involved,’’ he said.

The father and son sang oldies such as Lee Eun-mi’s ``I Have a Lover’’ and Richard Marx’s ``Right Here Waiting,’’ and were careful to feature a variation of songs in an orderly fashion, alternating between songs in E Major and A Minor, for example. They ordered about 200 copies, which were distributed to friends, relatives and colleagues.

``They absolutely loved it. Korea has a unique noraebang culture, where everyone loves to sing and party. They were amazed to hear the voice of someone they know in a recording,’’ he said. Lee went on to record a solo album featuring his favorite songs such as ``Desperado.’’ He wishes to make another CD with his future wife and children.

Nara Music in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, a satellite city of Seoul, is one of the few professional studios that offer such a service.

The owner, Kang Dong-suk, was the musical inspiration behind classic TV cartoons such as ``Flying Superboard.’’ He now specializes in producing ``dongyo,’’ or nursery songs, and albums for opera singers. But the studio also welcomes small-scale projects for music professors and amateur singers such as Lee’s family.

Releasing an album comes with a price, of course. It normally costs about 10 million won and up, depending on the number of tracks, mixing (live orchestration or electronic music, etc.) and the amount of post-production it requires, and takes up to about a month. The studio takes care of slight glitches, akin to how photographs are edited on computer programs.

Nara Music is located near exit 1 of Yatap Station on the Bundang subway line. Call (031) 708-6631.

Form a Band

The movie ``Bravo My Life’’ features listless white-collar workers rising back to life through amateur rock bands. Such movies were actually inspired by true stories _ it’s never too late, it seems, to realize your dreams of becoming a rock star.

Yamaha Korea offers classes for various instruments, ranging from the piano to electronic guitar. Many think that piano lessons are for toddlers only, but you won’t be the only adult there. There are two groups, children and professionals from all walks of life in their 30s and 40s. Visit www.yamaha-music.co.kr for more information.

A scene from the movie "Brave My Life"

Hyundai Sungwoo Resort in Gangwon Province is hosting a competition for amateur workers’ bands on May 30. Any band purely comprising of workers that have not released an album will be able to participate. It is accepting applications until May 26 through its Web site (www.hdsungwoo.co.kr).

The judges award bonus points for bands comprised of members from the same firm. The grand prize winners get 1 million won and a free voucher for a night in the resort’s luxury room; the runners up receive 500,000 won and two vouchers for suites; the second runners up receive 300,000 won and one voucher for a family room; and the third runners up can win 200,000 won and one voucher for a family room.

Make Music at Noraebang

If you think recording an album is too expensive, or forming a band is time-consuming, then hit a noraebang. But forget the generic, dark, underground ones with broken tambourines. Local noraebang have evolved to allow special touches to karaoke night.

Su Noraebang in Hongdae, a nightlife hub of Seoul, is famous as a luxurious franchise with multiple chains. Among them is Prince Edward, which features a full drum set, guitar, keyboard and other kinds of instruments to add live instrumental effects to vocals.

In the hallway, those waiting for a room can play the white grand piano, which is equipped with sheet music of the latest songs. For the more serious singer, the noraebang even provides lockers for personal microphones. It also has a washing machine and offers free ice cream and a cell phone battery-charging service. Variety TV programs often shoot in the chicly decorated rooms, so you could run into a celebrity.

Naturally, prices are more expensive than the typical noraebang next door, costing about 20,000 an hour. Visit www.skysu.com or call (02) 322-3111.

For those who want a memento of their historical noraebang extravaganza, Tinga Tinga in Seongnam-dong, Ulsan, offers guests a chance to make their own music video. Singers du jour can choose a background and sing in front of the camera, which you can take home in the form of a CD, or upload it online as a UCC (user-created content) video.

It costs 15,000 won per hour. If you’re planning on making a music video, the owner suggests calling in advance so you can reserve one of the nicer rooms. Call (052) 243-1612.

Director Hong Sang-soo’s Realm of Comic Realism

2009-05-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

New in local theaters and currently showing in the out-of-competition section of the Cannes Film Festival is Hong Sang-soo’s latest feature ``Like You Know It All.’’

Like Hong’s other films, ``Know’’ is told in a live journal-like format that is reminiscent of Eric Rohmer. While it is set in a couple of Korea’s top vacation spots, the movie, as typical of its minimalist director, features characterless hotel rooms and drinking spots and showcases more of the mirror-image structures inherent to Hong’s stories of frustrated ideals and sexual desires.
Modest, fragmented and meandering it may be, but the low-budget digital franchise stars some of South Korea’s most high-profile actors tangled up in mundane yet comic situations and engaged in phony talks about art, philosophy and love.

Like his previous feature ``Night and Day,’’ which was shown at last year’s Berlinale, ``Know’’ stars another one of the director’s archetypal womanizing anti-heroes. Actor Kim Tae-woo (Hong’s 2004 ``Woman Is the Future of Man’’) is Koo, a rising filmmaker known for his artsy works.

He is invited as a judge for the 2008 Jecheon International Music Film Festival (JIMFF). But the festival, set among the cascading mountains and scenic lakes of North Chungcheong Province, is just an excuse for everyone to have drinking parties. Here, Hong does not hesitate to bash the film industry, by depicting a know-it-all programmer (Uhm Ji-won) and superficial movie critics to the smug star director and the desperate actress trying to climb into his bed. Koo is at once the aloof observer and the passive participant in the shallowness.

Meanwhile, Koo runs into an old buddy, Bu (Kong Hyeong-jin), and is invited to his happy home. Joined by Bu’s wife Yu-sin (Jeong Yu-mi), the three start another round of drinking. A series of mishaps, however, result in Koo being labeled a sexual harasser, and back at the festival, he again gets blamed for another accident involving too much booze and compromised sexual morals.

Twelve days later, Koo is invited to give a lecture at a film school on Jeju Island. Of course, the camera foregoes the beautiful palm trees and beaches of Korea’s Hawaii, and instead takes viewers to more drinking parties. This time he reunites with a senior colleague, the elderly painter Yang, and is invited to his home.

Yang’s new wife turns out to be none other than Koo’s old flame, Koh (Go Hyun-jung). The two keep their past affair a secret from Yang, and end up in bed together _ a casual affair for Koh, while a pitiful, self-gratifying attempt for Koo to attach meaning to his frustrated past. Things become complicated, however, when the neighbor Jo (Ha Jung-woo), who swears a bizarre sense of loyalty to Yang, catches them.

``People don’t make use of all the gifts in life,’’ Hong once said. ``They can be ungrateful about the good things in life while they agonize over unnecessary desires, beliefs that are unfounded, self-destructive or oppressive, and misguided ideals. I am intrigued by such things.’’

In ``Know,’’ Hong explores the small yet affecting results of misunderstanding and misinformation, and how history is bound to repeat itself when people fail to understand their mistakes. Running as long as ``Night and Day,’’ the director’s longest film yet, ``Know’’ develops in a tangential yet natural, and moreover, extremely funny, way. Some say that the realist always makes similar movies; Hong is consistent but is also consistently evolving, bringing new dimensions of small and subtle yet delightful rhymes.

Read my review of Hong's "Night and Day"

Royal Tombs Nominated for World Heritage List

2009-05-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

Photos courtesy of the Cultural Heritage Administration.

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) was nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea (CHA) announced Wednesday.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which along with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) presides over a tentative list of cultural and natural properties. The tombs scattered around Seoul and Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces await final approval at the 33rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will take place June 22-30 in Seville, Spain.

``No site recommended by the ICOMOS has ever been turned down before,’’ Kim Hong-dong of the CHA International Affairs Division was quoted as saying in the Munwha Ilbo. If the Joseon royal tombs are approved, it will become South Korea’s ninth UNESCO-designated treasure.

The tombs comprise the mausoleums of 27 generations of Joseon kings, and queens, including those who were posthumously recognized, spanning over five centuries. Such an intact preservation of the royal tombs from a single dynasty is unheard of elsewhere in the world.

A total of 40 tombs among the 42 were submitted for candidacy _ the excluded two, Jaeneung and Huneung, are in North Korea. The ICOMOS is reported to have highly regarded the site’s unique architectural and landscape forms rooted in Confucian and geomantic traditions, as well as the fact that related funereal rituals from the times continue to this day, in the form of an intangible cultural heritage.

These tombs, called ``neung,’’ are part of altogether 119 tombs in the area, which include 13 ``won,’’ those that belonged to crown princes and princesses and the biological mothers of kings (i.e. mothered by a royal concubine), and ``myo,’’ which include those belonging to royal family members and overthrown kings such as Gwanghaegun and Yeonsangun.

Local sites registered by UNESCO include Jongmyo, Joseon’s Royal Ancestral Shrine, and the Joseon-era Changdeok Palace in Seoul. The Royal Tombs’ nomination suggests the heightened recognition of the late kingdom’s cultural value.

Other sites include: Seokguram-Bulguksa and Gyeongju Historic Areas in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province; Tripitaka Koreana at Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province;Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province; Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites; and the volcanic Jeju Island and its lava tube.

If designated, the royal tombs will be subject to protection and oversight by the international community.

As of July, 2008, a total of 878 cultural and natural sites from 141 countries are registered in the list. Italy has 43 while China has 33.

In order to qualify as a World Heritage, a cultural site must possess all of the following (condensed) conditions: 1. Represent a masterpiece of human creative genius; 2. Exhibit an important interchange of human values; 3. Bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or civilization; 4. Be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape; 5. Be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use or sea-use; and 6. Be directly or tangibly association with events or living traditions, etc.

Jose Carreras Still Got It

2009-05-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Goyang Cultural Foundation

Tenor Jose Carreras wrapped up his South Korean recital tour Tuesday with a crowd-pleasing program in Goyang, Gyeonggi Provice, a satellite city of Seoul. (The last public concert he had here was in 2006. In '07 and '08 he came for those fancy, private functions.)

The 63-year-old Catalan took some time to warm up his voice (and it was really, really warm in the concert. I was particularly irritated by the Korean Symphony Orchestra (argh in less than a week after Friday's "Fidelio"), which, conducted by the singer's nephew David Gimenez, kept confusing power with volume and drowned out the vocal.

After intermission, however, Mr. Carreras showed why he's one of The Three Tenors in an impassioned duet with soprano Park Mi-hye. I loved Ms. Park's singing -- even though her lung capacity was slightly lacking (weak volume), her voice was silvery and lyrical.

He wrapped up the evening with "Musica Prohibita" and gave two encores including "Granada."

>>Read about what Mr. Carreras told reporters recently in Seoul

>>Read about the recent Seoul recital of Placido Domingo, the other surviving member of the Three Tenors.

Multiple Pianos Create Formidable Sound

2009-05-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

From left, pianists Kim Jun-hee, Paik Kun-woo, Kim Sun-wook and Kim Tae-hyung play together in a rare concert featuring four pianos at Seoul Arts Center, Sunday. The four artists, shown here performing an encore piece on one instrument, are touring South Korea through Friday. /Courtesy of Credia

Evgeny Kissin’s Seoul tour in April seemed like it would be the most talked-about classical music event of the year. Barely a month following the Russian sensation’s performance, however, maestro Paik Kun-woo and three rising South Korean pianists set the Seoul Arts Center concert hall on fire -- again.

The beauty of a live piano performance is, in addition to hearing inspired melodies in real time, seeing the artist’s flying fingers in motion. Seoulites saw Monday and Tuesday such dynamics of not two but eight hands, conjuring to life four Steinways in ways the local art scene has never seen before.

A single one of these instruments is enough to generate the sound of an orchestra. Many multiple-piano pieces were originally conceived with the sound of the harpsichord or light fortepiano, and on modern instruments sounds tend to be unpleasantly thick and cluttered.

The recent performance -- something rare not only in Korea but also abroad -- brought together four shining artists that individually possess the star power to attract more than enough attention. In 2007 Paik rewrote classical music history by playing all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas in just seven days. This time, joined by the three rising pianists -- Kim Tae-hyung, Kim Sun-wook and Kim Jun-hee -- the maestro pianist added a splash of color to the sometimes-monotonous local music scene (the three Kims, all barely past their teens and sharing the same alma mater as well as an impressive resume of top wins in international competitions, are unrelated).

With their inspired performance, the four artists hushed doubts that such a concert would be for show, and that four grand pianos could, with the right repertoire and teamwork, work together like a single unit. It was also a special treat to see the four alternate the parts of first, second, third and fourth pianos, instead of the elderly artist dominating the lead, for Wagner’s Overture to ``Tannhauser’’ and Milhaud’s ``Paris Suite’’ for Four Pianos, Op. 284.

A grand spectacle unfolded when Rachmaninov’s ``Symphonic Dances,’’ Op. 45, for two pianos, was presented in relay form, with Paik at the first piano and the three youngsters joining him one at a time for the three movements. The heated concert peaked with Ravel’s ``Bolero,’’ transcribed by Jacques Drillon, as the four instruments gave way to delightfully attuned interplay.

A full standing ovation followed, as heated as that in Kissin’s recital, and in return the players offered ``Carmen Fantasie,’’ and, sitting in a single row in front of one piano, Lavignac’s ``Galop-Marche.’’

Another special event took place Sunday, which also happened to be Paik’s 63rd birthday, and the three Kims sang happy birthday to Sun-wook’s piano playing.

The four pianists continue their tour tonight in Daegu and Friday in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 100,000 won. Call (02) 318-4301.

"This Is Richard Strauss"

2009-05-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

Two straight nights of the Dresden Staatskapelle -- "hail maestro Luisi!"

Photo courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

The Dresden Staatskapelle concluded its Asia tour in Seoul with two different programs this past weekend.

Maestro Fabio Luisi (who also heads the Dresden Staatsoper) lead the 461-year-old "Richard Strauss orchestra" for a definitive performance of "Ein Heldenleben,'' Op. 40, Saturday, and a formidable "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (woohoo! Space Odyssey), Sunday.

The full, bursting colors of the fortes took my breath away, but the commanding power in the pianissimos were... simply... amazing. The amazing Emaneul Ax performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Strauss' Burleske for Piano and Orchestra.

Encores included Bruch's Overture to "Oberon" and Mr. Ax played a Liszt piece... argh I can't recall the title. Anyway two nights of DSK felt like binging on caviar and champage.

Read an email interview with maestro Luisi.

Chorale Enlivens Beethoven in Opera `Fidelio’

2009-05-11T02:18:00.000-07:00

It’s not often that quantity is in par with quality. In a rare performance in Seoul this weekend of ``Fidelio,’’ MuAk Opera offered a novel experience complete with an impressive 100-plus-member chorus that showed what Beethoven is all about.

The German master’s unique opera, despite its high musical merits, has been infrequently staged. The performances Thursday to Sunday at Seoul Arts Center marked its reappearance here after 17 years, and two were rendered for the first time in German. The opera received its South Korean premiere in 1970 but the underlying theme of freedom and justice prevailing over tyrannical power made it taboo under the militant regime of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Also, its preachy idealism of conjugal marriage and political austerity made it a less popular repertoire compared to Rossini’s melodramas or Mozart’s comedies.

Despite featuring a rather dark story set on a minimal stage set, MuAk Opera offered a production teeming with some brilliant musicality -- talented singers and, moreover, striking choristers, compensated more than enough for mistakes and even the opera’s inherent flaws.

The political story can be described as a romantic ``Prison Break’’-meets-Shakespeare’s ``Twelfth Night.’’ In 17th-century Seville, a nobleman Florestan is imprisoned for disclosing the evil Don Pizarro’s scandal, and his brave wife Leonore disguise as a prison guard to rescue him. Supporting characters that propel the narrative are Marzelline, who falls in love with Leonore-cum-Fidelio, and her father, the jailor Rocco, as well as Don Fernando, a friend of Florestan who arrives just in time to save Florestan and Leonore’s lives and condemn Pizarro.

In Friday’s production, soprano Lee Ji-young, a graduate of Placido Domingo’s young artist program, invited operagoers to plunge right into the story as the creamy Marzelline. Even in the supporting role, the lyric soprano made a vivid impression that commanded attention, as her voice bloomed beautifully in the girly role, with gleaming highs and radiant middle notes.

Kim Nam-su as Rocco also shined through as one of the noblest baritones this reporter has heard in Korea. He had a voice to match his dramatic presence, whose low range was marked by rich timbre and ample volume. Choi Joo-il, however, was not very imaginative in playing the figure of towering evil. While his buff physique suited the role of Pizarro, the orchestra constantly drowned out his thin voice. Moreover, the Korean Symphony Orchestra, led by Cheh Seung-hwan, often faltered in keep the rhythm with the singers.

Another less-than-perfect performance was delivered by the lead, Susan Anthony, who demonstrated that the part of Leonore-cum-Fidelio, with its merciless runs and scales, is a burdensome challenge for any soprano, no matter how talented. The dramatic soprano compellingly portrayed a character that is more human than superwoman. Vocally, however, she achieved power by sacrificing tone, particularly in the cruelly exposed high B’s of the ``Abscheulicher’’ aria, and the aria her character sings after rescuing her husband, which, in terms of narrative feels already superfluous, was rather lackluster.

However, it was hard not to be impressed. ``Fidelio’s’’ ideological core is the ``Prisoners’ Chorus,’’ and the MuAk Opera made a commendable attempt to make sure it was memorable. Members of the MuAk Oper Chorus and Grande Opera Chorus dominated the stage not only with their sheer number but also with their perfect harmony. In the hopeful upward-reaching motif, the prisoners greeted the open air with a rapturous tribute to freedom, as if to say, ``this is Beethoven’s chorale.’’

The production peaked in the second half, with the long-awaited appearance of Steven Harrison -- the Florestan of the hour. The act opened in the dark prison dungeon, the stage bare and the tenor all alone. But the stage brimmed with his powerful and tonally beautiful voice: In the anguished cry of ``Gott!’’ his instrument depicted pain most compellingly yet effortlessly, without the least bit of pain his notes.

MuAk Opera’s foundation was inspired by Yonsei University’s 2005 production of ``The Magic Flute’’ to fete its 120th anniversary. Most of cast and crew, naturally, share a common alma mater, which this reporter presumptuously assumes, was responsible for the miscasting of some of the roles. Nevertheless, the young opera group proved to be a breath of fresh air in the local opera scene, with its bold repertoire choice and determination to put artistry above financial concerns.

Kim Solbong Premieres in Spring Fest

2009-05-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music (SSF) opened Thursday at Sejong Chamber Hall, downtown Seoul, its fourth edition with a concert celebrating both continuing traditions and modern innovation.

While popular artists, including pianist Kim Sun-wook and the Jupiter String Quartet from the United States, offered tasteful renditions of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert, rising South Korean composer Kim Solbong presented something new in his latest chamber piece ``Sundial Chronicles.’’

The festival’s 2009 composer-in-residence offered what he calls ``a rite of spring chronicling the change in time’’ through an eclectic dialogue among Western classical instruments and a couple ``gugak’’ (a traditional Korean music) organs, ``janggu’’ (drum) and ``gayageum’’ (12-string zither).

From left, gayageum and janggu. Photo by moi! During rehearsal

Of course, such a meeting point of East and West isn’t new. One can easily recall Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble which brings together violin, Brazillian shakers and Chinese ``pipa’’ (lute) to create sounds such gadgets weren’t meant to make, or Ahn Eack-tai’s Samulnori Concerto, which features the harmony of Korean traditional percussion art and the Western orchestra.

What is significant in the premiere is the effort of the young composer, who is not yet 28, to deconstruct the concept of chamber music, and the result is spontaneous combustion by what many exclaimed that evening as ``a dream team.’’

Kim himself tackled the piano -- including string plucking with a spoon that John Cage fans would appreciate -- opposite the janggu beats of maestro Kim Duk-soo. The founding father of samulnori brought exhilarating rhythms in solos, but stealthily controlled the volume for other parts in the spirit of true chamber music making.

Photo by moi! During rehearsal. I love it when Mr. Yang exclaimed "eolssu! (얼쑤)!"

They were joined by violinist-SSF artistic director Kang Dong-suk, cellist Yang Sung-won, clarinetist Jerry Jae-il Chae and gayageum artist Kim Ji-hyun. It was something that continues the spirit of shaking up conventions: the Western strings retained their essence but also strived for something more, with some wild lilting and vibrato, that could well have been played by a ``haegeum’’ (Korean fiddle) -- akin to how Isang Yun has the cello croon like ``geomungo’’ (Korean zither) in his Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra.

It would be rash, however, to assume that Yun or the other aforementioned artists influenced Kim. This reporter only mentioned these men’s works in an attempt to illustrate the unique nature of the performance. If a parallel were to be drawn, Chin Unsuk comes to mind -- Kim, like the prolific elder composer, defies categorization and speaks a musical language that is modern yet non-doctrinal.

Born in Korea in 1981, Kim studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in the U.S. He entered the public radar by winning the grand prize of media giant Bertelsmann Group’s 2000 World of Expression Awards and has since premiered diverse works. But ``Sundial Chronicles’’ posed a completely new experimentation, both technical and aesthetic.

``I was in such a zone of discomfort it felt like my first time composing,’’ the musician said about his first time working with Korean instruments, which are percussive and less practical than their Western counterparts.

``It’s a starter,’’ Kim Duk-soo said about the piece. ``Solbong is really talented, and we need more young artists to experiment like he does. I’m looking forward to what he can do next.’’

Indeed, the beauty of ``Sundial Chronicles’’ lies in its innovative power that will, this reporter hopes, propel the creation of something new and named and transcending self and heritage, a struggle every artist faces.

Does this multimedia world, where channels are more open than ever, challenge the creative process? ``It’s only a technical problem. Mediums, expressions will always change, but intentions and ideas of music always come first,’’ he said, citing Rachmaninov as an example of someone was not particularly a pioneer in hs time but whose works have enduring strength. ``As long as you are truthful, art will prevail,’’ he said.

Kim will serve as artistic director of Dumbo Space, a new hall under construction in his current home, New York City, as well as that of the 2009 Atlantic Music Festival, which opens June 22-July 21 in Maine.

Sul Kyung-gu, Song Yun-a to Tie Knot on May 28

2009-05-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

Wow... Yet another shocker after Kwon Sang-woo & Sohn Tae-young. Song is one of my fav actresses; I met her at a party once and she's so graceful, and Mr. Sul is soooooooooooooooo sexy in person. Anyway, love is always a wonderful occassion to celebrate; it's unfortunate that people like to gossip over someone else's affairs like that... though I'm inevitably part of the system as a reporter. *Sigh*

Top actors Sul Kyung-gu (aka. Sul Kyoung-gu 설경구), 41, and Song Yun-a (송윤아), 35, surprised the public with their engagement to wed at the end of the month.

``Sul and Song are holding their wedding on May 28,’’ Sul’s management agency S2007 Entertainment said Friday. The two stars plan to hold an official press conference today at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul.

The ``On Air’’ TV screen beauty and the award-winning actor of ``Peppermint Candy(박하사탕)’’ are both graduates of Hanyang University. They acted opposite each other for the first time in 2002 through the film ``Jail Breakers (광복절 특사)’’ and then in 2006 for the melodrama ``Lost in Love (사랑을 놓치다).’’

Coincidentally enough, Sul separated with his then-wife, the younger sister of actor Ahn Nae-sang, during the production of ``Jail Breakers’’ and then divorced her by mutual agreement in July 2007, when ``Lost in Love’’ was released.

In an interview with Sports Chosun, Sul denied rumors about having had an extramarital affair -- or was pregnant – with Song.

``We started dating at the end of 2007,’’ the ``Public Enemy Returns’’ star was quoted as saying. ``After filming the 2002 movie `Jail Breakers,’ we developed a friendly relationship as senior and junior colleagues (…) I deliberated a lot since I know marriage is difficult. But (Song) has supported me through thick and thin, and inspired my determination to marry.’’

Song will appear on the big screen later on in the year through ``Saving My Wife (세이빙 마이 와이프)’’ while Sul’s latest movie ``Yongseoneun Eopda (용서는 없다 There Is No Forgiveness)’’ is slated for release in 2010.

Indulge in Guilty Pleasure of `Daechang’

2009-05-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

역삼동 부산 양곱창

When it comes to food I may be pernickety about taste but I'm not prude (though I was quasi-vegetarian for a long time and will never, ever eat dog meat or such). Anyway, if you like blood sausages then you'll totally dig this!

Korea Times Photos by Lee Hyo-won

It’s juicy and fatty and just melts on the tip of your tongue. ``Daechang gui,’’ or grilled beef tripe (the largest of the cow’s four stomachs), is, even for many locals, an exotic Korean delicacy that is considered an acquired taste. But for those who relish the savory stuff, it’s the chou cream of the meat world.

This reporter admittedly has never been a big fan of beef tripe, or even beef for the matter, but she decided to brave something new, and was pleasantly surprised at Busan Yang Gopchang in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul.

This family restaurant as typical of such Korean eateries is a large hall lined with tables you enter, shoes off, and sit down in the traditional style. There are a few tables with chairs in a tent outside as well. The venue is crowded around the clock, with a varied clientele ranging from the necktie-clad corporate types to sunglasses-sporting celebrities that all come for one thing: garlic-smothered charcoal-grilled intestines.

In traditional agricultural Korean society, the cow was man’s best friend. After a long life of servitude it gave itself as meat, and Koreans paid their respects by sparing no anatomical part, including the guts.

Beef tripe is categorized into four parts: ``yang’’ or tripe-scaled; ``beoljip’’ or honeycomb; ``cheonyeop’’ or omasum , which are bloody red chunks that can be devoured raw like beef liver; and ``makchang’’ or abomasum (shown left).

What you usually order at a yang grill restaurant are yang, ``gobchang,’’ the small bowel, and daechang, the large bowel. Gopchang is chewy and healthy -- ``Dongeui Bogam,’’ the Joseon (1392-1910)-era medical annals compiled in the 17th-century, claims that it boosts physical stamina and energy and healthy bowel movement.

We opted for yang, wide strips of meat that look like chicken, and daechang, which resemble plump, fat-stuffed sausages. You can taste the cheonyeop and liver, too, which they offer for free. The unique thing about Busan Yang Gopchang is that they smother the meats in freshly mashed garlic before cooking them. The staff does all the work for you, cutting the intestines into more edible bits and placing them on the grill, and all you have to do is wait patiently.

The yang cooked faster, and you get three types of sauces: the very basic salt and sesame oil mix you get with ``samgyeopsal’’ or grilled Korean pork; a diluted soy sauce with chopped fermented pepper; and a red, piquant concoction. The waitress advised us to mix the second with the third. Yang has a very particular aroma that some newcomers may find unusual, sort of like lamb meat, and the sauces do a good job of suppressing it.

We needed much patience to stop ourselves from digging into the daechang, but still watched in awe as the greasy insides oozed over while the outside turned into a golden honey color. Daechang is definitely not for those thinking about cholesterol levels. It felt like eating chou cream for dinner -- a fluffy, delicate -- and fattening -- flavor that invites a divine guilt trip.

Yang gopchang is, as already mentioned, a delicacy, despite the low-key ambiance of the restaurants that serve it, and costs more than 20,000 won per serving. Meals, such as gopchang kimchi fried rice and ``naengmyeon’’ or buckwheat noodles, cost less than 6,000 won.

If you are planning a trip for a taste of daechang or other flavorful part of cow stomach, it is strongly advised to dress low-key. Even so, be sure to grab an apron, or ask for one -- the sizzling grill will constantly attack you with spurts of crackling oil, and afterward, you will inevitably smell like what you ate.

Located across the street from the Renaissance Hotel between Yeoksam and Seolleung Stations on subway line 2. Open from 5 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. everyday. Call (02) 554-7780.

Hernandez Converses With Images in `Rain’

2009-05-07T02:41:00.000-07:00

This is really a beautiful film, and it was a great pleasure speaking with the director!

Director Paula Hernandez /Korea Times Photo by Lee Hyo-won

JEONJU - If a picture paints a thousand words, then Paula Hernandez’s ``moving images’’ depict an infinite stream of (un)consciousness. The Argentine director has brought her second feature film ``Rain’’ to South Korea to vie in the International Competition section of the 10th Jeonju International Film Festival, which comes to a close today in North Jeolla Province.

``It’s absolutely different and interesting,’’ Hernandez said about her first visit to Asia in an interview with The Korea Times Tuesday in Jeonju. ``I took a lot of photos of women in the market. You never see anything like that in Argentina, it’s so fascinating,’’ she said, showing images of middle-aged ``ajumma’’ gathered around, making food, in the local open air market.

The 40-year-old is always shooting her camera lens everywhere, and took many to write the script for ``Rain.’’ ``It was a conversation with words and images. Rain makes everything blurry and foggy. The rain in the movie is not melancholic rain but something that makes you feel stuck,’’ she said.

``Rain’’ features, most appropriately, endless streams of rain. In wintry Buenos Aires, a woman is stuck in wet weather and traffic. Suddenly, Roberto darts into her car. A mugger? Almar hesitates, but extends her hospitality to this confused-looking man who, dressed in fine clothing, has imported cigarettes, a silk handkerchief and a bleeding hand.

Roberto, who is from Madrid, may be feeling lost in the foreign apartment building of his late father, whom he never met, but Almar is the ``homeless’’ one who has left her husband and is living in her car, which is equipped with everything from a percolator to flower pot. The two strangers -- a man who doesn’t know where he is coming from and a woman who doesn’t know where she is going -- keep running in to each other in the following few days. The intervention of chance results in confusion, and, ultimately, clarity, when the rain stops and the traffic starts moving again.

The award-winning director of ``Herencia’’ (2001) presents a story akin to ``Once’’ (2006), where two lost souls share a small but intimate encounter, which may even be love, but one that is consummated in being unconsummated. But unlike the musical Irish movie, ``Rain’’ keeps everything minimal, from the score and palette to the characters and objects captured in the frame.

``Less is more,’’ said the director. ``Rain itself is a melody, along with the noises of cars and traffic jams.’’ Nevertheless, things utterly quotidian -- a traffic jam, greasy diner, deserted parking lot -- take on a striking elegance, and the things unsaid -- a transient smile, results of a pregnancy test never shown -- speak loudly.

Almar, who leaves her husband of nine years in the movie, perhaps reflects the director’s own divorce from a 10-year marriage. ``Filmmaking is not a profession, it’s what you are,’’ she said. ``It puts all my interests -- writing, reading, people stories and real things, images, and music -- all together with my sensibilities.’’

Born in 1969, Hernandez entered the film industry at the age of 18 as a production designer assistant. One thing led to the next and she studied at Agustin Alezzo’s drama workshop and Universidad del Cine (National Film University). She has directed commercials, short films, documentaries and advertisements.

Does being female matter in the Argentine film industry? ``It used to, in the generation before mine. Actually, even for my first film (in 2001), people asked me about being a woman director. I can’t say it was more difficult or easier. But today, there are many, many female students studying film,’’ she said, suggesting that gender is becoming less of an issue.

More problematic, however, is the financial crisis back home that is affecting filmmaking in general. ``You eventually find a way to fund a movie, but the problem occurs afterward with distribution,’’ she said. But Hernandez marches on with her passion.

Her next project will be a film adaptation of the novel ``Un Amor para toda la vida’’ by Sergio Bizzio, who inspired the Cannes award-winning film ``XXY’’ (2007). ``Filmmaking is slow in Argentina,’’ she said, and during the prolonged preparation for the movie, she plans to shoot a funky character-based documentary. ``It’s important to keep yourself busy rather than wait listlessly,’’ she said, smiling.

110 minutes. Distributed by Argentina Video Home, Buena Vista International. In Spanish.

Jose Carreras to Hold Recitals

2009-05-06T22:54:00.001-07:00

Photos courtesy of Goyang Aram Nuri

Jose Carreras will hold three recitals across South Korea beginning Friday through May 12 -- not as a stopover of an Asian tour but in order to revisit the local audience.

``Korea is, for an artist, a wonderful pleasure. The tradition and knowledge here for classical music and opera are incredible,’’ the tenor said in a press meeting in Seoul, Wednesday. He was presiding over the jury at a recent Verdi Competition and 70 percent of the contestants were Korean, he explained, and prominent European and American orchestras have many Korean members.

``Going to Korea is something that any artist has to be proud of, and I am very proud to come to Korea. I came to your country for the first time in 1979, 30 years ago, and since then I had a wonderful, wonderful experience. It’s a privilege to come to your country,’’ said the Spanish singer, who, along with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, is considered one of the three great tenors of modern times.

``Yes, I keep in touch with Placido as often as we can,’’ he said, despite their different schedules and frequent travels, and plans on visiting him soon in London. ``Our friendship and our professional relationship are still there and I’m very happy to have it,’’ he added. On a more somber note, he said he greatly missed the late Pavarotti. ``We lost one of the most important tenors and singers of the history of opera. Not only that (…) we lost a wonderful friend, a very charismatic person, a very caring friend. It was a tremendous pleasure to not only work with him but to talk to him. He was a sensational guy,’’ he said.

Jose Carreras, center, and sopranos Fiona Campbell and Park Mi-hye

While Domingo, who also recently held an Asia recital exclusively in Seoul, is still active on the opera stage, Carreras said he prefers recitals, though he would accept an operatic role if the conditions are favorable. For the tour here, he will sing popular operatic arias and folk songs including ``Lamento di Federico’’ from the opera ``L’Arlesiana’’ and ``Lejana Tierra Mia,’’ joined by sopranos Park Mi-hye and Fiona Campbell. ``I will be singing `New Arirang,’ and as soon as I heard it I knew I would like Korea,’’ said Campbell about singing the traditional local song on her first visit here.

Meanwhile, Park, who took the stage opposite the tenor several times in Europe, said it was always a great honor to sing with someone who inspires not only with music but also with his personal triumph. In 1987 at the height of his success, Carreras was diagnosed with leukemia, but miraculously overcame the disease.

Fighting Leukemia

``Of course when someone gets a diagnosis for acute leukemia, this is very hard to swallow… You have possibilities: one is to be passive as a patient and let things go, the other thing is to fight with determination,’’ he said. When doctors told him he had ``the possibility of one in a million’’ to recover completely, he had to grab that chance and fight. ``I think this is absolutely indispensable,’’ he added.

(Ma questionne) ``Yes,'' music itself was inspirational -- ``a wonderful shelter,’’ he said. ``Music therapy is something doctors recommend to patients. Music always plays a very important role in our lives, not just for musicians but in the lives of everyone.’’ >>More

>>Read about Im Tae-kyung, a young Korean crossover tenor who also overcame leukemia.

Director Skolimowski Fetes 71st Birthday in Jeonju

2009-05-06T22:46:00.001-07:00

``Four Nights With Anna’’ (2008)

JEONJU - South Korea’s foremost indie and art film event, Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), celebrates its 10th anniversary through Friday in the North Jeolla Province city -- and the big birthday coincided with that of one of its special guests, Eastern European master director Jerzy Skolimowski.

The honored Polish auteur marked his 71st birthday, which fell on Tuesday, with a party and a retrospective featuring nine of his 22 films. About his first visit here, he said he was impressed by Korea’s markedly different exoticism from the ambiance of Japan, Hong Kong or Macao. He was also happy with the selection of films in the JIFF retrospective, except for ``30 Door Key’’ (1991) -- it was based on a famous Polish novel and should never have been translated to film, he said in a statement released by JIFF.

Born in Lodz, Poland in 1938, Skolimowski studied anthropology, history and literature at the University of Warsaw and eventually film at the Polish National Film School. A man of many talents, he is also a writer, painter and boxer. He became reputed through films including ``Walkover’’ (1966), although ``Hands Up!’’ (1967) was banned in Poland for its critical, anti-Stalinist point of view. Nevertheless, he earned international acclaim through Cannes award-winning films ``The Shout’’ (1978) and ``Moonlighting’’ (1982).

His films are noted for their social criticism, often featuring antisocial or marginalized figures, but Skolimowski said he was not a social commentator. He never associated himself with any social group and some people have even accused him of being a misanthrope. He enjoys solitude and relates better with animals. ``I once cried watching Robert Bresson’s (mistreated donkey story) `Au hazard Balthazar,’’’ he said.

The ``lonesome’’ filmmaker had disappeared altogether from the film scene, retreating to a life as a painter for 17 years. He poured all his passion into painting and didn’t feel the desire to direct, he said. He has held exhibitions and industry icons such as Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper have acquired his work. ``It was a time to reestablish myself as an artist, and I felt reborn as a young artist,’’ he said, adding that he was able to rediscover his energy for filmmaking. >>More

Soprano Lee Ji-young to Play Supporting Role in `Fidelio'

2009-05-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of MuAk Opera

Lee Ji-young, who wowed the local audience as a guest singer in Placido Domingo’s Seoul recital in January, will appear as Marzelline in MuAk Opera's production of ``Fidelio,'' which will be staged Thursday through Sunday at Seoul Arts Center.

Some felt baffled that the rising U.S.-based soprano accepted the minor part, but Lee expressed great affection for the production.

``I was initially reluctant about appearing in the opera, not because it was a supporting role -- Marzelline’s part actually suits my voice better than Leonore’s -- but because I debuted here only recently (in Domingo’s recital),’’ she told The Korea Times, Friday in Seoul. A graduate of Domingo’s prestigious Young Artist program, she received critical acclaim for a lead in the Washington National Opera.

But she was ultimately drawn to the visions of the newly founded Muak Opera and the initiative of the project, which also coincides with the celebration of the 120th anniversary of her alma mater Yonsei University. ``I think the `how’ or `why’ part, rather than `what’ you do, is more important,’’ she said.

Originally a classically trained pianist, Lee began singing at a very late age, her senior year in high school. ``I had never heard an opera until then,’’ she chuckled. ``But in college, I fell in love with `La Boheme’ through Prof. Kim Kwan-dong (MuAk Opera’s artistic general director).’’

Afterward, Lee headed to the U.S. for further study. The road to her blooming success, however, was far from easy, as visa problems postponed the launching of her career. Domingo’s program was the only one that granted visas to participants, and Lee entered what she calls a ``great turning point.’’

``I was almost 10 years older than most people in the program, but everyone has their own path. Before, I used to feel anxious about becoming a diva and making it big. But I prayed a lot to God and rediscovered my reason for singing,’’ she said.

Marzelline is certainly a minor part, but Lee said she is a most crucial character that uplifts the dark story and helps the protagonist. On the opening night of the Washington National Opera’s ``Daughter of the Regiment,’’ Domingo himself had presented Lee as ``the daughter of the opera house.’’ Indeed, Seoulites will be able to see Lee shine through, as this reporter did in a rehearsal of ``Fidelio,’’ for quality reigns over quantity.

``Fidelio’’ begins at 8 p.m. except for Sunday, which will be a 4 p.m. matinee show. Thursday and Saturday productions will be in Korean, while the ones on Friday and Sunday will be in German. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 150,000 won. Call (02) 720-3933.

Beethoven’s `Fidelio’ to Be Staged in 17 Years

2009-05-05T22:29:00.000-07:00

(Photo courtesy of MuAk Opera)

Seoul’s classical music scene is becoming increasingly diverse, but operas remain mostly limited to the standard repertoire of Mozart, Puccini and Rossini. MuAk Opera presents Thursday through Sunday a rare production of Beethoven’s ``Fidelio’’ -- for the first time here in 17 years and for the first time in the original German.

Beethoven’s unique opera, ``Fidelio’’ has been seldom revived since its 1805 premiere in Vienna under the German master’s own baton. Johan Simons brought the piece back into focus last fall through a modern reinterpretation at the Opera Garnier in Paris.

``Fidelio’’ debuted here in 1970 but wasn’t restaged until 1992 due to the strict military regime of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Set in 18th-century Seville, Spain, it traces a faithful wife Leonore’s efforts to save her husband Florestan, who had been illegally imprisoned for revealing the corrupt acts of Don Pizarro. She disguises herself as a man and enters the prison as a guard under the alias Fidelio and schemes to rescue Florestan from death row -- ``Prison Break,’’ anyone?

``We chose to stage `Fidelio’ rather than more popular works such as `Tosca’ because we felt a responsibility to introduce novel works to opera lovers,’’ said artistic general director Kim Kwan-dong in a recent press conference in Seoul.

``It isn’t light entertainment, as it depicts human sufferings. But the universal messages are relevant in modern society and shows that light shines in darkness,’’ he said. ``The story is dark but it is ultimately a happy ending,’’ said director Choi Ji-hyung. Indeed, the opera celebrates the triumph of love, justice and freedom. It also has some comic relief in the tradition of Shakespeare’s ``Twelfth Night,’’ where a young girl, Marzelline, falls in love with Fidelio.

The visuals will reflect the stark realism of the story, but MuAk Opera promises spectacular music, especially for the famous ``Prisoners’ Chorus’’ with an impressive cast of over 100 singers from the Grande Opera Choir. ``We did not want to compromise the work’s artistry for economic factors,’’ said the director.

``I’ve had the pleasure of hearing maestro (Choi Seung-han) conduct the chorus, and it’s one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve heard. From the quiet pianissimos to the triple forte, it had perfect diction and the most beautiful sound,’’ said American tenor Steven Harrison, who will share the role of Florestan with the popular Han Yoon-seok. Meanwhile, sopranos Na Kyung-hye and Susan Anthony will alternate the part of Leonore.

``Fidelio’’ begins at 8 p.m. except for Sunday, which will be a 4 p.m. matinee show. Thursday and Saturday productions will be in Korean, while the ones on Friday and Sunday will be in German. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 150,000 won. Call (02) 720-3933.

Beethoven Galore

In addition to ``Fidelio,’’ other pieces of music by Beethoven will fill local halls throughout the month. The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, under the theme ``Beethoven Plus,’’ presents the composer’s chamber works through May 18 in various venues around the capital. Visit www.seoulspring.org.

On May 23, virtuoso pianist Kim Sun-wook will join his former teacher, pianist-conductor Kim Dae-jin, for Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra’s special two-part concert featuring Beethoven’s complete Piano Concertos, at Gyeonggi Arts Center in Seoul’s satellite city, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Call (031) 288-2813~5.

'Thirst' Tops Box Office With 600,000 Moviegoers

2009-05-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

*South Korea measures box office scores in terms of number of moviegoers, rather than revenue. It has a population of only 48 million, so 600,000 is a huge number!

"Thirst," director Park Chan-wook's latest film, placed top in the South Korean box office during the two consecutive holidays of the opening week.

The film attracted a total of 626,024 moviegoers during the first three days after the release, following 439,950 at 601 cinemas across the country for May Day and Saturday, according to the integrated computer network figure of the Korean Film Council.

The film also attracted 178,000 cinemagoers, Thursday, the largest number among new releases in the first day of their screening this year.

The film, which tells the story of a priest who becomes a vampire, is expected to hit 800,000 in total Sunday if the current trend persists, according to movie analysts.

This is incredibly impressive; Park is of course an icon here, but his movies have a cult following among only a rather limited group. This is doubly significant since April 30 marked the release of major competitors such as "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

>>Read my movie review of "Thirst," one of the first available in English.
>>Read about what director Park had to say about his movie.

Dresden Staatskapelle to Enliven Strauss in Seoul

2009-05-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend classical aficionados can savor Richard Strauss in its original tongue through the definitive ``Strauss orchestra,'' Dresden Staatskapelle.

The 461-year-old troupe is wrapping up its Asia tour here with two programs dedicated to the tone poems of the German master.

``The force of this orchestra is (its) very high ethical understanding of his importance in music history and the will to preserve (its) truly unique sound,'' said maestro Fabio Luisi in an email interview. He said he was curious and excited to meet the local audience in his first visit to South Korea.

A highlight of the Saturday show at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul, is the revival of ``Ein Heldenleben,'' Op. 40, which will end with a gentle violin solo according to Strauss' original intentions.

The following evening, Sejong Center's pipe organ, the largest in Asia, will resound for ``Also Sprach Zarathustra,'' which many will recognize as the grand thematic score of the movie ``2001 Space Odyssey.'' Also featured is the ``Burleske'' for Piano and Orchestra with Emanuel Ax.

``I chose the program in order to show, on the one side, the stylistic history of the Staatskapelle, which actually is the `Richard Strauss Orchestra,' and on the other side, to present the major characteristics of this orchestra, which are a beautiful, smooth sound and the ability to play and understand properly the Romantic repertoire,'' said the conductor.

Born in Genoa, Italy in 1959, Luisi originally taught and played piano. Conducting local operas lead to an international career, and his engagements include general music directorship of the Semperoper Dresden (Saxonian State Opera) and principal conductorship of the Vienna Symphony.

``Both opera and concert are important to me,'' he said. ``In the opera I have to conduct a work in which the stage plays an important role ― this is complicated but very interesting. In a concert I can focus on absolute music.''

In regard to conducting style, he said he admires Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan and Rudolf Kempe ― ``conductors who can equilibrate feeling and rationality.''

He regards Kempe's Strauss recordings as being ``still the best.'' ``Kempe gave some objectivity to the pompous element in Strauss. Today the trend is towards opulence again, and I much prefer the distanced opulence of Karajan and others to the exaggerated sensuality of some of my colleagues who are not interested in the truth of the work but only in packaging it nicely,'' he said in a statement released by Sony Classical.

As for the Dresden Staatsakapelle, he strives to preserve and develop the unique characteristics of one of the world's oldest ensembles. ``The Staatskapelle always was an orchestra that has given a break to young composers. These young composers used to be called Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss,'' he said, and aims to link in to this tradition by appointing Isabel Mundry and Bernhard Lang as composers in residence.

Tickets cost from 50,000 won to 250,000 won. Call (02) 399-1114~6.

"Cyborg She," One Man's Perverse Fantasy

2009-04-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Director Kwak Jae-yong has been giving less than stellar performances ever since the South Korean megahit ``My Sassy Girl’’ (2001) and the mellow romance ``Classic’’ (2003) ― and he makes an effort to redeem himself, rather fruitlessly, in ``Cyborg She.’’

The Korea-Japan joint production nevertheless held a top spot in the Japanese box office for five weeks and sold over 110,000 DVDs. The movie translates into real action akin to Japanese sci-fi anime, and is not without its charms, particularly with some striking visuals and top stars Haruka Ayase and Keisuke Koide giving endearing performances.

But this reporter ― having loved Kwak’s ``Sassy’’ and ``Classic’’ (2003), despised ``Sassy’s’’ prequel ``Windstruck’’ (2004) and felt pity for ``My Mighty Princess’’ (2008) ― was not at all convinced by ``Cyborg’s’’ perverse pursuit of an older man’s self-gratifying fantasy. ``This movie is like a gift to myself, to my lonely days as a young man without a girlfriend,’’ Kwak told reporters following the press preview in Seoul, Wednesday.

The 49-year-old filmmaker emphasized that the movie, despite its recurring theme of a quirky young woman shaking up and ultimately saving the life of a lonely, spineless man, should not be seen as part of a trilogy with ``Sassy’’ and ``Windstruck.’’ But the director relies too much on the premise of the emotional hinge of unrequited love beneath the surface of some pretty bad slapstick.

Lonely geek Jiro (Koide) is no longer so lonely when a femme cyborg (Ayase) crashes his birthday party. She has traveled back in time from the year 2133, to help him and all of humanity, and as an added bonus, has his ex-girlfriend’s pretty looks. She tries to blend into the local scene by shopping for clothes, even though it inevitably involves giving electric shocks to the cashier, and developing a taste for fried chicken, though eating them whole. Such third rate jokes set up the slapstick for the next few reels and are completed by her efforts to rescue Jiro and other humans like an anime Supergirl.

The story does pull at the heartstrings, however, when the cyborg arranges a time warp for them to visit Jiro’s hometown, which has been destroyed by an earthquake. The big budget franchise recreates a beautiful and nostalgic, storybook-like traditional Japanese town and conjures up childhood wonders. It’s quite ironic though that the most ``fake’’ (is it a time warp or a staged hypnosis? We don’t know) moment is the most compelling in the whole story.

Back in reality in Tokyo, our protagonist starts falling for the lovely robot. Jiro agonizes over whether, beneath her fixed smile, the cyborg can ever feel his growing attachment to her. When an earthquake hits the city, however, it's a question Jiro, rather than she, has to deal with. This is where the film’s 10 billion won is mostly poured into, and is indeed spectacular, but the climactic drama between the two characters is necessary to cover up some of the artifice.

Koide assumes the most expressive role, but it's Ayase who engages your attention as the always smiling, lovely cyborg who may have a blooming sense of human emotion. Kwak strongly emphasized that ``Cyborg’’ is a sci-fi movie and it was indeed featured as the closing film for the 2008 Pucheon (Bucheon) International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan). Given the plotline, one might have expected the cyborg to experience some kind of existential struggle like ``Bicentennial Man.’’ Instead, it’s about a young science major, who, frustrated about not having a girlfriend, creates a pretty robot that can stay by his side.

In theaters May 14. 100 minutes. 12 and over. Distributed by NEW.

Jung’s Musical Promenade Through Paris

2009-04-30T01:33:00.000-07:00

Such a lovely man. It was a fun interview; we got carried away talking about Paris, being multilingual (not us but the crazy multilingual people we know), and being fans of the composer Unsuk Chin.

Singer-songwriter Jung Jae-hyung has released a new album, ``Promenade,’’ under the Sony Classical label, and some may be surprised to realize that this is actually the soundtrack for the currently showing ``What Brings You to My House.’’

The former pop star has written scores for several movies including ``Addicted’’ (2002) and ``Love Now’’ (2007), but Promenade involved a different creative process. The tracks may have been inspired by the quirky love story starring Kang Hye-jung, but the movie’s postponed release gave Jung a good year to work on the music as if it were a solo project.

``It functions as a film soundtrack but I wanted it to have a life on its own,’’ the 37-year-old told The Korea Times in a recent interview in Seoul.

Creating music for Promenade was ``like a picnic,’’ he said, and ``happened piece by piece,’’ and this is reflected in the meandering ambiance of the tracks. Piano, cello, flute, oboe, horn and viola tunes conjure up images of warm sunbeams on a lazy afternoon and the sight of light spring rain outside the window of a quiet café.

Singer-songwriter Jung Jae-hyung. (Courtesy of SonyBMG)

The classical instruments, however, take on a more contemporary and edgy -- and at times slurred and discordant -- texture through Jung’s electronic sound designs. There’s also a touch of pop featuring vocals by Lucid Paul and actress-singer Uhm Jung-hwa. Uhm, Jung’s good friend of over 15 years and who has starred in three of the movies he composed scores for, stopped by the venue to say hello.

His music is ultimately modern in language but is simple, poetic and unimposing. Despite the electronic mixing, the result is something whimsical and natural, perhaps similar to the Ahn Trio’s ``Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac.’’

``Electronic music often feels cold and mechanic, but I tried to draw out warmth,’’ he said. The artist intentionally added glitches to the melody by squishing together some of the rhythm even though it may not be immediately detectable by the naked ear -- perhaps like adding small rips to create fake vintage jeans? ``Yes,’’ he said.

It’s only natural that the album is impressionistic in color; like Impressionist painters who took the easel outside of the studio, the Paris-based artist went on an actual promenade through the city. He would settle down in an outdoor cafe and be inspired by the noise of passing breezes and pedestrians and the clinking of coffee cups.

Like the honored composer Chin Unsuk, of whom he is a big fan, Jung is a classically-trained pianist who speaks in electronic music. ``The beauty of electronic music is that it enables you to directly translate your intentions, to enliven the original ingredients and keep your color,’’ he said. ``Arranging sounds created with classical instruments is rather limited. Electronic sound design is actually easier for me.’’

Is it like working with a sharp pencil for drawing? ``Yes,’’ he smiled. ``Electronic sound mixing enables you to, if it were a drawing, draw a perfectly straight line using a fine-point pencil.’’ Electronic music, he said, is just a convenient tool that allows the artist more versatility in this multimedia age.

``What used to be one-way sourcing is now all open,’’ he said about today’s merging of genres. Jung, a prolific singer-songwriter, also writes prose and draws images such as the watercolor sketches featured in his album.

``It’s not that I’m multitalented or anything. They’re just different forms of self-expression, and these days I don’t think artists need to classify themselves. Ryuichi Sakamoto started out as an electronic musician but now writes music for movies,’’ he said. ``But at the same time, I’m scared. You can go so many ways, with video art and performance, etc,’’ he said.

When asked about his future plans, he already had the next two years mapped out, with a new film score and solo piano album, as well as publishing a book and getting involved with a musical.
``My dream is to simply live toward my dream, and to cherish it. I started out with the simple premise of wanting to do my own music and that’s the most important thing. I wish to become a good-hearted egoist,’’ he smiled.

Star Soloists Coming to Town

2009-04-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

The local classical music scene will catch spring fever next month. In this high tide of concerts, however, there are several not to be missed featuring honored soloists such as pianists Martha Argerich and Emanuel Ax, and their protégé, Lim Dong-hyek, and cellist Jian Wang.

Emanuel Ax (Courtesy of Sejong Center)

While many fans were disappointed by the cancellation of tours by foreign troupes such as the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Cincinnati, the Staatskapelle Dresden’s Strauss-themed Seoul concerts remain intact.

On May 9 and 10 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Seoul, Grammy Award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax will join the 461-year-old orchestra for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op.37, and Strauss’ ``Burleske’’ in D Minor for Piano and Orchestra.

Founded in 1548, the German troupe is the oldest in the world and has premiered works by great masters such as Vivaldi, Schumann, Wagner and Liszt, among others. Feted conductor Fabio Luisi will lead the group. Tickets cost from 50,000 to 250,000 won. Call (02) 399-1114~6.

Jian Wang
(Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon)

Cellist Jian Wang is a leading artist, arising from post-Cultural Revolution China a generation before young stars like Yundi Li and Lang Lang.

Wang rose to worldwide fame at the age of 10 when he appeared in violinist Isaac Stern’s documentary ``From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China,’’ and has since appeared on the world stage alongside artists of renown such as Seiji Ozawa.

The cellist will appear May 14 at Seoul Arts Center for the second of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s ``Virtuoso’’ series. The Deutsche Grammophon-recording artist will play Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104. Conductor Scott Yoo, the music director of the Festival Mozaic in San Luis Obispo, Calif., will lead Korea’s leading ensemble for Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 13, ``Winter Daydreams.’’ Tickets cost from 10,000 to 50,000 won. Call (02) 580-1300.

Martha Argerich
(Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon)

Martha Argerich, considered a living legend of classical music, will host part of her Beppu, Japan, music festival here May 24 at Seoul Arts Center.

Joining the music director are pianist Lim Dong-hyek, a protégé of Argerich, now studying under Emanuel Ax in New York, and conductor Sung Shi-yeon, the assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Both were Korea Times 2008 Next Generation Artists. Another up-and-coming artist to take the stage is trumpeter Sergei Nakariakov.

Ensemble TIMF, of the Tongyeong International Music Festival, will accompany the artists. Lim will play Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, while Argerich and Nakariakov will perform Schumann’s ``Fantasiestucke,’’ Op. 73, and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings in C Minor, Op. 35, together. Tickets cost from 50,000 to 200,000 won. Call 1577-5266.

Serial Hollywood Movies Tide In

2009-04-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

Heavy May Lineup

Next month, local moviegoers can look forward to the releases of ``X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and other serial big budget American franchises, including the ``Star Trek’’ prequel, the latest Dan Brown movie ``Angels & Demons’’ and the fourth ``Terminator’’ movie.

On May 7, fans can see ``Star Trek: The Beginning,’’ the prequel to the popular sci-fi TV show. Director J. J. Abrams brings a visually striking, action-packed film chronicling the early days of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members. The star-studded cast includes Eric Bana, John Cho and Winona Ryder, and Leonard Nimoy as the older Spock.

``The Da Vinci Code’’ author Dan Brown inspired another movie, ``Angels & Demons.’’ Tom Hanks returns as symbologist Robert Langdon, who, after decoding cryptic codes in Da Vinci paintings in Paris, returns in a prequel set in Rome to help solve a series of murders in Vatican City. Ewan McGregor joins the cast for the film, which is slated for release May 14. [I read "The Da Vinci Code" during my first week in Paris when I lived there 2004-2005, and then read "Angels & Demons" right before leaving for Rome in March, 2005. I was there for Easter weekend, right after Pope Jean Paul passed away, so I got to see real life parallels from the book! Although I didn't enjoy the movie version of "The Da Vinci Code," I liked "Angels & Demons" much better so I'm hoping the movie will be better too]

Megastars are expected to bring some mega-action to the mega-expensive ($200 million) ``Terminator Salvation,’’ coming to theaters May 21. It’s the year 2018, when much of humanity is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. Christian Bale (the reason for watchig the movie) assumes the role of John Connor, who leads a group of survivors waging the last battle against the Terminator machines.

Moviegoers can also look forward to the sixth ``Harry Potter’’ film, ``Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,’’ on July 15.

>>Read my previous interview with John Cho

>>Read my review of ``Harry Potter 5''

'X-Men' Explores Wolverine's Humanity

2009-04-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

``X-Men Origins: Wolverine’’ marks its theatrical release in South Korea Thursday, and will be followed in May by other highly anticipated Hollywood blockbusters.

``Wolverine,’’ the prequel to the popular mutant franchise, traces the origins of Logan-cum-Wolverine’s mysterious past. In recent years, prequels to superhero stories have focused on their humanity, showing their mortal flaws and existential concerns. While ``Wolverine’’ is not as sinister or thought-provoking as ``The Dark Knight’’ of the latest ``Batman’’ franchise, it features a more complex narrative than what moviegoers may be used to, with the protagonist constantly torn over what Hugh Jackman calls ``anger management issues.’’

The glossy, high-tech look of the first three ``X-Men’’ movies is also toned down. Director Gavin Hood opts for something that feels more rustic, raw and primitive. The screen is filled with the breathtaking natural scenery of New Zealand and Australia, and action sequences involve something more ``classic,’’ such as a vintage Harley Davidson, heightened by the fact that even actors Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber chose to do some of the stunts themselves.

Jackman returns to the role of the hot-tempered Wolverine, equipped with indestructible claws and superhuman stamina. The movie takes us back to the mid 19th-century America, when he was just plain James Logan. His fate takes a sharp turn however when his mutant powers awaken and a family tragedy ensues; his brother, Victor Creed-cum-Sabretooth (Schreiber), also turns out to be ``special,’’ and the two run away together.

The two immortal young men fight through the major wars of the past two centuries until they are recruited by William Stryker to serve in a special unit of mutants. When their job involves taking innocent lives, however, Logan calls it quits, while Creed succumbs to his darker side.

Logan is leading a peaceful life in the Canadian Rockies until Stryker asks him to be part of his new Weapon X project. He refuses, but when Creed murders his loving girlfriend, Logan agrees to being injected with a formula called ``adamantium,’’ making him nearly indestructible, to seek his revenge. But when he discovers that his new body, Weapon X, would be merely a puppet controlled by Stryker, he runs away, and Stryker orders Agent Zero (Daniel Henney) to destroy him.

The local press preview last Wednesday for ``Wolverine’’ buzzed with reporters and critics trying to catch the American debut of Korean heartthrob Henney. He gives a memorable supporting role, complete with some neat action sequences, for a character that could easily have been played by a non-Asian actor.

In theaters Thursday. 107 minutes. 12 and over. Distributed by 20th Century Fox Korea.

Andre Previn: `An 80th Birthday Celebration'

2009-04-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

Andre Previn
'An 80th Birthday Celebration’
RCA Red Seal

Andre Previn fetes his 80th birthday, which fell on April 6, with a retrospective of his work spanning over half a century.

His career took off when he played the piano for a party hosted by Frank Sinatra when he was just a teen, and went on to become a widely loved composer, conductor and pianist.

This comprehensive album paints a vivid portrait of the prolific artist, featuring everything from jazz to the classical orchestra repertoire. Tracks include ``Bye Bye Blackbird,’’ ``Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra’’ with the London Symphony Orchestra and ``Vocalise’’ with cellist Yo Yo Ma.

Bong Joon-ho Promises Something "Hotter" With "Mother"

2009-04-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

From left, actors Won Bin and Kim Hae-ja and director Bong Joon-ho appear Monday at a promotional event in Seoul for their movie ``Mother,’’ which will premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival next month before its local release May 28. /Courtesy of CJ Entertainment

Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho promises something ``hotter’’ for his upcoming film ``Mother,’’ which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month before its local theater release May 28.

``If movies could be measured by temperature, then I imagine that `Mother’ is much hotter than my previous works,’’ the director of the blockbuster ``The Host’’ and modern classic ``Memories of Murder’’ told reporters at a Seoul theater, Monday.

When asked if he felt disheartened about not being in Cannes’ competition pool alongside countryman Park Chan-wook, he said it was too early for him to compete against big names like the ``Thirst’’ director and Quentin Tarantino. ``But I am greatly confident about the movie’s solidity and artistry. Once it’s revealed to the world at the festival, where I’ve had experience with `The Host,’ I am looking forward to people’s reactions,’’ said the 39-year-old about the film’s invitation to the prestigious event’s non-competitive ``Un Certain Regard’’ section.

But Bong was more diffident than confident about the movie, saying he needs more time to figure out whether or not ``Mother’’ is a ``convincing film.’’

``I was shocked to hear figure skater Kim Yu-na say, after winning the world championship, that she gave a `more convincing’ routine for the first time,’’ he said. ``Whenever I’m forced to watch my own movies, I’m constantly regretting, `Why ever did I shoot that scene like that.’ I’ll have to finish post-production and look back at my work.’’

``Mother’’ stars Won Bin as a dimwitted young man who is erroneously framed for a neighbor’s death while South Korea’s veteran actress Kim Hae-ja plays his distraught mother who struggles to prove his innocence by tracking down the real murderer on her own.

``There isn’t a more instinctive word than `mother.’ We say `eomma’ (mother) when we’re surprised,’’ he said, explaining that he chose the phonetic transliteration of the English word for the title because there was already a recent movie called ``Eomma’’ (Long and Winding Road, 2004) starring Ko Doo-shim. >>More

Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" Is Riveting

2009-04-26T02:57:00.000-07:00

Song Kang-ho, the uncle next door, sheds 10 kilos and turns uber sexy (no fangs!) and bares all (literally? figuratively? I'll leave it to your imagination). I salute, thee, maestro Park Chan-wook!

Park Chan-wook's ``Thirst'' traces the downfall of a Catholic priest who gets a transfusion of mysterious blood and turns into a vampire. Song Kang-ho, an award-winning actor who starred in ``Secret Sunshine,'' said at the movie's press preview Friday that he hopes the film wins the Palme d'Or at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. /Courtesy of CJ Entertainment

Park Chan-wook’s latest work ``Thirst,’’ like other great movies, makes you forget you’re watching one, and you won’t be able to stop it from shaking up every cell in your body unless you dart for the exit. Park-brand films are undoubtedly an acquired taste, and this vampire-priest story, slated to compete in Cannes next month, is certainly not for those with weak stomachs. Nor is it, despite being replete with tasteful humor only Song Kang-ho (``Secret Sunshine’’) can pull off and being the first South Korean film to be co-produced by a major Hollywood studio, for those seeking light-hearted entertainment.

This reporter admits having had to close her eyes and plug her ears for some of the extreme scenes, but still had the ultimate audiovisual experience discovering ironic amusement and empathizing with the protagonist’s frenetic actions, disillusionment and despair, listless surrender and dissipation, and, finally, spiritual transformation.

In this story inspired by Emile Zola’s ``Therese Raquin,’’ Park creates a sinister parallel universe where 19th-century French realism and the Western vampire myth melt naturally into modern South Korea. Visually, things are familiar yet exotic, with local Catholic churches evoking a European flair; gaudy, outdated boutiques that are set in a Japanese colonial-era style home; and striking claustrophobic spaces a la Stanley Kubrick.

Regardless of one’s faith, the movie inspires you to look back to the Bible as well as literary classics on religious themes such as Graham Greene’s ``The Power and the Glory.’’

The movie most obviously alludes to the first three chapters of Genesis. Sang-hoon (Song) is a devout Catholic priest residing peacefully in the house of God, like Adam in the Garden of Eden. His only flaw is that he is overly zealous _ in the novel, which Park co-wrote with scriptwriter Jeong Seo-gyeong and novelist Choi In, we learn that Sang-hoon always had a dangerous propensity to sacrifice whatever means for salvation. Despite the behest of his father figure, Father Noh (Park In-hwan, ``The Quiet Family’’), Sang-hoon volunteers for a risky medical experiment in Africa that the Vatican has yet to approve. There, he contracts a virus _ most appropriately called Eve _ and dies, but a transfusion with mysterious blood returns him back to ``life’’ as a vampire.

When he comes home, news of Sang-hoon’s resurrection attracts a cult following of the desperate and the decrepit who are seeking miracles. But Sang-hoon eventually succumbs to his thirst for blood and other hitherto tamed human (or animalistic?) instincts, and begins a sexual relationship with his friend’s wife Tae-ju (starlet-turned-femme fatale Kim Ok-vin, ``Dasepo Naughty Girls’’). He casts off his vestigial collar and allows himself to be persuaded by Tae-ju to kill her impotent husband (most convincingly played by Shin Ha-kyun, a star of ``Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’’).

But like the whiskey priest of the Greene novel, who discovers the true meaning of being a ``father’’ through breaking the rules _ i.e. fathering an actual child _ the wickedly talented Song as Sang-hoon suggests that light shines brightest in the depths of darkness, and that deliverance is not a lost cause for even the damned. The director explores the murky line between faith and obsession, love and lust, martyrdom and suicide, and blessings and curses.

The cast and crew, including the most talented supporting actors such as Kim Hae-sook (``Viva! Love’’) as the hysterical mother-in-law, craft the story with great gusto and virtuosity. In spite of the dark subject matter, you will be laughing throughout the movie, and might agree with Tae-ju and gasp ``how cute’’ upon seeing Sang-hoon sip blood like Cool-Aid in a bottle and check in a hand mirror afterward to see if his lips are free of the scarlet stuff. (Ma questionne a Monsieur Park about the ironic humor and he said) ``Isn't that life? It can't be just serious all the time,'' said Park after the press preview in Seoul, Friday.

Of course ``Thirst’’ is incomplete without Park’s trademark juxtaposition of serene classical music and harrowing moments of violence. The director reunites with composer Jo Yeong-wook, and opts for J.S. Bach’s ``Cantata No. 82’’ this time. Park, having grown up in a Catholic environment, said that ``Thirst’’ is close to his heart, with the protagonist modeled after his own ``pathetic’’ personality, and the evocative background melody transforms into a monologue as Sang-hoon plays it himself on the recorder.

In his last film three years ago, ``I’m a Cyborg but That’s OK,’’ Park tampered with the digital Thomas Viper for a bubbly, surreal romance, and many say ``Thirst’’ marks his return, via analogue film, to the darker themes of his landmark ``Vengeance Trilogy.’’ ``Thirst’’ does speak a common gory tongue similar to the latter works, and Park said he wanted to create a certain ambiance and texture only analogue could capture. But this tale of redemption is ultimately a human love story, like ``Cyborg,’’ and suggests that all of his movies are as such.

A small regret is that the movie does not go as far as the novel to feature more character development, such as Sang-hoon’s orphaned childhood and frantic search for a father figure, and the computer graphic effects, such as Sang-hoon and Tae-ju’s crazed Superman and Lois Lane moments, are rather awkward.

In theaters April 30. 133 minutes. 18 and over. Distributed by CJ Entertainment.

>>Read about the novel

>>Read about what director Park, Song and Kim had to say about the movie

Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" the Novel

2009-04-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

"Thirst" 박쥐
Park Chan-wook and others
That Book: 270 pp., 12,000 won

Award-winning director Park Chan-wook is making headlines with his upcoming film ``Thirst,’’ and presents the book version, co-written with scriptwriter Jeong Seo-gyeong and novelist Choi In.

``This piece was inspired by Emile Zola’s `Therese Raquin’ and is a product of two countries, three centuries and four authors,’’ Park introduces his book.

The book reads quickly and easily even though it is replete with lush, descriptive details in depicting the downfall of a man. Zola’s 19th-century realism and the Western vampire legend melt naturally and eerily into modern Korea.

Sang-hoon, a devout Catholic priest, risks his life to take part in a dangerous medical experiment. During the process he contracts mysterious blood and turns into a ravenous vampire. He starts breaking the 10 Commandments as he succumbs to his newly developed instincts, and what’s more, he becomes entangled in an affair with his friend’s wife, Tae-ju. Meanwhile, Tae-ju, sick of her hysterical mother-in-law and spineless husband, lures Sang-hoon into killing her husband.

The movie is slated for release April 30.

`Girlfriend’ Prevails With Small, Tactful Jokes

2009-04-24T03:11:00.000-07:00

Actress Kim Ha-neul stars as a National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent caught in a complicated romance with Kang Ji-hwan in Shin Tae-ra’s buoyant spy romance ``My Girlfriend Isn’t an Agent.’’ /Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

Don’t be discouraged by the rather familiar plotline or the tacky English title. This reporter had been expecting the worst for what appeared to be a spin-off of ``Mr. and Mrs. Smith,’’ but Shin Tae-ra’s buoyant spy romance ``My Girlfriend Isn’t an Agent’’ is a promising asset to the South Korean romantic comedy genre.

It’s predictable and clichéd, but features some surprisingly good B-rate laughter, winning the audience with a series of small but tactile tickles rather than a big K.O. After dabbling with blood in the slasher film ``The Black House,’’ the director returns with something more digestible, while actors Kim Ha-neul and Kang Ji-hwan make their mark on the silver screen.

Following a few mediocre franchises, Kim reclaims her reputation as the romantic comedy queen in the tradition of her ``Too Beautiful to Lie,’’ while Kang’s charms, eclipsed by So Ji-sub’s charisma in his feature film debut ``Rough Cut,’’ shines through. While many homegrown romantic comedies make the mistake of switching genres _ Kim’s 2006 ``Almost Romance’’ drastically transformed from comedy into a tragedy _ ``Girlfriend’’ has a consistent tempo and flow in straddling slapstick, schmaltziness and speed.

Su-ji (Kim) is a National Intelligence Service (NIS) spy who poses as a travel agent. While she is adept with James Bond-style gadgets and pulling off Jackie Chan stunts in a wedding dress, she’s terrible when it comes to lying to her boyfriend Jae-jun (Kang). Tired of her cock-and-bull stories _ how she claims to be on one side of the country one minute and then on the opposite end the next _ he leaves her.

The movie portrays NIS agents as having very mortal flaws and problems. Our protagonist may strut around in a power suit on the job, but she’s also seen lounging around in thick glasses and sweats, crying over her broken heart. Her cozy house, like that of a typical young Korean woman, is decorated with cushions and stuffed animals stamped with pictures of her and her now ex-boyfriend.

The story resumes three years later when Jae-jun reappears as a high-profile accountant in a corporate bathroom where Su-jin is working undercover as a janitor. Old wounds reopen and emotions flare as they blame each other for the break-up. The two are, of course, still in love, but the fact that Jae-jun is actually a rookie agent of a different NIS branch complicates things.

In the ``Brangenlina’’ franchise, a husband and wife’s marriage problems escalate when their respective agencies, which happen to be rival companies, become involved with the same case. ``Girlfriend’’ is similar, and does some nice PR for the NIS by showing how different departments stick to the honor code in guarding their secrets from one another within the organization and even within the same department _ Su-jin and Jae-jun’s respective teams think the other is involved in a Russian spy case.

The beauty of the film lies in the details. In addition to the wickedly funny main cast, some of the most talented actors in the industry _ including Ryoo Seung-yong (``Hwang Jini’’) and Kang Shin-il (``Black House’’) _ play memorable supporting roles.

Now showing in theaters. 112 minutes. 12 and over. Distributed by Lotte Entertainment.

Chin Unsuk Goes to Hell and Back for Music

2009-04-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

Elle est hyper-cool et m'inspire enormement. She's really got "neugryeok" -- her hubbie is the handsome Finnish pianist Maris Gothoni (she's the Demi Moore of the classical musc world -- he's 18 years younger :) and their son, eight-year-old 리윤, is so adorable.

Germany-based composer Chin Unsuk talks to The Korea Times about how she strives to bring her creations to fans. The 47-year-old composer-in-residence at Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra believes that music should be ``communicative’’ not autistic. /Courtesy of Kim Moon-jung

The relativity of human existence, how it is sandwiched between heaven and hell, is central to many people’s thoughts. South Korean composer Chin Unsuk may produce unearthly sounds, but she’s only human, and the creative process inevitably involves descending into the depths of hell.

``I visit hell several times when I write a composition,’’ the 47-year-old told The Korea Times, Thursday, with one of her hearty, boisterous laughs. ``My gray hair multiplies in relation to how long it takes to write a piece,’’ she said, despite her signature long hair hanging jet black and silky.

The musician said she is first and foremost a mother who spends a great deal of time on domestic affairs. She pours the rest of her time into her art to create one to one-and-a-half pieces per year. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s composer-in-residence thus deals with high demands through co-commissions.

The orchestral piece ``Rocana,’’ which makes its Korean debut Friday as part of the ``Ars Nova’’ program at the LG Arts Center, southern Seoul, was jointly commissioned by the Seoul Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian State Opera and Beijing Music Festival Arts Foundation. Meaning ``room of light'' in Sanskrit, ``Rocana'' depicts Chin's observation of the behavior of beams of light, ``their distortion, reflections, and undulations.’’

``This is my unique composition for the orchestra,’’ said Chin. Writing ``Rocana’’ was difficult to start writing since, unlike concertos, it lacks a protagonist (soloist) and she had to conceive the interaction of multiple instruments. What inspired her? ``It’s difficult to say. The human brain has a complex formation and multiple networks. Something external triggers me, becomes a seed of thought and grows into multiple branches, like a tree,’’ she said.

Chin is praised for her ``formidable ear for sonority and for mining the expressive potential of the slightest nuances of pitch and pulse’’ (The Guardian). Born in Seoul in 1961, Chin learned piano and music theory on her own at an early age and pursued composition under Kang Sukhi at Seoul National University. A scholarship took her to Hamburg in the late 1980s, where she studied with the esteemed Gyorgy Ligeti. She won the 2004 Grawemeyer Award _ the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in the music world _ among other honors, for her Violin Concerto.

For Koreans, Chin is the exotic expatriate, and without a close look into her work, one may easily assume that her music would be markedly ``German.’’ Modern classical music here is heavily associated with the avant-garde of the 1950s and ‘60s, which is defined by the late Korean-German composer Isang Yun, among others. But moving to avant-garde ``headquarters,’’ said Chin, enabled her to look past established aesthetics. ``Ironically, living in Germany for 24 years now has disillusioned my obsession and fantasy of the avant-garde,’’ she said.

While some contemporary classical music composers insist on the traditional symphony or sonata format, Chin said she feels forms have long gone out of fashion. Others insist on an idiosyncratic, recognizable language, but this composer resists categorization. ``It’d be easier if I had a definable style, but I’m not interested in establishing my name. That’s why I’m pretty much an outsider in Germany,’’ she said, laughing.

Chin reminds you of a gust of wind _ difficult to grasp and transcending boundaries yet exuding a presence that is inevitably felt.

Chin said she plays a Bach fugue whenever she has composer's block. /Courtesy of Kim Moon-jung

Her work reflects her affinity for non-European traditions as well as her background in electronic music. She may be a classical pianist who worships Chopin and plays a Bach fugue whenever she has composer’s block, but she loves pop songs from the 1970s and ‘80s and prefers working with instruments such as the Balinese gamelan. Her music is modern in language but poetic and ``multilingual'' in communicatve power.

``Music should be communicative rather than autistic,’’ said the artist, who seeks to converse with as many channels as possible. ``The word `audience’ is difficult to define. If you play a Bach suite to a gamelan player, he or she may think it sounds bizarre and foreign.’’

But she also writes something more accessible to the general public, such as ``Alice in Wonderland.’’ The opera in eight acts, with libretto by American playwright David Henry Hwang, was staged in 2007 at Munich’s Bavarian State Opera and was ranked in the ``Best of 2007'' list of the Los Angeles Times and was named ``World Premiere of the Year'' by European critics for Opernwelt magazine.

Despite such accomplishments, Chin constantly teased herself throughout the interview, saying that she is a loner and her works are almost never played in her European home. Germany, the birthplace of Beethoven and Bach, is strongly rooted in tradition and is not always open to new things, she said. This is similar to the situation in Korea.

``In Korea, there’s `music’ and then there’s `contemporary music,’’’ she said, meaning that Western classical music has become the blind norm for what music is supposed to be, while other genres are considered inferior. More important than introducing the works of contemporary composers such as those of her former teacher, Kang, however, is inspiring new attitude about art, said Chin.

``Here, culture is synonymous with entertainment, and someone more `cultured’ may associate it with Beethoven, but the concept or value of art and creativity is rather unrecognized,’’ she said, adding many subtitled variety programs in Korea give no room for individual thought, which disgusts and worries her. Creativity rarely flourishes in a place where people are prone to mindless, monotonous consumption, she suggested.

Chin regularly gives master classes as part of Seoul Philharmonic’s ``Ars Nova’’ program, and said that there are talented young students participating. But the social climate worries her. ``I’ve seen many of my talented elders (composers) perish from neglect,’’ she said.

``The degree of national obsession with standard classical music is bizarre, as is how classical music serves as a symbol of elitism and vanity,’’ she said. Her own works, such as ``Alice in Wonderland,’’ have yet to premiere because organizers want a world premiere instead of utilizing what exists.

``Ironically, if Koreans had been oblivious to Western classical music and continued with `gugak’ (traditional Korean music), they may have been more receptive to contemporary classical music,’’ said Chin, explaining that 21st-century Korea may be obsessed with Beethoven but is vastly different from 19th-century Europe.

Chin is busy these days studying gugak. She had been a longtime fan of the mouth organ ``saenghwang’’ and wrote her first concerto for it. Her love for the instrument came like a dream: One stormy night, she was at a camp when she heard someone playing the instrument outside by a cliff. ``It was like the sound of the universe,’’ she said.

``Gugak is boring but sophisticated in its abstract structure and beauty. But I hate the overuse of vibrato, so I pursue a very flat sound,’’ she said. Studying the Korean art also made her feel extremely baffled and concerned. ``It’s a mess, there’s no professionalism in the current gugak world. There’s much work to be done to preserve the folk art,’’ she said. She was able to write the Saenghwang Concerto only recently because she never met anyone who played it here, pointing back to her concern with the modern Korean manner toward art. ``It’s about attitude toward art, and ultimately, attitude toward life,’’ she said. What lies ahead in her own life? Just the same old battle with composing, she said.

Chin’s ``Rocana’’ may be her unique orchestral work but it is certainly not her first. Her first orchestra piece, ``Santika Ekatala’’ (1993), won her the first prize in a Japanese competition, but she was unhappy with it and deleted it from her composition listing and barred its performance. But this is an exception. Chin is no Bruckner, and she usually doesn’t turn back to make corrections or publish second editions. Yet this doesn’t mean she’s ever satisfied with her music _ ``As an artist, it helps to be a narcissist but I despair whenever I finish a piece. My hope of writing something better the next time keeps me going,’’ she said.

Composer Chin Unsuk, center, poses with members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra will feature her unique orchestral piece ``Rocana’’ as part of its ``Ars Nova’’ series at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul, Friday. /Courtesy of Cho Nam-ryoung

Chin mentioned how she once marvelled at Chopin’s gravestone in Paris. ``It simply said Frederic Chopin, without any fancy engravings like `compositeur’ (composer),’’ she said. It’s not hard to imagine a world where the name Chin Unsuk could forgo such superfluous titles as ``South Korean composer’’ or ``award-winning musician.’’

Chin’s concerto, featuring the saenghwang, will make its world debut in Japan in August and then in October in the United States with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Another work, a new cello concerto written specially for Alban Gerhardt, will premiere August 13 at BBC Proms, one of the most exciting classical music events of the season.

In addition to Chin’s ``Rocana,’’ Friday’s ``Ars Nova’’ concert features other orchestral pieces including that of her former teacher Ligeti, ``San Francisco Polyphony.’’ At 7:20 p.m., 40 minutes prior to the concert, Chin will give a lecture about the program. Tickets for the concert cost from 5,000 won to 30,000 won. Call (02) 2005-0114.

World Stars to Grace Stage in May

2009-04-23T02:23:00.000-07:00

South Korean fans will be able to welcome international music icons Jose Carreras, Ennio Morricone, Sumi Jo and Dmitri Hvorostovsky next month.

Jose Carreras will hold a recital tour across Korea May 8-12. One of the three great tenors of the century, alongside Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, the Spanish singer will grace Kyunghee University’s anniversary celebration in Seoul May 8 and perform at Cheonma Art Center in Daegu May 10, and, May 12, at Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center for its second anniversary concert in Seoul’s satellite city of Goyang, in Gyeonggi Province.

The crystalline bell sound of his younger days has now taken on a deeper color, and the 62-year-old wowed local fans during his 2005 recital at Seoul Arts Center. Meanwhile, crossover tenor Im Tae-kyung is known for overcoming leukemia, and Carreras, too, has inspired many by conquering the disease and supporting others through his international leukemia foundation.

He will sing popular operatic arias and folk songs, and his partner conductor and nephew, David Gimenez, will conduct the Eurasian Philharmonic Orchestra for the Seoul and Daegu concerts while for the Goyang performance he will lead the Korean Symphony Orchestra, which recently provided the accompaniment for Domingo’s recital.

Tickets cost from 80,000 won to 220,000 won for Daegu (call 053-422-4224) and Kyunghee University (call 1588-7890) and from 40,000 won to 220,000 won for Goyang Aram Nuri Art Center (call 1577-7766).

In 2007, Ennio Morricone made an unforgettable concert debut here by conducting the timeless compositions that appeared in ``Cinema Paradiso,’’ ``The Mission’’ and ``The Legend of 1900.’’ The 80-year-old veteran of over 400 film soundtracks will revisit Korea to give two concerts May 26-27 at Olympic Park.

The Italian composer has been touring the world with the Gyor Philharmonic Orchestra, and will be joined by the Yoon Hak-won Chorale for the Seoul concerts. Esteemed director Park Chan-wook was quoted as once saying, ``While there may be people who have not seen his films, there is no one, in civilized modern society, who hasn’t heard his music. He is the J.S. Bach of today.’’

Details about the program have yet to be announced. Tickets cost from 50,000 won to 160,000 won. Booking in English is available at (02) 3444-9969.

Korea’s feted soprano Sumi Jo and Russia’s foremost baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky will perform for Seoulites May 28 and 30 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Seoul.

The concert, most appropriately titled ``Majestic,’’ brings together two of the most talented singers of the world, Jo, whom Herbert von Karajan complimented as having ``the voice from Heaven,’’ and Hvorostovsky, whose silvery voice graced all five of the world’s top opera houses.

Jo will sing the technically exigent aria ``Couplets de Mysoli’’ from the opera ``La Perle du Bresil,’’ among works, while Hvorostovsky will offer not only standard Italian operatic arias but a variation of French and Russian repertoires.

Ion Marin will conduct the Mostly Philharmonic. Tickets cost from 70,000 won to 200,000 won. Call (02) 3461-0976.

UK Journalist Illuminates 'Forgotten War'

2009-04-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

Fifty-eight years ago on this very day, April 22, 1951, the Korean War (1950-53) had been blazing for almost a year, and U.N. forces were sure the war was won. The Imjin River front stood still in silence, as Britain's 29th Infantry Brigade stationed along this critical line was about to wrap things up. But catastrophe broke loose with the largest communist offensive of the war.

Outnumbered 7-1, the soldiers stood in desperation for three days. One particular battalion, the Glosters, was stranded in enemy territory and had to fight back-to-back until their ammunition was exhausted. ``That's why it's called `To The Last Round,''' said Andrew Salmon, a Seoul-based British journalist, about his new book on Tuesday. ``The Last Round: The Epic British Stand on the Imjin River, Korea 1951'' (Aurum London) is the first comprehensive account of the conflict with China and North Korea and is being translated to film by internationally renowned director Daniel Gordon.

``British forces have fought all over the world since the 1950s, but Imjin River remains the bloodiest battle since World War II. Of the brigade's 4,000 men, 1,091 were dead, wounded or captured… However, today in the United Kingdom this tragedy is almost forgotten,'' said the author. Back home, he said, military history is a popular genre but there are barely any books on the Korean War.

British journalist-author Andrew Salmon, right, appears at a press event in Seoul, Tuesday with Lee Kyung-sik, The Korea Post chairman, 77, who interpreted for British soldiers during the Korean War (1950-53). Salmon’s new book “To the Last Round” is the first to trace the United Kingdom’s bloodiest battle since World War II that took place in Korea in April 1951. -Korea Times Photo by Lee Hyo-won

The Korean War itself is dubbed ``the Forgotten War,'' sandwiched between Hitler's World War II and the politically-charged Vietnam War. ``This is an important book because the Korean War is being forgotten, and such a tragic war should never ever recur,'' said special guest Lee Kyung-sik, 77, who interpreted for British soldiers during the battle. He is one of the four Koreans that Salmon quotes extensively in the book. Lee had memorized 100 English words a day for survival, since the smallest misinterpretation could risk lives on the front. A former reporter for The Korea Herald, he is now the publisher-chairman of The Korea Post.

``For many people the war is still alive,'' said Salmon. He met one British veteran who was haunted by the vision of a Chinese soldier he had killed, and was ``exorcised'' only when he revisited Korea recently. One soldier, Sam Mercer, 22 at the time, volunteered for ``travel and adventure,'' and lost an eye and a leg and spent two and a half years in captivity. But the veteran said, ``I don't regret a moment,'' and Salmon knew he had ``a fantastic story.''

In this black and white photo from 1951 titled ``Send it to Marion,'' a British soldier, looking at the photo in the center, asked the photographer to take it 30 minutes prior to his death. Feeling the end at a close distance, he asked that the photo be sent to his wife Marion. -Courtesy of Andrew Salmon

Salmon spent two years onresearch, interviewing some 50 veterans in America, Canada, Ireland, Belgium, England and Korea, and browsing through the national archives in London, Washington and Korea. Gordon began filming in London last month and is now in Gloucester to capture the local cathedral's Gloster regimental chapel. One interesting relic is the stone ``Korean Cross,'' which the Gloster commanding officer carved during his 18 months of solitary confinement in a Chinese prison camp.

``After a trilogy of films in North Korea, this marks my debut in the South,'' Gordon, the first non-Korean filmmaker to shoot in the Stalinist state, was quoted as saying in a press release. ``Ever since Andrew told me about his project, I have been intrigued. When I read the men's personal stories I was blown away by their courage and what they had endured during this battle.''

The movie's main aim is to bring the surviving veterans of Imjin River to Korea. The addition of computer graphics and dramatic reenactment by actors will add to the budget.

The filmmakers are seeking private investment because South Korean governmental bodies refused to fund the movie, reasoning that ``the Korean War is not in line with the `brand image' (they) want to promote," Salmon said. ``I think if you want to understand how prosperous and free Korea is, you need to contrast it with the brutality and poverty of the war,'' he added.

``Korea is now a rich country, one of the richest countries in the world. To fully understand that, you have to contrast it with the way it was 50 years ago. That is a tremendous achievement by the Korean people. On a different angle, war is the greatest human drama. Much of the great poetry, literature and film are on the drama of war. I'm surprised Korea doesn't package its tourism toward the Korean War,'' he said.

The filmmakers hope the film will be ready to be screened by the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War next year. ``I truly hope the Korean government and society will unite to commemorate next year's 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. For next year will be the last significant event that living witnesses will be able to participate in,'' said Salmon.

``(`The Last Stand') is just one story of the Korean War. There are thousands of more stories that will die forever unless Korea also tells them,'' he continued. ``South Korea owes it to herself to remember this human tragedy with the appropriate scale and appropriate honor.''

Salmon covers the Koreas for Forbes, The South China Morning Post, The Times and The Washington Times and is the author of ``American Business and the Korean Miracle: U.S. Enterprises in Korea, 1866-the Present.'' He lives in Seoul with his wife Ji-young and daughter Hannah. For more information about ``To the Last Round,'' visit tothelastround.wordpres.com.

>> Read about another book on the Korean War, "Diary of a Boy Solider," which the author, now a retired doctor, wrote as a 17-year-old soldier in the war.

Seoul Spring Festival Looks to Go Global

2009-04-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Seoul Spring Festival invites internationally renowned artists, including, from left, cellist Yang Sung-won, violinist Choi Eunsik, pianist Kim Young-ho, violinist and the festival’s artistic director Kang Dong-suk and cellist Cho Young-chang. / Courtesy of Seoul Spring Festival

Seoul will turn into a playground for music lovers next month with the opening of the 4th Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music (SSF) from May 5 to 18. Though in its early stages of development, the event is looking to expand horizons for a more global audience.

``Just like Busan boasts Asia’s largest film festival (PIFF), Seoul Spring Festival could become a major attraction for the city,’’ Kang Dong-suk, honored violinist and the festival’s artistic director, told reporters at a recent press conference in Seoul.

``Korea has major music events such as the Tongyeong International Music Festival, but it is mostly about contemporary classical music. SSF is unique in that it centers on chamber music and fringe (street) performances,’’ he said.

This year, child prodigies to mature virtuosos from near and far will join Seoulites for a program of Beethoven and more. Under the theme ``Beethoven Plus,’’ the festival will feature all-Beethoven quartets and more. Organizers said SSF hopes to inspire festivalgoers through music, like the late German composer overcame personal tragedies through the art.

In addition to Kang, local stars including cellists Yang Sung-won and Song Young-hoon (Young Song); pianists Kim Dae-jin, Kim Sun-wook, Kim Young-ho and Shin Soo-jung; and even ``salmulnori’’ (Korean folk percussion) artist Kim Duk-soo will perform for fans. In particular, maestro Shlomo Mintz will visit as a special guest, as well as the young American Jupiter String Quartet; the handsome, all-male Ebene Quartet; France’s dynamic Sine Nomine Quartet Lausanne; and the Igudesman & Joo duo that has been hyping up the Internet with their idiosyncratic performance style.

SSF will also showcase rising talent, including child prodigies 14-year-old violinist Anna Lee and cellist Cho Min-seok, and the KNUA (Korea National University of Arts) String Quartet. The opening concert on May 7 will stage the premiere of 26-year-old composer Kim Solbong’s ``Sundial Chronicles’’ for piano, violin, cello, clarinet and Korean folk instruments ``gayageum’’ (zither) and ``janggu’’ (drum). Amateur musicians will grace the streets of Seoul within the festival through SSF Fringe, from Friday through May 6.

The festival has been committed to not only bringing internationally feted artists to Seoul, but to make its presence known abroad, said festival director Shin Dong-yeop. Last year, its string quartet played two sell-out performances at the Beijing Summer Olympics, which were dominated by non-Korean audience members. SSF plans to expand the tour to Europe, he said.

Cellist Yang said that, as an audience member, he ``initially opposed’’ the festival because Seoul already has too many performances. ``But what is a festival? It has a theme and a well-organized menu where Seoul citizens are the stars, not the artists. I hope it will be a feast for the ears and eyes,’’ he said.

The free Family Concert will take place May 5 at Deoksu Palace (left). / Courtesy of Seoul Spring Festival

This year, the festival expanded its range of venues to include marginalized parts of Seoul, including Guro. ``The festival is mainly based at Sejong Chamber Hall, but it is too small, and our future plans include finding a permanent hall,’’ said Kang.

Ticket prices vary according to the venue: Deoksu Palace concerts are free of charge, though on a first-come, first-served basis, while those at Sejong Chamber Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Youngsan Art Hall, Guro Arts Valley Theater and Seoul Anglican Church range from 10,000 to 40,000 won. Special discounts are available. Visit http://www.seoulspring.org/ (Korean and English) or call (02) 712-4879.

Seoul Arts Center Orchestra Fest Ends Tuesday

2009-04-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

Seoul Arts Center’s 20th Orchestra Festival comes to a close with the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra (above), Tuesday, after three weeks of live, inspired music. Grand symphonic melodies filled the hall almost every night as maestri and soloists joined 16 of the country’s top ensembles. Each concert, almost always fully packed, was broadcast live on KBS FM radio.

The annual event brought internationally feted conductors in concert, including Spanish maestro Jesus Amigo; Baldur Bronnimann, the new principal conductor of the Colombian National Symphony; and Korean-Japanese helmer Kim Hong-je.

Youthful verve and virtuosity reigned, as young, up and coming musicians graced the stage.

On the opening night April 3, the Bucheon Philharmonic, led by maestro Choi Hee-chuhn, greeted concertgoers with a roar. Having worked with the Gyeonggi Province troupe for the opera ``L’Elisir d’Amore,’’ the Germany-based conductor inspired full bursting colors, which complimented the sweet melody of soloist Stefan Jackiw in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor. Two evenings later, scientist-cellist Koh Bong-ihn gave a silver-toned rendition of the Elgar Concerto while playing with his birth town’s Jeonju Symphony.

Another sell-out program was Friday’s event featuring the Suwon Philharmonic with pianist-conductor Kim Dae-jin and young pianist Lim Dong-min. While Lim told The Korea Times that he wasn’t happy with the performance, saying the harmony with the orchestra was far from perfect in the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, he showed why he is one of the country’s most popular young artists with the crystalline tones in the singsong second movement.

The festival was also a special occasion for instruments such as the bassoon and harp to shine in the solo spot. It also gave an opportunity for new talent to take the big stage, including two young musicians selected through an open audition.

While there is no concert tonight, the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra will conclude the festival Tuesday with Alexander Anissimov at the baton. The honored Russian maestro, currently the principal conductor of the troupe, presents a program of Tchaikovsky, including ``Spanish Dance’’ from ``Swan Lake’’ and Symphony No. 4. Pianist Ian Yung-wook Yoo, who was featured in The Korea Times' 2008 Next Generation Classical Musician series, will appear as soloist for Piano Concerto No. 1. Tickets cost from 10,000 won to 30,000 won. Call (02) 580-1301.

'Insadong' Can Go That Extra Mile

2009-04-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to replicas, modern Koreans may be familiar with fake Louis Vuitton handbags; the immaculate craftsmanship baffles even experts. But not many people realize that ``Mongyu Dowondo'' (Paradise in a Dream, 1447), displayed at the National Museum of Korea, is a mock-up. The original landmark painting of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) remains in Japan.

For ``Insadong Scandal,'' first-time director Park Hee-gon may have been inspired by that tantalizing fact, which inevitably points to sensitive Korea-Japan relations, but he opts for something purely entertainment-driven rather than stoop to sappy ``nationalism marketing'' to tell the story of lost treasures and misdirected ambitions. Like George Clooney and others in the ``Ocean's'' franchise, popular actor Kim Rae-won (``Sunflower'') and a host of colorful characters bring a stylish and speedy crime story, which in this case is set against the exotic art hub of Seoul, Insa-dong.

It all came from a dream. Angyeon immortalized the reverie of prince Anpyeong in ``Mongyu Dowondo'' and captured his own fantasies in ``Byeokando.'' But the painting of the Changdeok Palace pond disappeared along with the crown prince, who was overthrown and killed by his brother-cum-king, and its existence became known only 60 years ago through a Joseon artist's written account.

``Insadong'' imagines what would happen if the painting resurfaced after 400 years of Holy Grail-like existence. The minimum auction-bidding price is 40 billion won, and naturally, notorious art mogul Bae Tae-jin grabs at the lucrative opportunity. Sex symbol Uhm Jung-hwa (``Love Now'') plays the part of a young Cruella De Vil who unabashedly lobbies politicians and engages in illicit art exchanges to fund her fancies. ``Byeokando'' would enable her to conquer Insa-dong once and for all, but first she must find someone to restore the tattered painting ― the one and only genius restorer Lee Gang-jun (Kim).

A few years back, Lee had proved his devilish talents with the paintbrush in restoring a priceless Joseon treasure, but his career perished as soon as it bloomed when he was framed for its disappearance. Bae beckons Lee back to the art scene with ``Byeokando,'' waving 1 billion won for the year-long project. Lee accepts, though he asks for a fancy sports car as a bonus, and settles comfortably in the state-of-the-art restoration lab situated in Bae's gallery. Meanwhile, Bae puts on a show for the press about donating the priceless work to the state while scheming with a Japanese buyer, but Lee has some elaborate plans of his own.

The movie is fast-paced and visually enticing throughout, but it doesn't completely lure the viewer until the latter half. In the beginning, it's more about style than substance. The very talented Kim had hitherto touched hearts with dramatic roles, but keeps cool in ``Insadong'' as the charming antiheroic hero that is aloof yet way too suave. Of course, such is what one expects in entertainment, the protagonist is not only very young and good-looking but also possesses a sharp tongue and encyclopedic knowledge to match his magic fingers.

Uhm's sex appeal is unquestionable but her screen persona doesn't melt into the frame as Kim Hye-soo did in ``Tazza: The High Rollers.'' She's ravishing in her form-fitting, structured outfits, which naturally include cleavage-baring keyhole evening gowns, but her kabuki makeup often seems out of place as she tries to mingle with politicians. She's stomping over men in her killer stilettos, but the film, quite commendably, refrains from making her a stereotypical femme fatale; while some may be disappointed by the lack of romantic chemistry between Bae and Lee, it is refreshing to see a heroine whose edgy fashion defines her ambitions rather than sexuality.

Things pick up nicely in the latter half with idiosyncratic supporting characters like Ko Chang-seok (``Rough Cut'') spicing up the intrigue and exploring the fine line between restoration and replication, and artistry and finely crafted con artistry.

The director said he didn't explain characters' history because he wanted to capture the relevance of Insa-dong. However, the film could have relied more on editing to introduce the past as ``Ocean's 11'' did, also propelled by characters that feed directly into the narrative ― the movie is, ultimately, about items from a bygone era and truncating the characters' attachment with them distances the viewer from the story.

Life Imitates Art in Gay Mockumentary

2009-04-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

Hollywood stuntwoman-turned-director Alison Reid /Lee Hyo-won photo

Imagine a world where children are fatherless in the procreative process. In the mockumentary ``The Baby Formula,’’ a lesbian couple succeeds in conceiving children of its own genetic mix.

The film’s notion of creating fake sperms from a woman’s skin particle, however, isn’t completely outlandish. ``Baby’’ is the classic mix of fiction and reality.

``The science is actually accurate and was successful in tests with mice. The (actresses’) pregnancy was real, too,’’ Alison Reid, the veteran Hollywood stuntwoman-turned-director, told The Korea Times in a recent interview. The Canadian filmmaker has been touring the festival circuit with her feature film debut, and was in town for the 11th International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul (IWFFIS).

``Until recently, it has been impossible for gay couples to conceive of the idea of being able to combine their genetics and have their own biological children. That has always struck me as sad. When I read an article about some science that made it possible to create offspring from two female mice, it resonated with me, and inspired me to make this film,’’ Reid said in a statement.

The director spoke with scientists all over the world involved in the research. ``For the purposes of the story, we have assumed that the science is further along than it is in real life, however the scientific explanations are accurate. This scientific backdrop becomes a pallet for a story that is ultimately about family, and the common ground facing us all despite our diversity,’’ she said.

``Succubus,’’ the short prequel to ``Baby’’ that was screened at last year’s IWFFIS, traced the efforts of the same two characters, Athena and Lileth, to have their own biological child. Interestingly enough, both actresses became pregnant _ though happily married to men in real life, they conceived children in the traditional way. The film assumes that such lesbian mothers can only have daughters, and both actresses gave birth to the baby girls that appear in the movie.

``Life was imitating art,’’ said the director. ``We were able to take advantage of the pregnancy and show the 10-month period and the real babies at the end. When we were rehearsing the scene where Athena’s water breaks, Angela Vint (who plays Athena) actually had her water break,’’ she said.

The science may be stranger than fiction, but the movie’s utter believability shines through. Effervescent characters drawn in viewers into the story, which has no male bashing, ``feminazism.’’ In ``Baby,’’ two geek stem cell specialists claim that their breakthrough scientific experiment is not trying to ``make men obsolete’’ but rather simply render them ``unnecessary.’’ One day, women may become unnecessary in procreation, they add.

``The film is done in a non-threatening way so people wouldn’t be putt off by it,’’ said Reid. The delightful, ticklishly funny mockumentary drew packed screenings in Seoul, and one middle-aged male audience member found the story pleasantly surprising despite the fact that he came from ``a different generation.’’

The warm reception is great, said Reid, but she was actually hoping for a little negativity. ``Right wing protesters would be good PR for the film,’’ she said, smiling. The director hopes to start a TV series starring the same actors.

Will her next feature film be another dramedy? ``No, it won’t be as funny,’’ she said. But it will involve a love triangle set inside, rather appropriately for the stunt speicialist, ``a crazy, extreme stunt world.’’

Reid coordinated stunt sequences in major Hollywood films such as ``Blindness’’ and doubled for Monica Bellucci in ``Shoot ‘Em Up.’’ She said she vigorously pursued the ``excitement and the adrenaline’’ ever since doing her first stunt when she was 17. Getting caught in explosions and car crash sequences ``had its moments,’’ including neck and knee injuries and burns, but provided insight into the world of directing.

For more information about ``Baby,’’ visit thebabyformulamovie.com.

The IWFFIS comes to a close today. The closing ceremony at 7 p.m. at Artreon in Sinchon will feature the award-winning films of the Asian Short Film & Video Competition. Visit http://www.wffis.or.kr/.

Veteran Artists Turn New Chapter in Career

2009-04-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

Two of South Korea’s most feted classical musicians, violinist Lee Sung-joo, 55, and cellist Chung Myung-wha, 65, will host special recitals in Seoul that mark a special moment in their careers.

Following the marathon recitals of Beethoven sonatas by pianist Paik Kun-woo and cellist Yang Sung-won in 2007, Lee will realize her own longtime dream of playing the German composer’s complete violin sonatas, Sunday, at Kumho Art Hall.

Lee paid attention to finding the right balance of presenting well-known pieces together with the lesser-known ones, ``to tell a story of Beethoven’s transforming music over time,’’ she said in a statement.

Sunday, beginning 3 p.m., Lee will play Sonatas Nos. 1-5 and No. 10, in between Nos. 3 and 4. At 7:30 p.m., the violinist will deliver Nos. 8, 6, 7 and 9, in that order. She explained the recital would be a long journey exploring the life and music world of Beethoven. ``I am vis-à-vis with the great artist Beethoven. I hope to share this wonderful yet extremely arduous experience with everyone,’’ she said.

Lee was one of the first Korean students to study at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. She launched her career in New York in 1977 as a Young Concert Artists winner and was immediately recognized as a ``first rate violinist'' by the New York Times.

She had to obtain American citizenship in order to participate in the 1978 Tchaikovsky Competition because no Korea-Russia relations existed at the time. She became the second Korean-born artist to win a prize in the conservative event after maestro Chung Myung-whun.

In 1994, she gave up her U.S. citizenship and returned to Korea. She now teaches at the Korea National University of Arts.

Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 50,000 won for each concert. A 10 percent discount is available if you purchase tickets for both concerts. Call (02) 780-5054.

40 Years With Cello

Chung Myung-wha’s international debut in 1969 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra catapulted her to stardom. Two years later, she made her mark in Europe by winning the Geneva International Music Competition.

Her illusive career dots across the world’s most prestigious halls, alongside top tier ensembles such as the Vienna Philharmonic. She and her talented siblings, maestro pianist-conductor Myung-whun and virtuoso violinist Kyung-wha, were known as the famous Chung Trio.

To celebrate her four decades with the cello, Chung chose a program spanning three centuries: Schubert’s Sonata for Viola and Piano, D. 821 in A Minor ``Arpeggione’’ (the 1700s piece was rearranged for her instrument), Strauss’ Sonata for Cello and Piano (18th century), Op. 6 and

finally, Barber’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 6 (20th century).

Pianist Kim Dae-jin, another one of Korea’s celebrated teaching performers, will accompany Chung for the sonatas. Like Lee Sung-joo, Chung accepted a professorship at the Korea National University of Arts in 1994. The ``first generation’’ artist has since been committed to fostering young talent.

Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. At 7 p.m., an hour before the concert is due to begin, remaining tickets for B and C tickets will be available for sale to for half price to students. Call (02) 518-7343.

Cellist Koh Contributing to Medical Research at Harvard

2009-04-14T02:14:00.000-07:00

``Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,’’ but instead of wondering about the road not taken, scientist-musician Koh Bong-ihn is straddling both paths _ playing the cello on the world stage while contributing to medical research at Harvard’s Stem Cell Institute.

``Music requires practice, just like experiments require repetitions to yield results. They’re also all about interpretation,’’ the 23-year-old told The Korea Times at Seoul Arts Center in a recent interview. His family and friends, including Koh’s former teacher, the feted cellist Chung Myung-wha, were seen congratulating his impassioned performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Jeonju Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Jeonju in 1985, Koh made his international debut as an artist at age 12. But unlike most prodigies, he pursued a double degree at Harvard and the New England Conservatory, studying molecular biology while participating in Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road project among other musical engagements.

He certainly enjoys the tension of balancing art and science, but interestingly enough, it is not so much about pursuing both careers. ``It’s the thought of not pursuing both careers that drives me,’’ he said.

``A lot of times I have been tempted to choose just one, when I see my (science) peers do well and have their moments of glory… I could be a better scientist or a better musician if I don’t split my time. But it’s a personal satisfaction, and I wouldn’t be happy if I give up either one,’’ said Koh.

Promoting Peace Through Music

What inspires him is the transforming power of music and science. ``When I play music, I can feel the audience breathing with me. When I’m going home late at night after working in the lab, I pass through the hospital and feel good that I’ve contributed to something that might help patients one day,’’ he said.

Koh’s silver-toned sounds shine through in standard classical repertoires like the Elgar concerto, but he also demonstrates flair for modern pieces. Last year, the cellist awed concertgoers with Isang Yun’s Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra. He enriches his music with his individual artistic intonation, and his melodic, idiomatic phrasings are at times unexpected, but are fresh and organic.

Some say that the critical aspect of artworks, whether it be a Miles Davis improvisation or a Picasso painting, is not so much the featured objects themselves but rather the space between objects. In Koh’s rendition of the Yun concerto, it was the silence between the notes that kept listeners on the edge of their seats.

He had learned about the late Korean-German composers’ music while spending his teens in Germany. As a Korean, he said he felt responsible to endorse Yun’s music and ideals _ ``to use music as a weapon to promote peace.’’

Last October, he became the first South Korean to play the cello concerto with a North Korean ensemble in Pyongyang. ``It was extraordinary,’’ he said about the five-day trip. He had certain expectations about the level of artistry of North Koreans, but was impressed by their prolific musicality and deep understanding of Yun’s work. The young cellist became very attached to the orchestra’s principal violinist and cellist and also had the opportunity to meet Yun’s widow, I Soo-ja.

What lies next? Koh is wrapping up his last semester at the New England Conservatory and is applying for Ph.D programs in stem cell biology. This multitalented musician may seem like the quintessential overachiever in a state of limbo. But he is challenging the notion.

``In about 20 or so years from now, I’d like to imagine myself working in a lab, where the radio is playing a recent performance of mine,’’ he said, eyes brimming behind his glasses.

Director Yang Shares Life Story in `Breathless’

2009-04-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

One of the best movies of the year. And so far one of the most enjoyable personal encounters -- gotta love a guy who giggles like a girl while he speaks Nietzsche.

``Breathless'' director-producer-lead actor Yang Ik-june /Photo by Lee Hyo-won

``I also think it is a superb film,’’ director-actor Yang Ik-june told The Korea Times in an interview, Thursday, in Seoul, when this reporter complimented his multiple award-winning film ``Breathless.’’ ``Other directors are going to think I’m nauseating,’’ said the 33-year-old headline maker, exploding into another one of his distinct, high-pitched giggles.

While sporting the same short haircut and mustache, as well the Nike sneakers, from the film, Yang was nothing like the brooding, foul-mouthed thug he played. His feature directorial debut, ``Breathless,’’ has swept top awards at numerous film festivals, from Rotterdam to Las Palmas. Naturally, Yang had been giving non-stop interviews but he still beamed with energy at 8:30 p.m.

At the international events, he said he had fun being called ``_-nom (bastard)’’ _ a word that appears in almost every line of the movie _ by foreign cineastes and festivalgoers. In Deauville, France, ``Breathless’’ was never confused with the Jean-Luc Godard film of the same English title, and he even got to meet Pierre Rissient, who was the assistant director of the Nouvelle Vague masterpiece. He loved the movie and treated Yang to several meals.

Nevertheless, he seemed unperturbed by the sudden fame. ``The trophies look all the same,’’ he joked. He’s thankful and honored, but had experienced too many overwhelming emotions during the three years of making ``Breathless’’ to be besieged. Yang produced, directed and played the lead in the movie, and had to move three times to fund it. He casually mentioned that the numerous awards didn’t always include cash prizes. ``I mean, I need money to live,’’ chuckled Yang, who has been living in sunless subterranean flats with an annual income of less than 10 million won ($10,000) for almost a decade.

``You need to forget about (the fame and honor) in order to return to a normal life,’’ he said. ``A movie happens to get made when you’re just living life. It’s like you have to sleep with someone first in order to have a baby, without using contraceptives,’’ he grinned. ``If you keep thinking, `I want to make a movie, I want to act,’ then you just become enslaved by your intense desires. You have to live life.’’

What does he normally do? ``I just do normal things… I listen to music, go out and about town, meet friends, think about raunchy things, reflect on small moments of the day,’’ he said. ``It’s the small things in daily life that inspire me.’’

This attitude of being in touch with reality extends to the moviemaking process. As a director, he doesn’t ask anything of his actors. He allows them to color their characters with their own personalities, so their character becomes the actor rather than the other way around. Acting _ a word he said he hates but has no choice to use _ ``is something you can’t learn. I wanted my actors to pour their own life into the roles,’’ he said.

Portrait of a Family

``Breathless’’ is about a victim of domestic violence that grows up to become an aggressive brute, but rediscovers hope when he meets a girl. The movie features dark themes, but it is no Kim Ki-duk film and depicts a very human and warm portrait of the lowly life. It is a partly autobiographical story inspired by his family and friends in Namgok-dong, a poor town in Chungcheong Province.

Cinema, he said, was a form of self-expression. ``People think and feel things in a universal way, but at the same time, each person is so unique and special,’’ said Yang. ```Breathless’ is a story about Korea, a story about a family. People were able to relate because families are similar, although the degree of family problems vary of course.’’

He said the movie was like a ``diary’’ where he wrote everything he wanted to say all at once. ``It was an exorcism for me,’’ he said. Doesn’t he feel uncomfortable about revealing himself? ``No. It’s like being naked at a nude beach or sharing your worries with friends who can relate to you,’’ he said.

Yang’s friends and family are very proud, he said. On Friday evening, the director and the main cast members mingled with friends and fans as one-time waiters at a bar in Sinchon. A group of his closest friends spoke affectionately of Yang’s well-deserved success. While they were leading stable careers, Yang was always the broke artist. This was despite the fact that he came from one of the more prosperous families in town. ``His father runs a furniture store but he refused to succeed him. He wanted to be independent,’’ one friend, who asked not to be identified, told The Korea Times.

Actress Kim Kkobbi waits at a party celebrating the movie's release /Photo by Hyo-won Lee

The director has the amazing ability to make you feel at ease, as if you’re talking with your best friend over a drink even though we were drinking tea at a café. He would be serious one moment and goofy the next, but consistently surprised you with his unabashed honesty.

``I want to say `_ you’ to the world through my films,’’ he said. He also wants to show the male private parts onscreen someday. ``Koreans think it’s artistic when they see it in a foreign film, but here they censor it. We feel unstable in this world because we want things to be safe all the time, but we need to be courageous,’’ said the director, who respects cineastes like John Cameron Mitchell (``Shortbus’’). ``Sex is part of life,’’ he said.

The rising director said he wants to continue exploring life through movies. One project he has in mind is about children of the underworld, and he also wants to make love stories. Does he feel pressured about having set high standards for his future films? ``No, I’m just the human Yang Ik-june,’’ he said.

Yang was born in 1975 in Chungcheong Province. He studied acting at Kongju Communications Arts College and played minor roles in mainstream movies including ``Viva! Love.’’ He received awards and critical acclaim for the short films he starred in and directed such as ``Lovers.’’ ``Breathless’’ is his first feature film.

``Breathless’’ opens in theaters April 16. 130 minutes. 19 and over. Distributed by Jin Jin Pictures.

`X-Men’ Stars Visit Seoul

2009-04-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Actors Daniel Henney, left, and Hugh Jackman appear at a promotional event for ``X-Men Origins: Wolverine’’ at the Korea House, downtown Seoul, Friday. Jackman, a newly appointed goodwill ambassador to the South Korean capital, chose the venue himself. /Yonhap

``X-Men Origins: Wolverine’’ stars Hugh Jackman and Daniel Henney fueled up the already escalating temperature in Seoul, Friday, as they spoke to the South Korean press and fans, mixing in fluent Korean sentences.

Jackman hosted a special event featuring a 20-minute footage of the latest ``X-Men’’ franchise before its April release in Daehan Theater, Chungmuro. ``Anyeonghaseyo,’’ he greeted reporters, and continued impressively in Korean, ``Thank you for coming, I hope you enjoy `Wolverine.’ Seoul is awesome.’’

The media buzz continued at the Korea House next door, where Henney joined the Australian superstar for a press conference. Jackman, who was officially appointed as a goodwill ambassador for Seoul the same day, chose the traditional venue himself. The ``Australia’’ star said his father had worked in Korea for nearly 20 years, and was ``the greatest ambassador for Korea.

``When I first visited three years ago, I felt like I knew Korea very well,’’ he said, adding that he didn’t take back many souvenir gifts during his 2006 visit with ``X-Men: The Last Stand’’ because he already owned most of what a typical shop here had to offer. His father would bring home Korean gifts, and his sister would strut around the house in ``hanbok’’ (traditional dress). Jackman himself wore a Red Devils or South Korean football fan shirt. Australia and Korea were both led by Dutch coach Gus Hiddink, and the actor said Korea would be only non-Australian football team he’d cheer for.

``I understood what my father loved about the (Korea) people so much… You get a quick sense here of the hospitality, the generosity and the warmth,’’ he said. ``I was quite insistent that we came here (to promote `Wolverine’), not only because of Daniel… It’s a very special day for me,’’ he said. ``To do a film in Korea is something is I’d love to do some day, and my father would be on the set watching… He’d be the first to queue and buy a ticket.’’

Henney, on the other hand, made a counter-cultural route to fame. The Korean-American actor rose to stardom in Korea and other Asian countries through romantic TV roles, and received critical acclaim for the film ``My Father.’’ ``Wolverine’’ marks a homecoming debut for the Michigan native.

``I play the role of Agent Zero, a sniper. He’s not the usual gentle, romantic character I played and is very tough, cold-hearted and masculine,’’ the ``Samsooni’’ star said, speaking in fluent Korean. The 29-year-old continued in English, saying that his character, like Jackman’s description of Wolverine, ``has anger management issues.’’

Jackman introduced Wolverine as ``one of the first antiheros’’ in comic book history, and said he likes him because ``he does whatever he wants.’’ The prequel to the ``X-Men’’ franchise, the American government finds use of Wolverine’s innate superpowers and enhances them with groundbreaking medical technology. When they attempt to eradicate his memory and use him as a weapon, however, Wolverine violently resists, and other mutants including Agent Zero try to stop him.

On playing a villain in a major Hollywood picture, which is often the case for actors of a minority race, Henney said he was able to separate Agent Zero from other ``typical Asian’’ roles. He explained that is character was neither good nor bad, and like the other mutants, struggles within himself. Nevertheless, Henney said he faces limits due to language and looks in both Korea and the United States.

He wants to challenge himself here with more diverse roles, rather than playing another charming foreigner. ``I always consider myself a Korean actor,’’ said the former model in Korean, and hopes to return as often as possible for local TV or film projects. As for the racial climate in Hollywood, he was positive about how it was ``an interesting time for everyone.’’ ``It’s coming to a stop,’’ he said about such barriers, citing examples of the first black president Barack Obama and the non-mainstream film ``Slumdog Millionaire’’ fairing well in the market.

Henney said the casting process for ``Wolverine’’ was very rushed and he didn’t have much time to prepare. His nervousness disappeared instantly, however, once he started shooting. ``Acting with Hugh (Jackman) was a really an amazing experience,’’ he said. ``I learned a ton from him, in terms of acting and lifestyle too. This guy is the real deal,’’ he said, and turned to his co-star to say, ``I’m not trying to flatter you.’’

``He’s not only an amazing actor but an amazing stage performer and a gentleman,’’ said Henney. One of Jackman’s unique habits was to buy a lottery ticket for everyone on the set every Friday, he said. Another was eating constantly.

One reporter was curious how, at 40, Jackman sculpted muscles for the superhero role _ and in particular for a nude scene he pulled off himself (He threw the venue into a rumble of laughter when he said he had his private parts ``in a bag’’ _ literally; the editor had to cut scenes exposing his private areas and gave the clips to him in a bag).

The actor answered, ``hard training and Korean barbeque.’’ He wanted a ``lean, veiny, animalistic look’’ and, following the advice of a body builder, followed a high-protein diet where he consumed meats every three hours. ``I wasn’t joking about the Korean barbeque,’’ he said, explaining that he frequents a Korean restaurant in Soho, New York. ``Jjang-i-eyo,’’ he said, expressing his enthusiasm for the local dish.

Afterward, the two stars participated on a local variety show, where they ``dated’’ female celebrities, which is due to air on SBS, April 19. In the evening, Cheonggye Plaza in downtown Seoul exploded with thousands of fans that gathered for one of the largest ever red carpet events. Jackman and Henney greeted fans and took part of a hand printing ceremony.

Jeonju Fetes Decade of Promoting Indie Cinema

2009-04-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

In 2000, Jeonju, a small town in North Jeolla Province with a reputation for traditionally Korean things, became home to one of the country’s most future-thinking film festivals. Over the first decade of the new millennium, the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) has grown to become a major attraction for independent and art house cinema _ as ``the Locarno Film Festival of Asia.’’

JIFF celebrates its 10th birthday from April 30 to May 8 with a record lineup of 200 films from 42 countries. In addition to showcasing rare-to-see films from different corners of the world, various projects and events await festivalgoers for the special anniversary.

One of the JIFF’s unique features is that it commissions special films for the annual event, festival director Min Byung-lock told The Korea Times, Tuesday, in Seoul. This year, Korea’s Hong Sang-soo, Japan’s Naomi Kawase and the Philippines’ Lav Diaz take part in JIFF’s hallmark program, Jeonju Three Digital Shorts Project. Each year, the festival offers 50 million won to each of the three directors selected to produce a 30-minute work for the digital omnibus film.

``The Jeonju Three Digital Shorts Project has been like JIFF’s faithful child,’’ said Min. In 2007, the digital project won the Jury Award at Locarno. ``It was the first time an omnibus film ever won the prestigious prize, and the Jeonju Festival became internationally known because of it. We received positive feedback from foreign cineastes, who urged us to push on with this project which gives filmmakers an opportunity to experiment,’’ he said. For the festival’s anniversary, a special DVD set of all 27 shorts made over the years will be on sale.

This year’s event opens with another specially commissioned project, ``Short! Short! Short! 2009.’’ This omnibus film features works by 10 rising Korean directors. Choi Ik-hwan (``Life Is Cool’’), Kim Young-nam (``Don’t Look Back’’) and Yoon Seong-ho (``Milky Way Liberation Front’’) among others each contribute a 10-minute piece that offers creative social commentary.

In recent years, both omnibus projects have reached a wider audience as Three Digital Shorts was broadcast on cable TV in Korea and other Asian countries and ``Short! Short! Short!’’ was released online through the portal site Daum. This year however, the cable and Internet services won’t be available because both franchises will be released nationwide in theaters this fall.

The closing film is ``Machan,’’ directed by Uberto Pasolini, who co-produced ``The Full Monty’’ (1997). The neo-realistic comedy takes place in a slum town of Sri Lanka, where 23 people set out to become ``a national handball team’’ in order to secure visas to Europe.

Jeonju, Asia’s Locarno

JIFF has been committed to the discovery and promotion of new talent, and filmmakers are allowed to submit up to their second work for the competition sections.

``When I recently met the festival director of the Locarno Film Festival, he said our events are kindred spirits,’’ said Min about the prominent Italian event for independent cinema. Last year, the award-winning indie flick ``Daytime Drinking’’ premiered at JIFF and the Locarno programmer took notice and took it to Italy, where it won the top prize. >> Click here for more festival preview

Visit http://www.jiff.org/ for more information.

Yang’s `Breathless’ Is Breathtaking

2009-04-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Yang Ik-june directs, produces and plays the lead role in his feature film debut, ``Breathless.’’ The multiple award-winning family drama opens in theaters April 16. /Courtesy of Jin Jin Pictures

In an obscure alleyway at night, a man ruthlessly beats a woman. A shadowy figure emerges and intercepts the violent lover’s quarrel, but only to slap the victim repeatedly himself, reprimanding her for getting hit by her man.

Is he a hero or villain? It’s difficult to say. ``Breathless’’ explores the murky gray zone between compassion and cruelty, redemption and revenge, and the blessings and curses of family bonds. In a nutshell, it’s a family drama that’s inappropriate for children. While harrowingly violent, however, the multiple-award winning film by director-lead actor-producer Yang Ik-june seethes with warmth and humor.

The film is making headlines for entering almost 20 international film events and picking up top prizes, including, most recently, the SIGNIS Prize and the Audience Award, Wednesday, at the Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival. And the movie does not disappoint, and establishes Yang as a name to watch out for.

``Breathless’’ has captured the hearts of French audiences at Deauville _ even though they are more than familiar with the Jean-Luc Godard masterpiece of the same title (``A Bout de Souffle’’ in French). It features over two hours of the discomforting subject matter of domestic violence against a rundown neighborhood of Seoul, but the movie glimmers with life. One is drawn to the protagonist, Sang-hoon, whom Yang plays compellingly as the most endearing antihero since Kang Cheol-jung of the ``Public Enemy’’ series.

Sang-hoon is someone you don’t want to run into on the street. Wearing a frown and an old-fashioned collar shirt with a pair of Nike sneakers, he’s prone to mindless fits of violence, punching a passerby if he feels like it. He leads a dreary existence working for an enforcement mob run by an old friend, Man-sik (Joung Maan-sik). When he makes money he pours it away at a pachinko parlor. He’s probably the only Korean still using a beeper rather than a cell phone.

But just when the jerky, handheld camera establishes him as a despicable thug, you see him looking after his young nephew, though he is careful not to get too close with his half sister, and making sure he steers clear of young children when beating people up. His irate temper turns highly volatile at the sole mention of his father, and we learn that Sang-hoon is a victim of a violent family tragedy that took the life of his mother and sister. ``So, does serving 17 years undo the fact that he killed two people?’’ he asks, enraged with his father.

But the darkest hours always yield to light, and Yeon-hee enters his life like a ray of sunshine. Actress Kim Kkobbi plays the role of the cheeky high school student who doesn’t even wince at Sang-hoon’s intimidations. The big bad thug is fascinated by the little sharp-tongued girl who goes as far as treating him like her junior, saying ``So I’m a senior. Have you even been to school?’’ He’s at a loss for words.

Yeon-hee says that her family life is so peaceful that she needs to be diverted by a lowlife thug. But in reality, they are kindred spirits, as her tough demeanor was crafted over the years of dealing with her violent, mentally disturbed father and rebellious younger brother. Her mother lost her life in a skirmish with thugs, but she finds solace in the presence of such people in a vicious cycle.

The film depicts the human repulsion against violence but also the disturbing yet cathartic emotional release from submitting to it, and thus the human propensity toward it. But it ultimately traces the human need for hope and redemption.

As Yeon-hee starts warming up his stark existence, Sang-hoon slowly begins to emerge from the dark side. The two unlikely friends find a niche of happiness in babying Sang-hoon’s little nephew. Sang-hoo, however, has committed sins for which there is a heavy price to pay.

In theaters April 16. 130 minutes. 18 and over. Distributed by Jin Jin Pictures.

Liebreich Envisions Innovation for Tonyeong

2009-04-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

HOT German conductor Alexander Liebreich, 40, speaks to The Korea Times about his plans as the future director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF), which is held every year in the birthplace of the late Korean-German composer Isang Yun. /Awesome unpublished Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

It seems natural that the Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF) will be led by Alexander Liebreich, who is from the country where Isang Yun’s music is most popular, and has built a special bond with the two Koreas over the years.

Beginning in 2011, this young German conductor will assume artistic directorship of the event, held every year in the late Korean-German composer’s South Gyeongsang Province hometown.

``My relationship with Korea evolved in a very natural way, with natural chemistry,’’ the 40-year-old told The Korea Times in a recent interview in Seoul. In 2002, the conductor had the unique opportunity to tour both sides of the 38th Parallel, and became a guest professor in Pyongyang as part of a joint project by Seoul’s Goethe Institute and the German Academic Exchange Service.

``Germany has this history of a divided country, so it’s a natural thing to have a dialogue with Korea. It’s a cultural dialogue, not a political one,’’ he said. ``It was very, very pleasant to see that young (North) Koreans were very passionate about music and very curious, and I’ve been very fortunate to have contact with the students who are so hungry for new repertoires,’’ said the conductor, who was also able to meet Yun’s widow, I Soo-ja, during his post. ``I was lucky to be part of this cultural exchange,’’ he said.

``Both (North and South) Koreans are very passionate about music; I think it’s a very general Korean way of living. I noticed that many women on weekends go singing and dancing, it’s very unusual,’’ he smiled.

Last week, the Liebreich-led Munchener Kammerorchester (Munich Chamber Orchestra, or MKO) held the South Korean audience in rapt attention as it filled the hall with the discordant harmonies of Yun. In the latter half of the concert, one was reminded of a young Claudio Abbado, as the conductor rigorously led the group for a lively rendition of Haydn’s Symphony No. 45. There was also some good Simon Rattle-esque joie de vivre onstage, as the musicians left the stage one by one in the last movement, most appropriately for a symphony dubbed ``Farewell.’’

Liebreich may have been inspired by his elders, but he lived up to his reputation as one of the most exciting conductors of his generation, a rising maestro with his own color and style. This very program opened this year’s TIMF, which came to a close last Thursday, and the fine balance of modern music and standard classics seems to represent what one can expect in the days to come for the event.

Reviving Yun’s Spirit

For TIMF, Liebreich said he envisions ``innovative programming and building a bridge between East and West.’’ ``Because Tongyeong is the birthplace of Isang Yun, some people might expect us to perform just Isang Yun music but that’s not such a good idea,’’ he said. ``It should not be a gravestone. It should be in the spirit and ideal of Isang Yun, to search for new talent and compositions from the East and West.’’

It is thus important, he said, to feature commissioned works by contemporary composers, though in a good balance with a standard repertory like the works of Mozart _ ``it’s not a contemporary music festival but a living music festival,’’ he said. ``Programs should always have a contrast.’’

His tenure would be in time for TIMF’s 10th anniversary and major projects include forming a festival orchestra. TIMF would also be a playground for students who would be able to attend master classes led by prominent artists and other educational programs. This would require searching for new venues, and Liebreich sees much potential in the scenic seaside town.

The future director also hopes to involve artists from other fields. ``I’m a big fan of Kim Ki-duk movies and there are video artists, modern dancers,’’ he said. ``Isang Yun would want to mingle with other artists, like he did with (the late Korean video artist) Paik Nam-june.’’

It is difficult not to be charmed by the conductor, whose piercing blue eyes reflect a most palpable enthusiasm for Yun’s work.

Until recently, Yun (1917-1995) was disgraced in South Korea as an alleged communist spy. He was arrested but released following protests led by Herbert von Karajan and others, and spent the rest of his exiled life as a German citizen. The composer was a prominent intellectual figure in Europe and his works were recognized in Pyongyang before Seoul.

Liebreich said he is often asked whether North Koreans understand Yun’s music better than their Southern counterparts. ``For me, it’s very hard to answer that question. The other question might be, do perhaps Germans better understand his work than Koreans? I don’t know. Isang Yun is much more popular in Germany than in Korea, and he was a big intellectual figure in the 1960s and `70s,’’ he said.

``But in the end it all comes down to good music… Music speaks for itself, and in a concert it’s less important who the composer is. You hear it and you either like or not like it,’’ he said. ``Isang Yun was a global citizen,’’ he said about the composer who studied in Japan, France and Germany. ``There’s a German saying, `imagine there is war but nobody would take part.’ Isang Yun’s music is a big expression of humanitarian ideals,’’ he said.

Zo In-sung Joins Air Force

2009-04-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

A random thought: Mr. Zo as a Korean "Top Gun"? I've met him before in Pusan (PIFF, Busan) and he's so pretty. His skin was so translucent and pore-less. So jealous! (Yonhap Photo)

Actor Zo In-sung entered a training program Monday before joining the South Korean Air Force in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province.

The star of ``A Frozen Flower’’ appeared before the press sporting a short haircut and wearing black sportswear. Some 200 reporters and 300 fans, including over 100 Japanese women, crowded the venue.

``I’m not the only one entering the military, and so many fans have come to support me,’’ he said. ``I apologize for inconveniencing others by becoming a soldier. I’m actually feeling much more at ease now that military service has become a reality. I sincerely thank everyone who came today and I will come back after doing my best in the military’’

The 27-year-old entered a weeklong session, including physical exams, a personality test and other formal procedures. Afterward, he will participate in a five-week preliminary training program before entering the Air Force for a 25-month stint of service. South Korean men are obligated to complete a mandatory two-year period of military service before the age of 29.
The actor qualified for the Air Force last November as a soldier specializing in military music. Zo is said to have often expressed his wish to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was an Air Force officer.

Hugh Jackman to `Date’ Local Actresses in TV Show

2009-04-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

Hollywood screen star Hugh Jackman and Korean-American heartthrob Daniel Henney will appear in a local matchmaking TV program, organizers of the SBS show ``The Gold Miss Are Coming’’ said Monday. The two actors will be in town Thursday to promote the action film ``X-Men Origins: Wolverine’’ in time for its release April 30.

After appearing at a press conference Friday morning, they will meet actress Yang Jung-ah, 37, and the other members of ``Gold Miss,’’ a matchmaking program for eligible female celebrities. The group includes comedienne Shin Bong-seon and singer Jin Jae-young, among others. Two will have the opportunity to watch a movie with either Jackman or Henney.

The show will air on April 19.

Meanwhile, the ``X-Men’’ stars will meet Korean fans on Friday evening. A performance will begin 7:30 p.m. at Cheonggye Plaza, downtown Seoul, and the red carpet ceremony will take place at 8:30.

Jackman has appeared in the other three films of the ``X-Men’’ franchise, and the Australian actor visited Seoul in 2006 fall to promote ``X-Men: The Last Stand.’’ The superhero franchise marks Henney’s Hollywood debut. The model-turned-actor became popular here and in other Asian countries through TV soaps like ``My Lovely Sam-soon’’ (aka. My Name Is Sam-soon), and received critical acclaim for his role in the film ``My Father.’’

Kwun to Perform With Tokyo Met Symphony

2009-04-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

This young man is like the Big Bang, though his fame has yet to catch up with his towering talents like Sarah Chang here. He could probably make any instrument sound good, but omg his 1774 Guadagnini has that buttery goodness.

Japan’s renowned Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, led by maestro Kazuhiro Koizumi, returns to South Korea April 16. The last time they played here was 23 years ago, and coincidentally enough, it will feature a 23-year-old Korean violinist as soloist.

>>Post-concert comment: The orchestra was awesome. Maestro Koizumi gave flight to such frills-free, yet charismatic music. The audience responded with very little coughs in between movements and gave a standing ovation.

The concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts presents a program of Tchaikovsky, including Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 with Kwun Hyuk-joo, a Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory graduate praised for his ``quintessentially Russian’’ sound. Not surprisingly, it is the violin concerto he performed most frequentlyViolinist Kwun Hyuk-joo will appear as soloist in the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra's concert April 16 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul. /Courtesy of Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation onstage.

``But it’s different each time I play it and depends on the orchestra and conductor,’’ Kwun told The Korea Times, Tuesday, in Seoul, expressing enthusiasm about playing with a major Japanese orchestra for the first time.

The violin concerto seems to have a special place in his heart. ``When you watch a movie, sometimes you feel an emotional release in your heart that’s liberating, refreshing and beautiful. Russians are very free-spirited, relaxed and never rushed. I think among Russian violin concertos, and especially among Russian Romantic works, the Tchaikovsky piece expresses this characteristic of Russians well,’’ he said.

The virtuoso _ and one does not take the world lightly _ is regarded as ``a rising artist that will continue the Russian violin lineage carried on by Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan, Gidon Kramer and Vadim Repin.’’ Kwun was only 18 when he won the 2002 Yampolsky competition, receiving high praise from the elderly Russian maestro Tikhon Khrennikov.

``I feel extremely thankful,’’ he said about such compliments. ``But I myself am never satisfied with my playing. My teacher always told me, `the moment you’re satisfied, you’re doomed.’’’

Out of his tuxedo, Kwun looks nothing like the ``typical’’ classical musician, especially with a piercing in his right eyebrow. Contrary to his funky style and frank speech, however, he was extremely soft-spoken. While there was nothing wrong with his Korean, he spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. Having moved to the former Soviet State at age 10, he feels more comfortable with Russian. In addition to the language, Russian musicality seems to run in his veins.

He demonstrates lyricism, immaculate technique and powerful gusto _ characteristics that the aforementioned Russian master violinists share. And yet, it would be unfair to limit Kwun’s teeming musicality to the Russian repertoire. In recent years, he has showcased contemporary works with the Kumho Asiana Soloists and gave an exquisite rendition last February of Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 with the Seoul Philharmonic.

His repertoire covers all the standard violin pieces, from Paganini to Shostakovich, and keeps expanding as he explores contemporary works. Kwun has also won major international competitions, from the Queen Elisabeth to the Paganini, and has toured extensively in Europe, playing an exquisite 1774 Guadagnini. A young musician couldn’t ask for more.

The road leading to such accomplishments, however, was far from easy. His mother accompanied him to Russia but he was on his own to deal with various discriminations one is bound to face as a foreigner. ``When I look back to it now, I can smile. I used to be quite rebellious about it, but now I feel much more at ease,’’ he said.

Kwun added that he was fortunate to have great teachers like Kim Nam-yun and Eduard Grach. He has resumed his studies in Germany, and works toward his lifelong goal _ to perfect what he already knows, and to become his own teacher one day.

Also featured in the program are Tchaikovsky’s Polonaise from ``Eugene Onegin’’ and Symphony No. 5. Tickets cost from 25,000 won to 100,000 won. Call (02) 6303-7700.

See the World Through Women’s Eyes

2009-04-06T00:34:00.000-07:00

The world’s largest women’s film event kicks off Thursday, featuring over 100 films from 23 countries until April 16. The 11th edition of the International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul (IWFFIS) invites people of all ages and gender orientations to reexamine the world through female perspectives.

``Half-Life’’ (U.S.A.) will open the festival Thursday evening at Artreon in Sinchon, northern Seoul. Recently featured at the Sundance Film Festival, it is about a sister and brother’s reaction to their father’s desertion and the presence of their mother’s new, very young boyfriend. Asian American director Jennifer Phang will take part in the festival as a jury member in the competition section.

Moviegoers can also look forward to the world premiere of ``The Time of Our Lives,’’ which was made with funds from last year’s Documentary Ock Rang Film Award. This film documents the 14-day election campaign of Choi Hyun-sook, the first openly lesbian candidate who ran for the National Assembly.

There are films featuring youthful effeverence, such as ``The Cherry Road – Blossoming’’ (Japan) and ``Rain’’ (Bahamas), which was featured in the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. ``Rain's'' director, Maria Govan, will visit Korea for the occasion.

The festival also explores aging. One recommended piece is the documentary ``Maverick Mother’’ (Australia). Sick of waiting for the perfect partner, a 39-year-old filmmaker decides to become a single mom through artificial insemination. While waiting for the procedure, however, she becomes impregnated after dating a Swiss man. The director, Janet Merewether, will visit Seoul with her son.

Other special guests visiting from afar include Alison Reid, a Hollywood stuntwoman who directed ``The Baby Formula,’’ which will be screened in the Queer Rainbow section. The festival programmer recommends this ``funny, fake sci-fi documentary’’ about a lesbian couple that conceives their own biological child through groundbreaking scientific technology.

The winners of the Asian Short Film & Video Competition will close the festival. This year, more than 200 films from 12 countries were submitted and 18 finalists will compete. Among the contenders is a piece directed by Song Fang, the actress who starred opposite Juliette Binoche in Hou Hsiau-hsien’s ``The Red Balloon.’’

The festival also spotlights marginalized women. In addition to the film section Women’s Labor and Poverty, a forum on the subject will take place April 14 at Ewha Womans University. Another section, Media Workshop for Women Migrants, features eight pieces by foreign women living in Korea.

A day care center will be open for mothers throughout the festival. Visit http://www.wffis.or.kr/ (Korean and English) or call (02) 583-3098~9 for more information.

To learn more about the festiva, read my interview last year with the festival director Lee Hyae-kyoung.

Evgeny Kissin Dazzles Korean Fans

2009-04-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Evgeny Kissin said that performance is ``the gift to composers and all of humanity,’’ and this pianist is the gift that keeps on giving. In his Seoul recital, Thursday, the Russian sensation _ or revolution rather, to imply the historic dimension of his presence _ gave 10 encores and serviced fans with an autograph session that continued past midnight.

(Photos courtesy of Credia)

The pianist’s concert was an event people did not want to miss. The concert hall of Seoul Arts Center was fully packed well before the show began, with less than a handful of latecomers slipping in after his delightful rendition of select pieces from Prokofiev’s ``Romeo and Juliet.’’
Each time the tall figure emerged onstage the audience exploded into applause but would hush instantaneously when he sat down.

No one dared to cough between the movements of Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 8, and it was as if the members of the audience were turned into stone under the spell of Kissin’s magical pianism (OK this sounds so corny, but people, including myself, were so incredibly STILL). An occasional shifting in the seat would softly echo through the hall, and the musician’s deliberate but effortless notes hung suspended in the air, even after he took his fingers off the keys.

This genius, and one does not use this word lightly, has a way of holding you at the edge of the seat _ in the silence between the notes he holds your breath before poetry manifests itself in his rollicking, glistening phrasings. During concerts, this reporter is usually busy scribbling down notes, but throughout Kissin’s performances, she had to remember to breathe, quite literally. The audience had to try very hard not to clap after each etude as he proceeded immediately to the next one.

When the official program came to an end, the entire hall jumped into a standing ovation, and, a never before seen sight took place. People left their seats and crowded toward the stage, and organizers did not even attempt to intervene as a majority of the 2,500 people took out their cameras and cell phones to fill the hall with a tide of flashes. It must be noted here that the Korean audience is usually quite tame, and don’t try to breach regulations about taking photographs.

The cool hall became heated, quite literally, as fans cheered on for one encore after another. Kissin, looking a bit overwhelmed by the Korean audience _ whom he said is ``the most passionate of audiences, even more so than Italians’’ _ offered more Prokofiev and Chopin, and finally, a dazzling rendition of Mozart’s ``Turkish March.’’ He ended the 1 hour 20 minute encore by bowing gracefully with one hand on his heart _ a sign that the gift for the evening is over. Well, almost over.

A long serpentine line formed in the lobby for the autograph session, which lasted close to an hour until 12:30 a.m. A handful of people had to be turned away at the end, but most were seen jumping up and down in glee, having in possession a token of what would undoubtedly be the most talked-about classical event of the year.

Kissin performs less than 45 times a year, but he gives each session 300 percent, with the added bonus of, on average, 10 encores and a signing session. Chang Il-bum, music critic and radio DJ, has watched Kissin onstage over the years since the 37-year-old’s early days in Moscow. ``When I first saw him as a young man (in his 20s) in Moscow, I thought I’d seen it all, but each time I see him he sets new horizons. It’s difficult to imagine how he’d be like as a white-haired old man,’’ he told The Korea Times.

For the meantime one can only wait for the pianist’s return, and dream of what more he has to offer.

Evegny Kissin to Share Passion With Koreans

2009-04-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

I love my job.

"...the reasons for love should remain a thing of mystery," Kissin on music.

Evgeny Kissin has returned to South Korea. The tall, pale-faced figure emerged before the press Wednesday in Seoul, softening his intense air with a bright smile and, with that unmistakable mound of dark, untamed curls, looking almost anachronistic in the image-obsessed, Mozart-meets-MTV era. Like his otherworldly presence, he seems to carry on the world on his own pace.

The 37-year-old pianist took the world by storm as a child prodigy and has since been ranked alongside Rubinstein and other historic artists. International competitions, the usual rite of passage for musicians, were never necessary _ ``yes, I have never participated in a concours, so I don’t know anything about them and they don’t concern me,’’ he said in a matter of fact manner. The people who are unable to forget him as a 12-year-old braving Chopin concertos don’t bother him either. ``Even though the human life span has become longer in the 21st century, there has to be a problem if people regard a mid-30-year-old as a child prodigy,’’ he said, throwing the room into a rumble of laughter. ``People who remember me 25 years ago do not concern me. The idea of a child prodigy is neither good nor bad, and it is in fact natural for an artist to show talents at an early age,’’ he said.

In his youth, Kissin flirted with composing, but now he concentrates on playing while occasionally transcribing some pieces of music for the piano. He gives less than 45 performances a year because he needs rests in between, which is not surprising. But even during his break, Kissin spends six to seven hours in front of the piano daily -- musical genius doesn’t appear out of thin air. It’s been a quarter of a century since his debut but he finds that music becomes increasingly difficult. ``My ideals become higher everyday,’’ he said.

On stage, he is famous for giving encores, up to 16 in Naples. In 2006, the Russian finally made his long-awaited debut here, and made certain that it was unforgettable with an hour-long encore of some 10 songs. When ticket sales opened in January for his recital Thursday, tickets sold out in less than five hours. Kissin said he always has three to four encore pieces ready but plays off the top of his head if the concertgoers want more.

``Ever since performing in Korea for the first time three years ago, I’ve been saying that Koreans are the most heated and passionate of audiences, even more so than Italians. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s performance,’’ he said. Other things Korean that left an impression include performances by maestro Chung Myung-whun and Korean-Russian soprano Nelly Lee, and ``bibimbap’’ (Korean mixed vegetable rice). Like his long encores, he spoke to reporters about music at length, speaking with long pauses and choosing his words carefully in his native tongue.

For this young maestro, music is a subject of unconditional passion and mystery. He chose a repertoire of Chopin and Prokofiev for the recital here, simply choosing what he likes. Is this is a treat for his staunch fans?

``It is a tribute to the composers, and it is about sharing something I like with the audience. I feel thankful if the listener thinks it is a gift to them,’’ he said. He is, however, unwilling to give a reason for his favorites. ``I hope to never be able to answer that, and I wish all of humanity would never be able to either, because the reasons for love should remain a thing of mystery,’’ he said.

For his music, he said he is inspired by other art forms and life itself, and thinks a lot about the actual ballet while playing Prokofiev’s ``Romeo and Juliet,’’ which he offers Korean fans tonight. Someone who spends a great deal of time listening to recordings at home, Kissin prepares for concerts by listening to relevant albums by other artists. For Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 8, he strongly recommends the rendition by Elis Gilles, who premiered the very piece in 1944.

Kissin performs tonight at the concert hall of Seoul Arts Center. Call (02) 751-9606.

Park Chan-wook Explores Self, Dream in `Thirst’

2009-03-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

Seriously. I think Korean movie reporters are the luckiest people in the world. Everything's based in Seoul, so whenever a new movie is being released, we get to meet the director and main cast through a press conference, and then about three weeks before the release, watch the movie with them and ask questions afterward.

As for "Thirst," it's Park Chan-wook. Need I say more?

Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-vin and Park Chan-wook (Yonhap)

Recently, celebrated cineastes like director Lee Chang-dong (``Secret Sunshine’’) and top stars Jeon Do-yeon and Rain, among many others, were seen visiting the set of Park Chan-wook’s much talked-about feature, ``Thirst.’’ The film’s trailer was revealed for the first time before the press, Tuesday, in Seoul, before its release April 30.

It was indeed novel to see the all-too-familiar, yet distinctly foreign, theme of Universal Pictures opening the impressionable clip. ``Thirst’’ is the first South Korean film to be co-produced and distributed by a major Hollywood studio.

``I’m not so sure how it happened,’’ Park told the crowded press room regarding Korean giant CJ Entertainment’s partnership with Universal. In a video clip provided by organizers, Universal’s Focus Features CEO James Shamus said he was ``desperate to in some small way be part of this incredible filmmaking genius’ work.’’

``I don’t expect big results like grossing high in the American box office or winning an Academy nomination. I think this is the first endeavor for a Korean film to be treated seriously in the U.S. market,’’ said Park. ``But personally, I’ve always admired and was greatly inspired by the foreign movies that Focus Features distributed in Korea, and I wondered if one day my movies could be credited (by Universal). I feel extremely proud to see it’s been realized.’’

The Tinseltwon exposure, however, appears to be just an added bonus for Park. For the director, the priest-turned-murderous vampire story is a very personal project that he spent over a decade dreaming up.

While ``Thirst’’ makes a sharp turn away from his last film ``I Am a Cyborg but That’s OK,’’ it is nevertheless expected to showcase the hallmarks of Park-brand movies. It revisits violent themes explored in his ``Vengeance’’ trilogy and omnibus ``Three, Monster,’’ and like his other works, features well-known stars in improbable roles.

Award-winning actor Song Kang-ho (``Secret Sunshine’’) was cast as Sang-hyeong, a respected priest, who, after transfusing mysterious blood, turns into a ravenous vampire. He starts breaking the 10 Commandments as he lusts after human blood and covets his friend’s wife Tae-ju, played by rising starlet Kim Ok-vin (``Dasepo Naughty Girls’’). Tae-ju is a repressed housewife who awakens to her own desires upon meeting the vampire-priest, and uses her newly discovered femme fatale prowess to convince Sang-hyeong to kill her husband.

" Thirst (박쥐)"

Having grown up in a Catholic environment, Park said he had many opportunities to contemplate the celebrant identity. ``I wondered about the psychological anguish a (priest) would have to undergo if he is forced to commit murder and other sins. I then conceived of the vampire theme and then I integrated elements of an Emile Zola novel,’’ he said.

The two lead actors said the movie was basically a love story. Park agreed, saying ``The movie features many issues, such as the clashing of Eastern and Western cultures. But it boils down to being a story about the struggles of a man who meets the wrong woman.... This kind of personal approach made it easier to direct the movie.’’

The director said he was able to personally relate to the vampire-priest character. ``The priest character integrates much of my own personality, which is a first for my movies. His feeble and somewhat cowardly way of justifying himself and giving excuses for odd mishaps don’t feel like someone else’s story. It’s a very personal matter and I poured a lot of my heart into it,’’ he said. ``Also as a moviegoer myself, this is my kind of movie.’’

About assuming the atypical role, Song said ``I tried to express his character as humanly as possible.’’ Park praised Song’s immense talents and moreover, his ``almost offensive intellect’’ combined with a high capacity to concentrate. Song’s co-star Kim also gave her compliments, saying, ``I was able to feel in the flesh what a true actor is. He was perfect and left nothing out in each and every scene.’’

This is the third time Park teams up with Song, who is also a close drinking buddy. The director first told the lead actor about ``Thirst’’ and ``Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’’ while shooting their first project, ``Joint Security Area,’’ in 1999.

``When I first heard of `Thirst,’ I was doubtful whether or not such a creative, fantastic and artistic movie can be realized,’’ said Song. ``But Park has proved over the years with his movies that it is possible,’’ he said, adding how honored he was to be part of the project.

Meanwhile, the media spotlighted the casting of Kim by Park, who has worked with the country’s top actresses like Lee Young-ae and Kang Hye-jung. Song praised the actress’ incredible energy that kept him on guard, with competitive spirit, throughout the shoot. ``She has a certain uneasiness and edge to her character… People will wonder, wow was there such an actress in Korea? She has great potential,’’ said Park.

Maestro Paik, Rising Stars to Offer Four Piano Show

2009-03-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

Maestro Paik Kun-woo, second from left, will give a rare concert featuring four grand pianos in May with three next generation pianists Kim Jun-hee, left, Kim Tae-hyung, third from left, and Kim Sun-wook, right. /Courtesy of Credia

Following 2007’s historic marathon of Beethoven’s complete piano sonatas in a week, maestro pianist Paik Kun-woo brings another unique project _ featuring four grand pianos in concert with three of South Korea’s hottest young artists, Kim Sun-wook, Kim Tae-kyung and Kim Jun-hee.

The idea for a concert featuring pieces for eight hands was conceived a few years ago, Paik told reporters Monday in Seoul. ``During (Franz) Listz’s time, renowned pianists came together for a concert featuring multiple pianos. I wondered how it would be to do something similar here, today,’’ he said.

Paik and the three Kims will alternate the parts of first, second, third and fourth pianos for Milhaud’s ``Paris’’ Suite for Four Pianos and Wagner’s ``Overture zu Tannhauser’’ transcribed for eight hands. Also included are Ravel’s ``Bolero’’ transcribed for the four instruments and Rachmaninov’s ``Symphonic Dances,’’ Op. 45. ``The multiple pianos will create grand sounds, and harmonize and resound like the glimmerings of twilight,’’ said the maestro.

While the performance itself is a one of a kind event, however, the pianist noted the significance of playing with young artists. ``If I think about it, my senior Han Dong-il inspired me. When I was going through hard times and loneliness in a foreign place, he was always there for me,’’ said the 62-year-old, who, with the elder pianist Han, was one of the first Korean musicians to debut overseas.

``In the past, Korean musicians had to build their careers on their own, but young musicians these days are blessed with well-trained local teachers,’’ he said. `` I am very proud of this new generation.’’ Paik saw the three young pianists perform in Paris, where he is currently based. ``They are all extremely talented, and cherish one another very much,’’ he said.

The three Kims are friends from the Korean National University of Arts. All barely out of their teens, they are seen as representing the new generation of pure, ``domestically-bred’’ musicians who have championed international events without having studied in the West at a young age. All three agreed it was a great honor to play alongside the maestro, and that it would be ``fun’’ to mix chemistries. >>More

DreamWorks Sees 3D as Key for Future

2009-03-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

This is my second time interviewing Mr. Katzenberg (far right above). Like many geniuses, he's quick, brilliant and sligtly irritable because he's so smart. I mean, people around the world are asking him the same questions so it's totally understandable (but he was nicer this time; I asked him more creative ones). Anyway, I thank him for bringing Shrek, Poe and other great characters to life.

Animation maestro Jeffrey Katzenberg sees 3D animation as the key to the future. DreamWorks Animation presents ``Monster vs. Aliens,’’ which, shot entirely in 3D with a completely new technology, is its most ambitious project yet. This can be seen as something of a revolution in not just animation but in all of cinema history.

``The first two great revolutions in film were the introduction of sound and the introduction of color, and the introduction of 3D could be as impact-ful as those were,’’ the CEO of DreamWorks Animation said in an interview in Seoul, Thursday.

Five years in the making with $165 million, the ``very long, very expensive’’ franchise, said the 58-year-old, employed an entirely new technology called InTru3D. Specifically developed for ``Monsters vs. Aliens,’’ it combines DreamWorks’ authoring tools with the latest technology by partner company Intel.

The new tool solves problems posed by past 3D films. ``All of the elements that go into 3D today are so dramatically better than what existed even just a few years ago,’’ he said. Moviegoers must wear glasses, which are polarized and more comfortable than the old colored paper frames. A very powerful digital projector delivers precise images, that ``aren’t blurry, don’t give eyestrain, don’t give you a headache. We are in absolute perfect control of 3D,’’ he said.

This certainly makes a mark in modern day cinema culture, as it provides a one of a kind, theater-only experience. ``Monsters vs. Aliens’’ in 3D cannot be replicated at home _ kissing goodbye to pirated DVDs.

Meanwhile, InTru3D required artists to ``learn a new language,’’ said Katzenberg. He compared the experience to Anglophones having to learn and work in Korean overnight. ``They have to think in 3D now. They have to think about the dimensionality and how the filmmakers will ultimately translate that onscreen,’’ he said, further explaining that artists have to conceive characters differently, such as moving through a 3D room. Though initially a little scared, he said, ``our artists have loved it and have been excited from day one.

``Yes,’’ all future projects will be created in 3D, he said definitively. This comes in spite of technical barriers, that most theaters are not equipped with digital projectors. Providing glasses to moviegoers will also be costly. ``This is just the beginning. I think that there are twice as many theaters (for 3D films) today than there were a year ago. Next year there will be three times as many as today. I think there is a great future. Rome was not built in a day,’’ he said.

``Monster vs. Aliens’’ features retro themes _ quite ironically rendered with the latest modern technology _ ``a happy accident’’ according to Katzenberg. It pays tribute to B-movies of the 1950s and ‘60s and even makes a paraody of ``ET’’ as it tells the story of a young woman who, on her wedding day, is hit by extraterrestrial gunk and explodes into a 49 feet 11 inch-tall giant (1958’s ``Attack of the 50 Foot Woman,’’ anyone?). She’s immediately captured by the military and is detained along with other strange creatures. When aliens attack Earth, however, this ragtag group of monsters becomes mankind’s only hope.

Korean screen beauty Han Ye-seul provides the voice for the main character, which was originally dubbed by Reese Witherspoon. ``She (Han) is a very talented actress and has a very beautiful melody to her voice, which is a very good match for her character. And I think she did a really great job,’’ said Katzenberg.

Dreamworks’ previous franchises such as the ``Shrek’’ trilogy and ``Kung Fu Panda’’ have scored well at the local box office. ``In the field of feature animation, DreamWorks has become the most successful and biggest studio in the world,’’ he said. In the past five years, DreamWorks and Disney/Pixar have both created and released 10 films, grossing $4.8 billion and $3.2 billion worldwide, respectively.

``So we’re 50 percent bigger on a worldwide basis. You know, I’m proud of that. I think that’s a great accomplishment. Of course they and others like Blue Sky make great movies,’’ said the former Disney studio chairman.

When asked about the company’s secret to success, he said, simply, ``good storytelling. I think that’s the most important thing.’’

``Monster vs. Aliens’’ is due in theaters April 23. Polarized glasses will be available in theaters.

Take a Bite of the Big Apple

2009-03-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

Photos by Lee Hyo-won, except for green apple, below (Korea Times File)

NEW YORK - The Big Apple continues to symbolize the great American melting pot, and a culinary adventure to savor all of New York City’s dizzying food culture is not only ambitious but almost impossible in a limited amount of time, especially since chic restaurants and eateries seem to mushroom here continuously.

There are countless ``it’’ bars and brunch places that have international audiences smacking their chops while watching ``Sex and the City.’’ In the jungle of luminous skyscrapers, yellow cabs and poker-faced pedestrians, there is, without fail, a hotdog or pretzel stand in every corner. Then there’s Little Italy, dotted with pizzerias; Chinatown, teeming with dimsum places; and Koreatown, lined with round-the-clock ``galbijip.’’

Still, there’s nothing like cuisine that embodies the soul of a culture and a people, and one can only attempt to take a big bite of the Big Apple. The following is a very modest -- and very subjective -- list of low- to mid-budget treats the city has to offer. But what is certain is that this reporter finds herself going back to them time after time.

NY Exotica

Forget the hotdogs and the pretzels. The best street food -- and tastiest halal dish -- in the city can be found at the corner of 53rd Street and 6th Avenue. The modest truck is hard to miss, considering how a long line of hungry pedestrians can be spotted even in the wee hours around 4 a.m. For $6, you get a plate full of scrumptious lamb and chicken (you can choose either or both), rice and pita bread. Don’t forget to smother it with the white sauce, bottles of which can be found next to the truck. But the red chili sauce should be handled with care, because it will burn you.

Quintessential New York cuisine _ an eclectic mix of Spanish, Chinese-American and Kalyustan flavors, among other influences _ comes in tasting portions at Alta (slightly hidden on the south side of 10th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues). Chef Harrison Mosher offers small, fun dishes like ``Brussels Sprouts’’ with Fuji apples, crème fraiche and pistachio nuts or Moroccan Bistilla of chicken confit, creamy eggs, and scallion with harissa mayonnaise. The restaurant features small rooms with orange-colored walls and heavy wooden furniture, providing a cozy, intimate dining experience _ particularly since you’ll have to lean over the table with your company to taste the small yet satisfying portions. Call (212) 505-7777.

Prince & Pauper

Caviar for breakfast? ``Sex and the City’’ fans will be familiar with Norma’s, the chic brunch place found on the ground floor of Le Parker Meridian Hotel (West 57th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues). Don’t worry if $1,000 is too much for breakfast (appropriately named the Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata), because Norma’s other meals are under $30. Try their lovely eggs Benedict and fluffy blueberry pancakes. Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. everyday. Call (212) 708-7360.

Le Parker Meridian, however, is also home to the city’s secret obsession, the Burger Joint. Literally a hole in the wall, it is tucked away next to the front desk, with only a mini neon hamburger sign announcing its presence. After entering the posh marble-floored hotel lobby, you’ll be surprised to walk into the down-to-earth diner, where names are scribbled on poster-covered walls. You can order your hamburger ($7) at different levels of ``doneness’’ (rare, medium or well done) and choose the dressing (tomatoes, onion, etc). You can taste the smoky flame flavor from the charcoal grill. Cheeseburgers ($7.50) include two types of cheddar for special effect. Complete the experience with greasy fries ($3.50) and a cup of milkshake (vanilla or strawberry, $5) or beer. Call (212) 708-7417.

Art & Food

Gustav Klimt and Vienna coffee are a couple of Austria’s hottest assets, and you can get both at the Neue Gallerie (corner of 86th Street and 5th Avenue). This gallery is home to the painter’s gold-encrusted masterpiece ``Adele Bloch-Bauer I’’ among other works. Café Sabarsky on the ground floor features tasteful food and period objects. Sit at the classic wooden table below the beautiful lighting fixtures and savor Vienna coffee, desserts and sausages by chef Kurt Gutenbrunner. Closed on Tuesdays. Call (212) 288-0665.

After gallery hopping around Chelsea, swing by the meatpacking district’s never disappointing Balthazar. The onion soup gratinee ($10.50) is a steady pleaser, and other standard French bistro dishes such as moules frites (oysters with French fries, $20), steak frites with Béarnaise sauce ($29.50) and duck confit ($21) are delectable. Call (212) 343-1274.

Eastern Inspiration

You don’t need to be in Koreatown (West 32nd Street) for tasty ``bibimbap’’ (Korean mixed vegetable rice) and charcoal barbeque. Gyu-Kaku, a fashionable Japanese eatery in mid-town (East 50th Street and 3rd Avenue), offers Japanese-style ``galbi’’ (Korean barbeque) and kimchi bibimbap, which the server mixes for you. Call (212) 702-8816.

In the East Village, David Chang’s much talked about Momofuku Ssam Bar (corner of 13th street and 2nd Avenue) offers modern, upscale spin-offs of traditional Asian cuisine. The dishes, such as kimchi Fuji apple salad, boast creative presentation and delightful taste, but are rather tiny. This would be a better place to enjoy ``sake’’ (Japanese rice wine) and fun foods after a light dinner. Call (212) 254-3500. Another great place to hang out is the Bryant Park Grill. On a summer afternoon you can sip ice tea in view of the green park, while on a calm autumn evening you can sip cocktails at the romantically lit bar. Call (212) 840-6500.

Sweet Tooth

A meal is never complete without a dessert. Cupcakes are all the rage in Korea, and a New York trip is never complete without a mouthwatering visit to Magnolia Bakery (three shops found, one in the downtown area, the second near Rockefeller Center and a third one uptown). The sugary Red Velvet, served with traditional whipped vanilla icing, is a must ($3). Visit www.magnoliacupcakes.com.

A more formal venue for dessert is the ``Sex and the City'' favorite Payard's (Lexington Avenue, between 73rd and 74th Streets). The bistro-patisserie offers a mean onion soup gratinee that's topped with a generous amount of Gruyere cheese ($10), but the true highlight is the dessert menu. The cakes, such as the warm chocolate toffee cake with marshmallows, are to die for, even though they're a little pricey ($13). Call (212) 717-5252.

Another great place is Café Lalo (West 83rd Street, between Amsterdam and Broadway). While overrun by tourists, this charming French café fails to displease with its juicy berry pies, Belgian waffles and espresso. Breakfast sets range from $4.50 (Paris style croissant and coffee) to $18 (large Jewish lake sturgeon with salad, bagel and drink). Call (212) 496-6031.

On the Go

If you’re craving fresh crème brulee on the go, and happen to be in Greenwich Village, stop by the Dessert Truck (8th Street and University Place). The truck offers chocolate bread pudding, molten chocolate cake and more at reasonable prices. The slow-baked apples and cinnamon features a light, buttery pastry with caramelized baked apple and a heap of cinnamon, tart cranberries and streusel topped with light whipped cream _ ``it’s like autumn in a cup’’ as one fan said.

Whether you’re in a hurry or want to enjoy a nice sandwich in a cozy place, Le Pain Quotidien is the place to be. It’s a bakery with a large, wooden communal table in the middle, where you can munch away soups, tartines and baguette sandwiches. The chain shop can be spotted all over town. Visit http://www.lepainquotidien.com/.

Last but not least, you cannot leave New York without tasting New York-style pizza. Lombardi’s in Little Italy is more than famous, but Two Boots can be a fine alternative to busy people. The kitsch retro diner features a pair of boots by the window and pizzas with strange names inspired by celebrities, movie characters, etc. Toppings are fresh, diverse and generously served on your choice of crust (Sicilian or whole wheat). Visit http://www.twoboots.com/. You can order deliveries by phone or online.

`Private Eye’ Signals New Detective Genre

2009-03-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

"Private Eye" (그림자 살인 Geurimja Sarin)
Directed by Park Dae-min (박대민)
Starring Hwang Jung-min (황정민), Ryu Duk-hwan (류덕환)

Debutant director Park Dae-min brings a delicious mix of drama, comedy and adventure in ``Private Eye,’’ which, moreover, paints rosy prospects for South Korean cinema as it signals the potential of homegrown detective films.

Set against the Japanese colonial period (1910-45), the movie invites viewers to hop on coolie-drawn carts and join an accidental Sherlock Holmes (Hwang Jung-min) in tracking down a serial killer on the loose.

If 2007’s ``Shadows in the Palace’’ hinted at the possibility for an Agatha Christie-style suspense, ``Private Eye’’ promises something more solid, and perhaps even a serial franchise. It keeps things smart and intriguing rather than mind boggling or cryptic, and leads the audience half a step ahead in the cat and mouse game. The movie also manages to be entertaining without being too light as it gives birth to a detective with character.

Hwang plays Hong Jin-ho, one of those amiable rude people, whose successful survival is more a factor of luck than skill. He’s nevertheless a detective who is well equipped for the job, with his sixth sense for investigation _ but he keeps far away from dangerous cases that might spoil his hand-pressed suit and white hat. Instead, he pockets money by catching cheating housewives and other small matters that decorate tabloids _ in order to manifest the great American Dream in a country with a larger population and thus more adulterers and more income.

The ``Happiness’’ star brings yet another unforgettable character, and the film actually allows the actor’s immense talents to fully sparkle _ as if to make up for how ``A Man Who Was Superman’s’’ narrative flaws eclipsed the endearing persona Hwang pulled off, and how the suspense factor got lost in the gooey gore of ``Black House.’’

Rising actor Ryu Deok-hwan (``Our Town’’) melts into his role, somewhat reminding you of a young Park Hae-il, as Jin-ho’s unlikely sidekick Gwang-soo. The enthusiastic medical intern finds an abandoned corpse in the woods that would be perfect for dissecting, but his lucky day turns into a nightmare when the dead man turns out to be the missing son of a powerful politician.

Afraid of being accused of murder, Gwang-soo seeks the help of Jin-ho. Our dandy personal investigator refuses, naturally, but is eventually won over by the hefty cash reward. The two are forced to team up and solve the puzzle with a couple of clues found at the murder site, a small pack of white powder and a mysterious Japanese ``karakuri’’ doll.

As the two explore odd corners of old Seoul, the viewer is taken from secret drug rings to exotic Joseon-era circus shows during a time when slaves cost less than cattle. The artist of last year’s hit ``The Good, the Bad, the Weird’’ provides exquisite period details.

Despite their initial bickering, intuitive Jin-ho and brainy Gwang-soo become a productive pair. Meanwhile, Um Ji-won makes a small but memorable appearance as Sun-deok, a quiet noblewoman by day and quirky inventor by night who provides C.S.I.-worthy tips and nifty gadgets for the case.

Shortly thereafter, another important social figure is killed and discarded in the same manner. Here, the movie lets the viewer know whodunit, and the task at hand is to figure out the tantalizing why bit. The police, led by ambitious social climber Young-dal (played by yet another talented actor, Oh Dal-su), are eager to close the case by framing an innocent man. Jin-ho and Gwang-soo, however, discover crucial evidence that leads to astonishing secrets.

English subtitles will be available at CINUS Myeongdong and Gangnam. The movie will be released nationwide April 2. 15 and over. Distributed by CJ Entertainment.

Luxurious Korean Beef Dishes at Hanok

2009-03-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

청담동 고기집 '하녹'

The typical ``gogijip,’’ or Korean barbeque restaurant, is a large, open, loud and smoky hall lined with long tables, where big groups of families or corporate workers sit on the ``maru’’ (floor) and enjoy charcoal grilled meat with rice, side dishes and various stews and noodles.

"Yukhoe bibimbap (육회 비빔밥)"
Korean mixed vegetable rice with beef tartare
/Photo by Lee Hyo-won

Hanok, in Cheongdam-dong, is a refined and elegant spin-off of the average Joe’s gogijip. Here, down to earth Korean dishes are upgraded _ in both price and quality.

The owner used to run the fashionable Italian restaurant Il Mare, and Hanok, in tune with the upscale neighborhood, features a chic, simple décor with sleek, modern furniture and traditional lattice windows _ most appropriate for a place with a name homonymous with the Korean word for traditional house.

Along with regular tables and chairs, it features an elevated maru where diners can be seated, shoes off. Unlike most family restaurants, this place features a concaved space beneath the tables for the legs, allowing comfortable seating for skirted women and those unused to sitting in the traditional style.

The menu includes various meat dishes, from barbeques and grills to ``naengmyeon’’ (cold buckwheat noodles) and stews. At an open kitchen counter, chefs can be seen mincing the meat, all guaranteed to be ``hanwu’’ (native Korean cattle) beef and of A to triple A quality. The price is naturally rather high.

Various types of ``bulgogi’’ (marinated beef) and ``galbi’’ (beef barbeque) cost between 23,000 won and 46,000 won per serving. ``Chadolbagi’’ (beef brisket) costs 35,000 won, and ``deungsim’’ (grilled beef sirloin) costs up to 63,000 won per serving. The meats are prepared raw and cooked on the spot over a tabletop griller, just as at any other gogijip.

You can order wine or traditional drinks from the adequate wine menu, featuring bottles that cost between 40,000 won and 230,000 won. A 10 percent tax is included.

"Chadol doenjangjjigae (차돌 된장찌개)"
Soy bean paste stew with beef brisket
Photo by Lee Hyo-won

Epicurean bloggers love the ``fresh meats’’ but if you’re not looking for a big barbeque meal, the a la carte menu, featuring popular Korean dishes, will be more than satisfying. We ordered two must-haves, ``yukhoe bibimbap’’ (mixed vegetable rice with beef tartare, 11,000 won) and ``chadol doenjangjjigae’’ (soy bean paste stew with beef brisket, 11,000 won).

The two meals were served with several side dishes, each one very delicate and savory. The bibimbap came in a large clay bowl filled with carefully prepared greens. The steamed rice and raw beef came separately, as did the red pepper paste. A small pot of doenjangjjigae accompanied the dish.

After adding the meat, rice and pepper paste, you can mix it all up _ using chopsticks rather than your spoon so as not to crush the fresh ingredients. The chilled meat tasted fresh, chewy and juicy, like finely prepared tuna belly sashimi. The red pepper paste had a mild consistency and spiciness that anyone, even those with delicate palates, can consume without worrying too much. While the yukhoe dish is highly recommended, those who aren’t fans of raw meat can order regular bibimbap (8,000 won).

The chadol doenjangjjigae was absolutely delightful. With the addition of thin, fatty strips of beef brisket, the typical clam-flavored stew tasted rich and super savory, dripping with protein in every spoonful. It was served with a bowl of rice. Other stews offered at Hanok are regular doenjangjjigae, kimchi ``jjigae’’ (stew) with pork and ``galbitang’’ (beef rib soup), which are priced between 7,000 won and 16,000 won.

Hanok is located behind the main strip of Cheongdamg-dong, which is lined with fashion boutiques. The closest subway stations are Apgujeong on line 3 and Cheongdam on line 7. To get there, go up the alley next to the Prada flagship store and make a left. You can easily find a black sign with white letters in English. Open everyday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a break between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. Call (02) 3445-7857.

`Traditional Hanok Villages'

2009-03-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

"The Spirit of Korean Cultural Roots 25: Traditional Hanok Villages"
by Oh Hong-seok
Ewha Womans University Press: 172 pp., 15,000 won

This comprehensive book presents different types of housings and buildings and their functions and characteristics within the context of the community. While detailed and full of colorful photographs, and covering a wide timeline across different Korean dynasties, the book is very compact.

The book begins by examining the development and decline of old capitals and goes on to introduce specialized villages such as the detached palace or regional fortress villages, those around shrines, mountains and seaside, and villages inhabited by scholars and grave keepers. The function and role of each are described.

The author shows that the tradition of a village is sustained in harmony with historical development but in other cases it changes and disappears. With the introduction of Western culture and belief in its superiority, rapid modernization took place, accelerating the decline of the traditional Korean village.

Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi's `Paper Handcuff Fame'

2009-03-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Leon Lai doesn't age, like a Stephenie Meyer vampire (or perhaps the art of science? A state of mind? It's amazing, whatever it is). Ms. Zhang was really adorable. I loved her little outfit, complete with T-strap patent leather shoes.

Leon Lai (여명), Chen Kaige (첸카이거) and Zhang Ziyi (장쯔이) /Yonhap

Chinese superstars Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi can relate strongly with their ``Forever Enthralled’’ characters, legendary Beijing opera singers who were constantly trailed by camera-totting reporters.

``Thank you for all the camera flashes,’’ Lai told reporters at the Korean premiere for the Chen Kaige film, Tuesday, in Seoul. The period drama awaits nationwide release here, April 9, after topping the Chinese box office and circuiting the Berlin International Film Festival. Despite the mounting irritation among press members over the event’s delay, camera flashes did not cease as photographers tried to capture every gesture of the lead actors when they finally emerged.

``The camera flashes conjure up fond memories from the film shoot. Back in the days (of the film’s early 20th-century setting), reporters had cameras that took a long time to flash. There are generational differences, but some things remain the same,’’ he said, smiling. In the 1990s, the actor broke women’s hearts in romances like ``Tian Mi Mi (Comrades: Almost a Love Story),’’ and at 42, he looked as young as ever in his gray jacket and jeans.

In ``Forever Enthralled,’’ Lai plays Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), who is still remembered as ``the emperor of Beijing opera’’ for his roles as women more beautiful than women. The film features a peculiar scene where a disgraced actor is forced to parade around wearing paper handcuffs _ ``It’s a manifest metaphor for the dispossession of personal freedom that often accompanies stardom,’’ explained director Chen.

The movie’s lead actor, when asked if he could relate to such paper handcuffs, said, ``Zhang Ziyi is certainly wearing paper handcuffs these days, perhaps with some photographs taken at the beach.’’ The rest of the room, including Zhang, exploded with laughter at the upfront mention of the so-called Internet ``sex photo gate’’ stirred by the ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’’ star’s public display of affection with fiancé Vivi Nevo.

``My privacy was invaded recently as well, when the paparazzi took pictures of my home through a window with drawn curtains. But what can you do? I try to be pleasant about it,’’ he said. Zhang, who kept her composure while appearing chic in a jacket and mini skirt, provided no further comment. Despite the inconveniences of his celebrity status, however, Lai said if he had to choose between love and career like his character, he would choose the latter.

Art of Opera

For director Chen, who grew up watching the actual Mei Fanlang perform in his father’s theater, the biographical film bears the fruits of his lifelong dedication to capturing opera onscreen. In his 1993 classic ``Farewell My Concubine,’’ Leslie Cheung immortalized a character crafted after Mei. Regarding the inevitable comparison with the late actor in playing Mei, however, Lai said he felt ``no pressure at all.” He added, ``Leslie Cheung is a senior actor whom I deeply love and respect, and I played no part to inspire such comparisons with him.’’

The director agreed, saying that ``Farewell My Concubine’’ is ``a very different piece.’’ ``If Dieyi (Cheung’s character) was like fire, then Mei (played by Lai) is like water that trickles into any form, to play any character. He is a personification of the Asian spirit,’’ he said.

Zhang, who plays the role of a singer impersonating male characters onstage, said she had to undergo intense training to master the subtle dance movements and quivering vocals of opera. The filming itself took over seven months, the longest ever period for a Chinese language film. Both actors do all the singing and dancing.

The movie touches hearts as the two sacrifice their love for the stage; but those who expect a sensual beau-monde China romance like ``In the Mood for Love’’ may be disappointed by the platonic affair. It is nevertheless engrossing as actor Sun Honglei, a household name in China, heightens the dramatic tension as Mei’s obsessive manager who is ready to sell his soul for the singer.

The transporting experience of the film is made complete by the refined period details and an otherworldly exoticism and sexuality, where men play graceful heroines and women, masculine heroes, and powerful middle-aged men exploit the beauty of pretty boy opera singers.
But the film also seethes with laughter and life. ``My character is a novel and bright personality, like sunshine,’’ said Zhang. In one scene the svelte, feminine actress sings with a low, bellowing voice _ without warrior costumes and a beard _ opposite Lai, who plays a blushing maiden in a fine linen suit and neatly cropped hair.

In theaters April 9. 118 minutes. 12 and over. Distributed by SK Telecom.

Sarah Brightman 'Symphony: Live in Vienna'

2009-03-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

Sarah Brightman
`Symphony: Live in Vienna’
EMI

Sarah Brightman’s unforgettable ``Symphony’’ tour came to an end in Korea, Friday, but fans can review the spectacle in the specially released album featuring the CD and DVD of her Vienna performance.

It features powerful rock-inspired tracks such as ``Fleur du Mal’’ from the album ``Symphony’’ as well as signature songs ``The Phantom of the Opera’’ duet, with Chris Thompson, and ``Time to Say Goodbye.’’ Also included are passionate duets with Alessandro Safina.

The DVD captures the fantastic stage sets that dazzled concertgoers. Her studio recordings are top notch, but the queen of popera sparkles with that special something in the live performances.

Korean Films to Return, Compete in April

2009-03-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

South Korean cinema offers only a handful of releases this month, but a big lineup of homegrown films awaits moviegoers in April.

Some 10 domestic titles are slated for release next month, of which a majority are mainstream franchises that will play in theaters nationwide.

Leading the pack is ``Private Eye (그림자 살인),’’ coming to screens April 2, starring Hwang Jung-min as a private detective and Ryu Deok-hwan as a young medical trainee who try to solve a serial murder case during the Japanese colonial era (1910-45). A special preview of the film with English subtitles is taking place at 7 p.m. tonight at CINUS Myeongdong Theater. The subtitled film will be available on the official release date at the venue, as well as CINUS Gangnam.

"Urijibe Wae Watni"
(Why Did You Come to My House; 우리집에 왜 왔니)

A week later, Gang Hye-jung, the charming heroine of ``Welcome to Dongmakgol,’’ will return to the big screen opposite Park Heui-soon (``Seven Days’’) in ``Urijibe Wae Watni (Why Did You Come to My House?),” a quirky tale about a bizarre young woman who interrupts the suicide attempt of a frustrated man.

``Breathless (똥파리),’’ which recently made headlines by winning a series of awards at European festivals, will be released April 16. It’s expected to continue the renaissance of independent cinema here, following the hit movie ``Old Partner.’’

On April 23, Kim Ha-neul and Kang Ji-hwan will star as secret agents tangled up in a comical love affair in ``My Girlfriend Isn’t an Agent’’ (working title; 7급 공무원).

"Thirst" (박쥐)

April 30 will have a big showdown for Korean films, with the simultaneous release of celebrated director Park Chan-wook’s provocative vampire story ``Thirst,’’ starring award-winning actor Song Kang-ho and starlet Kim Ok-vin; ``Insadong Scandal’’ (working title), a conspiracy story involving the local art scene with heartthrob Kim Rae-won and sex symbol Uhm Jung-hwa; and ``Gimssipyoryugi (Adventures of Mr. Kim; 김씨표류기),’’ a comedy in which an unlikely pair, Chung Yeo-won and Jung Jae-young, end up stranded on a desert island.

All three franchises feature big stars and unique storylines and are backed by some of the country’s major producers and distributors. Several other indie flicks also await release in select theaters.

The mass release of Korean films in April can be seen as a result of avoiding the months of March, which is usually a slack time for cinema, and May and June, when Hollywood blockbusters start rolling in.

"Insadong Scandal (인사동 스캔들)" (working title)

But the high competition, with additional rivalry from highly anticipated foreign films due in April, is not always in the best interest of local ticket sales, according to some film marketers. In February, three homegrown thrillers, ``Marine Boy,’’ ``The Scam (작전)’’ and ``Handphone’’ were released at one-week intervals, and while each received positive feedback, ticket sales were split among the three and none marked a big hit.

``The lineup of foreign films waiting to be shown in April is pretty tough, and it’s a big worry that all these Korean movies will be released around the same time,’’ said one marketer for a domestic film awaiting release next month.

SAC Hosts Orchestra Festival Throughout April

2009-03-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

Classical music aficionados may be disappointed by the cancellation of tours by many foreign orchestras, but performances by domestic troupes will be in full swing throughout April with the Seoul Arts Center’s annual Orchestra Festival featuring 17 top Korean ensembles.

Violinist Stefan Jackiw
/Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center

The 2009 program will take place April 3-21, beginning with the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra. The opening night will feature violinist Stefan Jackiw, a noted Korean-American artist who is known here as a member of the popular chamber group Ditto and as the grandson of the famed writer Pi Cheon-deuk. The 17-day relay concert will continue with performances by a different orchestra each day.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event, which began in 1989 with the opening of the center’s Concert Hall. It has developed into a major music festival that gathers top national artists in one place.

Expectations for the event are high, as top musicians will appear as soloists for concertos ranging from Brahms to Beethoven and Berlioz. Future leaders of classical music will participate, including up-and-coming pianist Kim Tae-hyung (Daejeon Philharmonic, April 4); cellist Koh Bong-ihn (Jeonju Philharmonic, April 5), who is balancing a medical career at Harvard with playing alongside artists like Yo Yo Ma; and Lim Dong-min, who is a star pianist here along with his brother Dong-hyek (Suwon Philharmonic, April 17).

Conductor Yeo Ja-kyung
/Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center

Also notable is that a prominent female conductor, Yeo Ja-kyung, has been invited to lead the KBS Symphony Orchestra, April 16, which is a first for the event. Other maestros such as Kim Hong-je (Ulsan Philharmonic, April 8), Jesus Amigo (Gyeonggi Philharmoinc, April 11) and Baldur Bronnimann (Seoul Philharmonic, April 13), will take the baton. Child-prodigy-turned-maestro pianist Ian Yung-wook Yoo will close the festival with the Busan Philharmonic, led by Alexander Anissimov, April 21.

For the first decade, the event helped to promote the growth of classical music in Korea, and the last decade was devoted to enhancing the performance level of individual musicians. In doing so, new talents across the country were discovered and these musicians matured and developed their own musical color over the years.

As such, two newcomers selected through the Guest Players Audition ― violinist Kim Hyun-gi and bassoonist Lee Min-ho ― will appear with the Seoul Philharmonic, April 13, and Changwon Philharmonic, April 14, respectively.

The performances will take place at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center. Tickets cost from 10,000 won to 30,000 won. Discounts are available for members of the Seoul Arts Center as well as for students and group reservations. For more information on the event, call (02) 580-1300 or visit www.sac.or.kr/eng (English).

Korean Films to Meet Int'l Audiences

2009-03-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

Three South Korean films, with support from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), will soon be available to international audiences, the council announced Wednesday.

Yoo Ha’s ``A Frozen Flower,’’ starring heartthrobs Zo In-sung and Joo Jin-mo, will premiere Friday in Taiwanese theaters. Infinity International secured the distribution rights for the sexually charged historical drama.

Eleven Arts acquired the American distribution rights for Noh Young-seok’s ``Daytime Drinking,’’ which is tentatively scheduled to enter U.S. cinemas April 10. The humorous indie flick revolves around an unfortunate man who is dumped by his girlfriend, stood up by his friends and victimized by the Korean drinking culture.

Belgian Cineart pursued the rights to screen Na Hong-jin’s gritty thriller ``The Chaser.’’ Belgians will be able to view last year’s multi-award winning film beginning April 22. The film recently won Best Action Asian Film Award from France’s Deauville International Film Festival.

Meanwhile, ``Breathless’’ by Yang Ik-june won the top prize at the Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland. This adds to the independent film’s roster of awards including coveted awards at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Rotterdam and Deauville festivals.

Young Star Pianists to Go On Stage

2009-03-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

Young, popular pianists will grace Seoul Arts Center this week ― Kim Sun-wook, 20, who is seen as a future leader of the Korean classical music world, will appear Friday with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra; Lim Dong-hyek, the 24-year-old with the following of a rock star, will perform Sunday with the Northern Sinfonia; and Evgeny Kissin, the 37-year-old Russian sensation, will perform a long-awaited recital for local fans on April 2.

>>Click for details

Korean Directors Possible Candidates at Cannes'

2009-03-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

There may be a possibility for two big name Korean film directors to compete in the Cannes International Film Festival, to be held in May 13 to 24. Park Chan-wook's newest release ``Thirst'' and Bong Jun-ho's new thriller ``Mother'' are the potential candidates, AFP reported Saturday.

Park Chan-wook, who won the top award at 2004 Cannes Film Festival for his internationally-acclaimed film ``Old Boy,'' will return to the movie scene with a vampire thriller, ``Thirst,'' after a three-year hiatus. It tells the story of a respectful priest (Song Kang-ho) who becomes a vampire after receiving a blood transfusion from an unknown source. The vampire-turned-priest then falls in love with his friend's wife (Kim Ok-bin) and the two lovers plot a murder. The movie is slated for release on April 30.

Bong's thriller ``Mother'' stars veteran actress Kim Hye-ja as its main character, differing from most thrillers which usually boasts a lineup of younger male actors. Kim plays the role of a distressed mother who fights against the world in her struggle to prove the innocence of her son (Won Bin) from a false charge of homicide. Slated for release in May, Bong hopes to explore the unconditional love that all mothers have for their children. The director received the award for Best Director at 2007 Oporto International Film Festival and at the 2007 (Korean) Grand Bell Awards for his monster film ``The Host.''

As for the potential winner of the Golden Palm, or the Palme d'Or, AFP listed world-renowned directors such as Jane Campion, Quentin Tarantino, Johnnie To Kei-Fung, Pedro Almodovar and Ken Loach.

The General Delegate of Cannes International Film Festival Thierry Fremaux told AFP that Cannes is always open to ``discovering new talented directors.'' The final list of successful candidates will be announced April 23.

Greatest Maksim

2009-03-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

Maksim Mrvica
`Greatest Maksim’
EMI

Charismatic pianist Maksim Mrvica wowed Korean fans in his March 18 concert, and this compilation album of his greatest hits will help concertgoers relive the experience while servicing those who missed it.

In addition to his unconventional crossover music, the Croatian’s rock star good looks continue to attracted a staunch fan base here. Maksim’s fingers fly across the electronic piano in ``The Flight of the Bumblebee,’’ silencing complains that classical music is boring.

Also featured are ``Exodus,’’ ``Wonderland’ and ``Nostradamus,’’ as well as ``Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’’ from the Japanese film.

Rain Ordered to Pay $8 Mil.

2009-03-20T01:49:00.000-07:00

K-pop singer Rain and his managers were ordered to pay more than $8 million to Hawaii promoters for canceling a 2007 concert in Honolulu, the Associated Press reported, Thursday.

An American federal jury said the 26-year-old star, his agency at the time JYP Entertainment and two South Korean promotion companies breached a contract to perform, and defrauded Click Entertainment. Nearly $5 million was called for in punitive damages, with Rain and JYP each ordered to pay $2.4 million. An additional $1 million was awarded for damages related to the fraud and $2,286,000 was called for breach of contract. This amounts to about 11.27 billion won.

``We're obviously very disappointed with the jury's decision in this matter,'' Rain's lead lawyer, Jon Crocker, was quoted as saying. ``We maintain our position that both JYP and Rain fulfilled all their obligations with regard to the Hawaii performance. We will continue to vigorously defend them, wherever these promoters bring these baseless lawsuits.''

Rain's concert was canceled a few days before the scheduled June 15, 2007, event at Aloha Stadium. It was supposed to be the first stop of the ``Rain's Coming'' United States tour, and fans paid as much as $300 for a single ticket and flew to Honolulu from as far away as Japan. >>More

Who is Rain?
The 26-year-old singer is widely known as ``the Justin Timberlake of Asia.'' In addition to his dance music, he gained popularity for his roles in ``Full House'' and other Korean TV soaps. In 2006, Time magazine named him one of the ``100 most influential people in the world,'' and nominated him again this year for the online vote.

He made his Hollywood debut last year in the Wachowski brothers' film ``Speed Racer'' and will appear in a leading role in the upcoming action film ``Ninja Assassin,'' co-produced by the brothers and directed by James McTeigue.

Foreign Orchestras Cancel Korean Tours

2009-03-20T01:29:00.000-07:00

Amid the financial downturn, several big overseas orchestras scheduled to perform in South Korea this year have CANCELLED, boohoo:

April: Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra with maestro Chung Myung-whun called it quits; also cancelled Japan tour
May: Korean sponsors uninvited thePittsburgh Symphony due to the terrible exchange rate.
October: Cincinnati Symphony's Korean debut with flutist Choi Na-kyung is cancalled; also called off Taiwan tour, but Japan tour remains intact. Facing financial troubles, the American ensemble was forced to cut 20 percent from salaries for orchestra members, said Vincero, the local concert organizer.
December: Dmitiri Kitajenko-led Vienna Symphonywithdrew plans to tour Korea and China.

Until recently, orchestra performances were the cream of the crop among classical concerts here, as they often attracted generous corporate sponsorship and high ticket sales. But such concerts are now a mounting concern for organizers, as unfavorable exchange rates raise guarantees and airfare, while corporate sponsorship and profits are dwindling.

Last fall, in spite of successful ticket sales and positive reviews, organizers of the La Scala Opera Theater Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts suffered a deficit due to the weak won. As various Asian tours are being called off, European and North American orchestras and music management agencies are also suffering.

But!

Tours by the Northern Sinfonia, led by Thomas Zehetmair featuring pianist Lim Dong-hyek as soloist on March 29, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, with violinist Kwun Hyuk-joo on April 16, remain intact.

Concertgoers can also look forward to performances by domestic troupes such as the Seoul Philharmonic, KBS Symphony and Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Seoul Arts Center is hosting the Orchestra Festival all throughout April.

Miura’s Flight as `Japanese Butterfly’

2009-03-20T01:23:00.001-07:00

Late Japanese soprano Tamaki Miura
(public domain photo)

The premier opera theater Trieste Verdi gave its first performance in South Korea, from March 12 to 15, with its original cast and chorus from Italy. Japanese soprano Mina Yamazaki, who appears in various European theaters, shared the role of Cio-Cio San in Puccini’s ``Madame Butterfly.’’

During a different time, however, casting a ``Japanese Butterfly’’ would have made headlines, as was the case for the late Japanese soprano Tamaki Miura (1884-1946).

``Madame Butterfly’’ was inspired by the short story by J.L. Long, and Puccini, never having traveled to Japan, composed music featuring faux Japanese tunes. Things Japanese were in vogue at the time, and the opera was a success. It remains one of the most frequently staged works to this day.

In 1915, Miura, a petite Japanese soprano, stole the international spotlight by debuting as Cio-Cio San in London _ becoming the first Asian woman to play an Asian character in the West. Shortly thereafter, she made her American debut.

``The novelty of the title role being sung by a young woman from the Orient attracted a large audience,’’ said the New York Times about Miura’s appearance with the Boston Opera Company in an October 1915 article. Although this particular daily questioned, ``Is Mme. Miura an artist or merely a curiosity?’’ as it criticized her thin voice, the majority of the Western press seemed ecstatic about the ``authenticity’’ of her performance, according to University of Hawaii professor Mari Yoshihara (``Musicians From a Different Shore,’’ Temple University Press). >>Fabulous book -- a must read on Asians & classical music

At the time, it must have been special to see a delicate Japanese woman in the role of a geisha who sacrifices everything, including her own life, despite the betrayal of her American husband. She embodied all that was fascinating about perceived Asian femininity. This is ironic, however, since Miura in real life was a most untraditional Japanese woman, as Yoshihara suggests.

The soprano was born in Tokyo in 1884 and rose to prominence by singing in the first domestic productions of Western operas. She became known as a ``modern woman’’ who rode bicycles. She stirred scandals by divorcing her first husband and then abandoning her second for her career, not returning to Japan even when he died while she toured Europe and North America.

Interestingly, Miura was well aware, said Yoshihara, of the Western Orientalist perspective on herself and the flaws of the opera: ``The first act is almost thoroughly absurd to the Japanese, and one can see this as an unfiltered expression of the fantasies of the foreigners who have no understanding of Japan,’’ she was quoted as saying.

Nevertheless, the ``Japanese Butterfly’’ used the West’s fascination with her appearance as an advantage, and wore the kimono in public events even though her contemporaries more often wore Western clothing. As she became popular, she gave recitals featuring a combination of classical works by Mozart, Japanese folk songs and arias from ``Madame Butterfly.’’

Furthermore, she embraced the idea that the work was written by and for the Westerner. She is quoted as saying, ``No matter how hard I try to perform in an authentically Japanese fashion, such a performance would not fit neatly with the opera as a whole. One has to harmonize Japanese emotions and manners into the opera.’’

Miura did not, however, approve of the palpable flaws of the productions. She adjusted the costumes, which often looked Chinese, and also suggested featuring ``sake’’ (Japanese rice wine) in the wedding scene as well as traditional Japanese dance movements.

Meanwhile, the Japanese press both hailed and denounced Miura’s activities, praising her role for introducing Japanese culture, but also chastising her failure to fulfill a ``proper’’ woman’s role. The successful star usually ignored the latter, but as the Pacific War escalated, and sentiment against things Western turned sour, she acted quickly to denounce Western music. But after the war, she resumed singing Western songs and -- like Madame Butterfly -- was baptized, shortly before her death in 1946.

Read more about Trieste Verdi's "Madame Butterfly"

The Black Cat and Other Short Stories

2009-03-19T01:06:00.000-07:00

By Edgar Allan Poe & illustrations by Luis Scafati
Translated from English to Korean by Kang Mi-kyung.
Munhak: 107 pp., 9,500 won

This is no storybook for children. Accompanied with Luis Scafati’s stylistic yet harrowing black and white drawings, Edgar Allan Poe’s horror stories make violent graphic novels for adults, such as ``Watchmen,’’ look rather tame.

This year marks the bicentennial of the birth of the late American writer (1809-49), and Munhak provides reliable Korean translations of ``The Black Cat,’’ ``The Pit and the Pendulum’’ and ``The Premature Burial.’’

Poe achieved fame posthumously. During his short lifetime he suffered from constant poverty, nervous breakdown, depression and inebriety. The short stories explore the dark side of human nature, from irrational rage to insanity, and dream up the greatest nightmares like being buried alive and flirting with death.

The line-by-line translation transports the reader into the macabre world of Poe.

Binoche’s `Summer Hours’ Seethes With Natural Beauty

2009-03-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

C'est La Binoche! She is so glamorous! I had the great pleasure of seeing this immensely talented actress-turned-dancer on her first visit to Korea :) I'll be watching her perform with Akram Khan on Friday!

"Summer Hours (L'Heure d'ete)" /Guan

``Summer Hours’’ has ``La Binoche’’ written all over it: the celebrated French actress of many talents brings a small family movie that enables the viewer to instantly connect with the effervescent characters and feel part of the family as it deals with the passage of time.

In the film, director Olivier Assayas (``Paris, Je t’aime’’) captures all things natural, beautiful and nostalgic _ a room warmed by the late afternoon sunbeam just before dusk, a vase of fresh summer flowers bound to wither and fade, berry-picking with one’s grandmother but outliving her all too soon. Of course, those tender moments are fleeting, and life goes on, making way for new memories. Like Im Kwon-taek’s ``Chukje,’’ ``Summer Hours’’ deals with death in the family as a celebration of life.

Juliette Binoche speaks to the press Wednesday during her first visit to South Korea. /Yonhap

``This is a small budget film that we shot very quickly, and I had the pleasure of working with the magnificent actress Edith Scob. I’ve already worked with Olivier Assayas on `Rendez-Vous’ and we shot the movie in a joyous, family-like atmosphere,’’ Binoche told reporters Wednesday following the film’s press preview in a Seoul theater during her first visit to Korea.

Elegant actress Edith Scob plays Helene, who has dedicated her entire life to the posterity of the artworks by her beloved uncle Paul Berthier. Shortly after her 75th birthday, she passes away suddenly, leaving behind the house a collection of art, antique furniture and fine objects. Her eldest child, Frederic (``L’Ennui’’ star Charles Berling), insists on preserving his mother’s legacy. However, this is not in the best interest for his siblings Adrienne (Binoche), a designer based in New York, or Jeremie (Jeremie Renier, ``Atonement’’), who is in need of money for moving to China.

The film is a visual delight: In addition to the lush provincial gardens, viewers can indulge in the colorful panels by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, a broken figurine by Edgar Degas (a childhood accident), beautiful antiques by Louis Majorelle, unique vases by Felix Bracquemond and luxurious silverware by George Jensen.

As some of the household treasures become still life exhibits at a museum, one may be reminded that such seemingly lifeless items may have once held secret diaries, fresh flowers and fond memories (Binoche herself had an uncle on her father’s side of the family that donated items to the Louvre). Another treat for art buffs is the sneak peak into the fabulous storage space and restoration lab of the Musee d’Orsay. In celebration of its 20th anniversary in 2007, the Paris museum provided generous support for the movie.

In theaters March 26. 100 minutes. All ages admitted. In French with Korean subtitles. Distributed by Guan.

>>Read more about the Juliette Binoche Retrospective in Seoul and more quotes from the fabulous actress.

`Comfort Woman’ Film Touches Japan

2009-03-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

Ahn Hae-ryong’s ``My Heart Is Not Broken Yet’’ documents Song Sin-do, center, the only World War II sex slave to ``come out’’ in Japan, and her Japanese supporters’ decade-long efforts to sue the Japanese government. /Courtesy of Indiestory

If Erin Brockovich’s cleavage helped her defense, then Grandma Song Sin-do’s unbreakable heart keeps her fighting her case. Currently playing in theaters is Ahn Hae-ryong’s ``My Heart Is Not Broken Yet,’’ which documents this ``unconventional’’ World War II victim who has become something of a star in Japan while filing a lawsuit against the Japanese government.

Only recently have surviving ``comfort women,’’ who were forced into sexual slavery in Japanese military brothels during war, dared to speak of their past. In 1991, Kim Hak-soon was the first to give a public testimony in Korea and two years later, Song became the first in Japan.

The local media often portrays a group of fragile, teary-eyed grandmothers and supporters demonstrating vehemently in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul _ but in Song’s instance, it was a group of Japanese civilians who persuaded her to file a case against the Japanese government and demand a formal apology. And unlike other war victim, this ``hard as nails’’ 77-year-old exhibits ``rage and humor unbefitting a sufferer,’’ according to an Asahi Shimbun reporter in the film.

Inspired by Song, some 670 Japanese individuals funded the documentary. Song’s sharp tongue makes ``My Heart’’ humorous as much as it is moving, and moreover, inspirational to see how an individual can transcend personal struggles. Rather than lamenting over seven years of sexual slavery she condemns the inclusive horrors of war itself, arguing that Japanese soldiers and sex slaves were all victims. The film moves away from the anti-Japan sentiment that is usually associated with the issue here, and she even welcomes veteran soldiers as valuable witnesses for her case.

Moreover, the film documents her personal transformation. In spite of her charisma and wit, the past had made her deeply untrusting of people and the difficulties of living as a foreigner in Japan had deprived her of the sense of belonging. Through her journey, she learns to open her heart to strangers and reconnect with her homeland.

The movie is currently showing in various venues in Japan since it was first released in August 2007. Song has been touring the nation to tell her story, particularly to high school students. ``It is necessary that many Japanese people be informed of (comfort women) and the movie must be seen in order to spread the knowledge,’’ a teenage girl was quoted as saying after watching the movie, according to the film’s domestic distributor.

Born in 1922 in South Chungcheong Province, Song was coerced into sexual slavery at military brothels in China at the tender age of 16. Over seven nightmarish years, she was impregnated numerous times, and had to give away two of her surviving babies to local families. All that remain with her are a tattoo of her slave name ``Ganeko,’’ a damaged left ear and several deep scars from beatings. >>More

Actress Moon So-ri provides the narration. Also featured is music by Korean-Japanese musician Pak Poe, who is known as the Bob Dylan of Japan. A portion of the profit from ticket sales will be used to fund the establishment of the War and Women’s Human Rights Museum in Korea (http://www.whrmuseum.com/).

Read about ``Chinese Pink," another unconventional account on WWII sex slavery.

Video Art Opera Smart Despite Flaws

2009-03-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

Trieste Verdi’s first South Korean tour came to an end Sunday, after four consecutive performances before a full, enthusiastic house. Director Giulio Ciabatti’s rendition of Puccini’s ``Madame Butterfly’’ impressed local fans with its talented singers, tasteful video art-inspired stage set and a modern approach to the Orientalist love story.

Each evening, some 3,000 people crowded the Grand Theater of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Seoul, and the usually tame Korean audience did not refrain from shouting ``bravo’’ for the original cast of the Italian theater.

Sopranos Raffaella Angeletti and Mina Yamazaki alternately played heroine Cio-Cio San, depicting the character transformations with great finesse, from a blushing _ though not completely innocent _ 15-year-old that knows how to steal a man’s heart to the anguish of a woman scorned. In spite of the alluring leading ladies, mezzo-soprano Cinzia De Mola shined through with her compelling performance as the faithful servant Suzuki.

Tenor Roberto De Biasio, with his dashing youth and clear, ringing voice, was charming _ and despicable _ as Pinkerton, while Mario Malagnini gave a more weighty, charismatic interpretation. The Trieste Verdi Theater Chorus and the Gyeonggi Philharmonic, led by Lorenzo Fratini, provided top-notch acoustics.

The very distinct, Zen minimalist stage was marked by a splash of bright colors, ornate costumes and creative video art backdrops _ giving the production an elegant glow. In particular, the video art, inspired by the works of the late Korean artist Paik Nam-june, was subtle in defining the ambiance without dominating it, and provided a more organic narrative flow among the three acts of the second half of the production.

While it was slightly disappointing to see that the latter half featured the same images that appeared in the former, the ``recycling’’ created a more cohesive look. Video art is a great alternative to prevent the blizzard-like snow effects that reportedly marred the Vienna State Opera’s recent performance of ``Eugen Onegin’’ _ beautiful virtual cherry blossom petals provide a magical aura rather harmlessly.

In addition to the music and visuals, Ciabatti made a commendable effort to provide a more universal story about the pathos of betrayed love. The original opera, in contemporary American parlance, can be described as an impoverished prom queen who, with her innate charms being her singular asset, opts to marry a rich Japanese businessman. She falls head over heals for him and even after he leaves her with an unlikely promise to return, she refuses to give up hope while raising their child and rejecting the advances of a young J.F. Kennedy. When she finally learns of his betrayal, she kills herself.

But of course, the opera is set in early 20th-century Japan, and tells the story of a geisha’s unconditional love for an American naval officer. She gives him everything, including converting to Christianity, at the cost of losing her family and friends.

One can argue that, putting aside Western Orientalist fantasies about Asian feminity, such self-sacrificing love continues to inspire near and far. But recent examples like the Hollywood film ``Original Sin’’ justify self-sacrifice by featuring a femme fatale. Here, Pinkerton is nothing like an alluring Angelina Jolie that can bewitch Cio-Cio San. It is merely her (imagined) Japanese-ness, her subservient attitude that allows such blind, tragic romance. Despite the best of attempts, the inherent flaws in the piece remain.

*Photos courtesy of Sejong Center/Trieste Verdi Theater

Piano Duo, Marathon Invite Fans

2009-03-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

Among the myriad of piano concerts that take place in Seoul, there are two that particularly stand out:

Two Plus Two

Renowned pianist Moon Yong-hi, 60, and her husband Lee Dai-uk, 61, will host a piano concert, Thursday, at Myeongdong Cathedral in downtown Seoul. This is the couple’s first duo in seven years since their 2002 concert at Seoul Arts Center.

Moon is known as the first Korean professor at the prestigious Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University while her husband Lee splits his time teaching at Hanyang University and conducting the Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra. The two often took to the stage together as soloist and conductor, so this will be a rare chance to hear their four hands together on the keyboard.

``As husband and wife and fellow musicians we have walked a long path together, and so we seem to know each other’s thoughts with a single glance or a single music note,’’ Lee was quoted as saying in an interview with Yonhap News. ``We hope to offer something more mature than seven years ago. My heart flutters to think I’ll be taking the stage with my life partner,’’ he said.

The two musical and life partners, however, differ drastically in terms of artistic temperament. Moon is considered a more detailed and passionate player, while Lee offers more serene, organic sounds. ``It is a great pleasure to visit each other in Korea and the United States, and to practice together on the piano and fine tune each other’s musical colors,’’ said Lee. ``We are at times at odds with each other for musical interpretations, but we overcome it to make beautiful, harmonious music.’’

The couple will play Schumann’s Six Etudes in Canon Form for Pedal Piano, Op. 56 and Messiaen’s ``Vision de l’Amen’’ for piano duo. It is expected to be a unique concert experience to hear the religious pieces in the cathedral, where the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan recently lay in state.

Tickets cost 30,000 won. Call (02) 706-1481. The couple will travel to the United States to perform at the Peabody Institute in April.

Classical All Night

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) Classic FM, the nation’s foremost classical music radio channel. It is also the 300th year since Italian cembalo inventor Bartolomeo Cristofori introduced the pianoforte in 1709. The 24-hour radio channel will celebrate its anniversary April 2 with a special marathon concert of Beethoven’s complete piano concertos.

From 7 a.m., April 2 to 3 a.m. the following morning, KBS will broadcast a special 18-hour show, including a live concert from KBS Hall in Yeouido (93.1 MHz on FM radio). From 7 to about 10:30 p.m., all five of Beethoven’s piano concertos will resound deep into the night.

Top Korean pianists will play the concertos: Han Dong-il (Concerto No. 5), Shin Su-jung (No. 4), Lee Kyung-sook (No. 3), Huh Seung-yeun (No. 2) and Julius Jeong-won Kim (No. 1). Suh Hyun-suk will conduct the Gangnam Symphony Orchestra.

KBS is accepting about 1,500 requests for admission to the concert hall through its Web site (http://www.kbs.co.kr/). Call (02) 781-3255.

Met Opera Celebrates 125 Years With Lavish Gala

2009-03-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Wish I was there... But I was lucky enough to hear Mr. Domingo's performance in Seoul earlier this year -- it was the only one he gave in Asia :) Happy Birthday Met!

NEW YORK (AP) - Fabled past met future promise at a Metropolitan Opera gala like no other _ a triple celebration that honored the New York company's 125-year history, previewed its current stars in upcoming roles, and found time to pay tribute to Placido Domingo's 40 years at the house.

If that sounds like a jam-packed agenda, it was. With excerpts from 23 different operas, ranging from brief arias to extended scenes, the festivities clocked in at just over four hours Sunday night, including intermission.

Much of the evening's charm was due to the loving recreation of old sets and costumes from productions of the past, some of it through the magic of video projection. So the famous picture of Enrico Caruso as Dick Johnson standing on a tree stump about to be hanged at the 1910 world premiere of Puccini's ``La Fanciulla del West'' (``The Girl of the Golden West'') came to life before our eyes. Only this time it was Domingo standing there, ready to launch into his aria, ``Ch'ela mi creda.'' Domingo figured again at the end of the first half in a recreation of the final scene from Wagner's ``Parsifal,'' a 1903 depiction of the temple of the Holy Grail, complete with a white dove fluttering over the knights as Wagner intended.

Domingo was in splendid voice all night. In the Puccini, the Wagner and an excerpt from Verdi's ``Otello'' he was covering familiar ground in roles he's mostly given up. But the highlight of his evening was the extended Act 1 duet from Verdi's ``Simon Boccanegra'' for the title character and his long-lost daughter, Amelia. Not only is this a new role for Domingo, it's written for a baritone. But it seems to fit the darkening quality of his voice well, and he and soprano Angela Gheorghiu blended their voices beautifully.

There were many other standout performances. Natalie Dessay (in a dress based on one worn by Bidu Sayao in 1937) previewed her upcoming Violetta in Verdi's ``La Traviata'' and showed again that she's just about the finest singing actress around. Not only did she nail the coloratura of ``Sempre libera,'' she brought the character's ambivalence about falling in love vividly to life.

Baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky proved that his current assignment in Verdi's ``Il Trovatore'' hasn't coarsened his voice with a ravishing performance of Yeletsky's aria from Tchaikovsky's ``The Queen of Spades.'' In brief scenes from three Franco Zeffirelli-designed Puccini productions, Joseph Calleja won the battle of the tenors with a sweet-voiced ``Che gelida manina'' from ``La Boheme.''

The evening's decibel prize went to soprano Maria Guleghina and mezzo Stephanie Blythe for their sizzling duet from Verdi's ``Aida.'' Both showed considerable artistry in addition to lung power.

One of the most anticipated moments was the closing duet from Wagner's ``Siegfried,'' a trial run for a new ``Ring'' cycle with soprano Deborah Voigt as Bruennhilde and tenor Ben Heppner as Siegfried. He sounded in healthy voice if slightly restrained, with none of the cracking on high notes that afflicted his ``Queen of Spades'' earlier this season. Voigt did some fine singing, but her repeated forays up to high C were problematic.

Met music director James Levine, whose own 40th anniversary is just two years away, conducted the orchestra with unflagging energy.

One sour note was the absence of soloists of color. As the evening wrapped up and photos of Met performers through the ages flashed on the curtain, it was hard not to reflect on the contrast with the 100th anniversary gala in 1983, when stars like Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, Kathleen Battle and Simon Estes proudly held the stage.

`Dragonball’ Premiere Tops Korean Box Office

2009-03-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox Korea

``Dragonball: Evolution,’’ the Hollywood adaptation of the internationally loved comic, topped the South Korean box office during its opening weekend after its world premiere here March 12, according to 20th Century Fox Korea.

Real-time tallies of nationwide ticket reservations by the Korean Film Council showed Sunday that the action flick held an iron grip on the number one spot over ``More Than Blue’’ -- despite the tendency of romantic films to dominate on White Day weekends.

The Stephen Chow production, directed by James Wong, catered particularly to young males in their teens and 20s, who, like millions of fans worldwide, grew up consuming the comic and/or cartoons. But the film’s classic teen romance-meets-martial arts superhero theme appeals to ``children’’ of all ages, which naturally includes adults. Also inviting is its weighty cast of fresh newcomers and veteran stars, including Hong Kong action hero Chow Yun-fat, former K-pop star Joon Park (Park Joon-hyung) and esteemed Korean-American actor Randall Duk Kim.

Running an hour and a half, ``Dragonball’’ features everything one might expect in a Hollywood hero movie, including scores of computer graphic action, earth-wind-fire magic a la ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’’ ``Transformers’’-style gadgets and even ``D-War’’ dragons. Despite the Eastern thematic elements and a cast that is heavily dominated by Asians and Asian-Americans, the film is succeeds in having mainstream appeal -- without starring Jackie Chan or having Tom Cruise play a samurai.

The costume and makeup, however, are rather regrettable, as Lord Piccolo looks more like one of Sponge Bob’s alien friends rather than a scary villain. One might also wonder if the movie hired Edna from ``The Incredibles,’’ as Goku’s martial arts outfit, one of his grandfather’s legacies, seems to stretch miles without ripping. But then again, the film is based on a cartoon.

>>Read more about the plotline here
>>Read about the "Dragonball: Evolution" Premiere event in Seoul

NYT Notes Korea-US Musical "Dreamgirls"

2009-03-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

"For ‘Dreamgirls,’ Pacific Overtures"

Read all about it on the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/theater/14drea.html

Read a local review on the musical, currently ongoing in Seoul:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/03/145_40529.html