Indie Movie Conquers Loca Cinema 2

``Daytime Drinking,'' a mini-budget road movie, is creating hype even before its release.

``Daytime Drinking'' debuted at the 9th Jeonju International Film Festival and went on to win awards at several overseas events, including Locarno last year. A triumph of creativity over pitifully meager resources, the movie is receiving as much media spotlight as anticipated blockbusters. It is a breath of fresh air for Korean cinema, which has seen the failure of many expensive, star-studded ventures.

I met with director Noh Young-seok to laugh about his ticklishly funny road movie. He was such nice guy, who resembles his protagonist :)

``Daytime Drinking'' shows that drinking in the middle of the day will most likely lead to trouble. For the heterosexual male, a pretty woman, even if she has sinister intentions, will be another temptation that's hard to resist.

It all began with a drink. Hearbroken Hyeok-jin has a round of soju with his friends. They suggest a trip to Jeongseon, a popular destination in Gangwon Province. The next morning, however, his friends are hung over and Hyeok-jin is the only one that shows up. But he isn't out of luck, as a pretty young woman, also traveling solo, approaches him.

But seaside in the winter turns out to be far from romantic. Hyeok-jin ends up wearing only his underwear in the middle of the highway, and if that didn't seem bad enough he meets more strangers whose first impressions turn out to be rather deceiving after some booze.

The 32-year-old director was inspired to write the script during his own stay at a boarding house in Jeongseon. ``It was wintertime and I was lonely. Soju was my only companion and I wondered what would happen if a pretty woman who's also traveling alone stayed next door,'' Noh Young-seok told The Korea Times.

``I made the film with friends as if we were having fun on a trip,'' he said. Shot digitally in 13 days with just 10 million won ($10,000), ``Daytime Drinking'' nevertheless made it to international events alongside last year's blockbuster ``The Good, the Bad, the Weird.'' It also inspired curiosity about soju among foreign viewers.Critics praised the movie as ``proof that a good script and simpatico direction and performances can overcome budgetary restrictions'' (Variety magazine). The central theme of daytime drinking originated from trying to save money, so as not to worry about lighting at night.

After failing one movie script competition after another, Noh decided to make a movie on his own with friends he met at a local film academy. ``It was a matter of survival, and I was focused on just finishing the movie,'' he said. The director did everything from the writing and shooting to editing, as well as playing a cameo as the restaurant owner. The original film score comes from an old album Noh made when he tried, and failed, to become a professional musician.

``Cinema is the best form of self-expression, for now,'' he said. ``I just hope the audience can enjoy `Daytime Drinking' lightheartedly, without the prejudice that indie flicks are serious and experimental.

``Independent films need to become diverse, with their own set of genres ranging from horror to dramas and thrillers,'' he continued. He does not have concrete plans about his next piece, though he wants to continue making small budget digital films with commercial appeal.

``I hope viewers will be inspired to go have a round of drinks with friends,'' he said. ``Daytime Drinking'' is now showing in theaters. 115 minutes. 15 and over. Distributed by Jin Jin.

Indie Movie Conquers Loca Cinema

``Old Partner,'' a small documentary, rewrote box office history for independent cinema.

The first South Korean documentary to compete at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, ``Old Partner'' has drawn in over 100,000 viewers since its release Jan. 15. The number may seem small when compared to box office scores of local blockbusters, but it is the largest ever tally for an independent movie and is doubly significant considering that documentaries are a minority within the minor genre.

Man's Best Friend, Cow

The Year of the Ox has so far been a lucky one for Lee. ``Selling over 100,000 tickets isn't all that great,'' said the ``Old Parnter'' director, jokingly complaining about non-stop press meetings in an interview with The Korea Times. ``I also hope the Hanwoo (hanwu) Association doesn't send me a written protest,'' said Lee about unintentionally dissuading some viewers from consuming hanwu. The 42-year-old himself does not eat beef.

In Korea, which was traditionally an agricultural society, cows were the most helpful farmhands. After a lifetime of servitude, it gave off itself for a rare feast, and Koreans ate everything from head to tail, with gratitude.

``Today, cows are just thought of as beef. I wanted to show it could be more than that,'' he said. After searching for subjects, the director found a miraculous 40-year-old cow in North Gyeongsang Province ― cows usually live for only 15 years.

The documentary traces an old man's inseparable relationship with his old cow. Unlike his neighbors, Choi Won-gyun, 80, refuses to live in tune with modern times. Despite his bad leg, he stubbornly works with his cow instead of a tractor. The cow also helps him gather firewood for their ondol (traditional floor heating system) and safely drives him downtown through traffic.

To the great chagrin of his wife, Choi refuses to spray insecticide since it is harmful for the cow, and insists on giving the cow homemade feed. The film is spiced with humor as it portrays dynamics between the typical nagging wife and the taciturn husband. ``There is also a sort of love triangle between the old man, his wife and his beloved cow, which is female,'' said the director.

But old age and death go hand in hand, and the cow has only one year left to live. The camera captures spring, summer, fall and winter in the countryside, and the constant ringing of ``weonang'' (cowbell, the film's Korean title) and the whisperings of nature's creatures make up the soundtrack. The film leaves a lasting sting in the heart as viewers are left on their own to graze upon life, friendship and death.

``Old Partner'' steers away from convention, and does without a sappy film score, narrator or interviews. Nor does it strive to uncover a truth with a cold eye. Rather, it documents a sentiment and fully incorporates the director's intentions ― ``It's like breaking down facts, like pieces of a jar, and piecing them back together in my own way,'' explained Lee. ``The documentary is in chronological order, of course, but I edited it in a way so that there would be a balance of heavy drama and comic relief,'' he said.

``Not all documentaries need to be serious and critical of current events. The documentary genre needs to become diverse, and it's meaningless if it cannot communicate with viewers,'' he said. Lee, in fact, was unable to utilize the advantages of the genre: Choi didn't want the production to interfere with everyday life, and so the director was unable to film interviews.

There were also budget problems. ``Old Partner'' took over three years to make, and even though using the digital medium saved money, Lee had to take a part time job. He sometimes needed to double as the director of photography, and because he had to commute, he missed a couple of incidents he would have liked to insert in the movie.

``Editing the film served as a time for self-examination. I wondered if we truly understand what's best for our parents,'' said Lee, whose own parents also live in the countryside. The movie features a traditional visit by Choi's grown children on Chuseok (Thanksgiving). Oblivious of their father's friendship with his cow, they tell him to sell her, since keeping her would only encourage him to toil in the fields.

``The film is about an incredible story of a man and his cow, but I hope it will enable all of us to think about our parents,'' he said. Another concern for Lee is that the film's popularity directed the media spotlight to Choi, who has just started recovering from his old partner's death. ``Please leave them alone,'' he said.

English subtitles are now available for ``Old Partner'' at Indiespace, located within Spongehouse Myeongdong (aka. Joongang Cinema), near Eulijiro 3-ga Station on subway lines 3 and 4. All ages are admitted. 78 minutes.

A Blind Musical Genius’ Proposal to Obama

Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

What would cost thirty seconds of a subway passenger’s attention to the callings of a blind man?

Nothing for some, too much for others who choose to ignore him. But for Song Yul-koong, his livelihood depends on such relative choices. With unbending consistency for over 18 years, this 37-year-old composer has been raising money on the Seoul subway from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those who take the time to read his story give generously, but the economic downturn reflects heavily upon his meager earnings these days.

A countless number of fancily packaged press releases make their way to the recycling bin, but the Xeroxed pages of handwritten text by Song’s mother, funded by the musician’s subway profits, keep a firm spot on this reporter’s shelf.

In his teens and 20s, Song gave concerts at the most prestigious halls in South Korea including the grand theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The media trailed his feats in international competitions and even his appointments with the ophthalmologist. The passage of time, however, has been rather cruel for the artist, now forgotten but penniless as always.

The Korea Time revisited the composer in over 10 years. Or more precisely, Song found his way back to the newspaper after the long hiatus, though looking just as young, and smiling pleasantly, as he did in his decade-old photographs.

``Professors and public figures who supported us are no longer able to for various reasons. It’s been difficult but Mr. Obama’s election gave us the courage to rise back up,’’ said Song’s widowed mother Hye-mi, who has always been by her son’s side.

Song beckons a return to the public radar with a proposal to play a piano piece for U.S. President. He urged The Korea Times to help publicize his dream: he was greatly inspired by Obama's election and hopes he can do the same with music for the physically disabled, who face discriminations like many people of color do.

``I cannot see, but there are those who cannot walk or are missing an arm, and my wish to play for Mr. Obama stems from fellow feeling,’’ he said. `` People shouldn’t be disadvantaged or become part of the minority group just because they are different.’’

This blind man’s world may have no light, but sound and fantasy take flight without visible limit in his music. Some of his pieces test conventional concepts of melody and harmony, but others, like the serenade ``Min-sun Sound,’’ has an easy and almost addictive rhythm. Song’s music finds inspiration in the sound of nature and the hidden beauty of things mundane.

Mr. Song, left, and his mother Hye-mi

As a child, Song would run the faucet all day long, pave the bedroom floor with bottle caps or play with salt -- causing great chagrin for his mother. ``I didn’t realize Yul-koong was experimenting with sound and harshly reprimanded him,’’ she said. Even though a three-year-old Song showed proficiency with the piano the first time he laid his fingers on it, she didn’t realize his musical genius until he remarked one morning, at age 11, ``Here comes a duet song’’ upon hearing two newspaper boys run up the steps of their apartment building.

Without any formal musical training, Song launched a musical career by winning international modern music composition contests in Japan and France, and met great modern composers like Isang Yun and John Cage. The latter supposedly claimed that Song’s works as a child were superior to his own written at age 50. Song wishes to play for Obama ``Song of the Earth,’’ an award-winning piano piece he wrote when he was 10.

``But even if I do succeed in realizing this impossible dream of playing for Mr. Obama, I’m not sure what kind of effect that would have for the physically disabled,’’ he said. ``I have given pretty big concerts, which were not just about my music but also campaigning for causes such as decreasing traffic. But their effects were short-lived. A problem with our society is that there is a lack of enduring interest in social problems,’’ he explained.

One must ask: how much would four minutes of Barack Obama’s time cost? Probably high, considering he’s one of the busiest people in the world. How about the value of inspired music? Priceless -- like a certain credit card advertisement would say. And how about the ripple effect it may have? Boundless.

Singer Yoo Debuts in Jackie Chan Movie

Yoo Seung-jun appears in Jackie Chan’s film “Da Bing Xiao Jiang.” Yonhap Photo

Yoo Seung-jun, a former K-pop star who became notorious for evading mandatory military service, will make his big screen debut in Jackie Chan's epic action film ``Da Bing Xiao Jiang'' (Big Soldier Small General or Junior Soldier), Chan's entertainment company JC Group International said Thursday.

The 33-year-old was recruited by Chan last year and will play a supporting role opposite the world famous action star and Taiwanese-American actor Lee-hom Wang. Shooting for the Qin Dynasty-era movie begins Tuesday at a fortress in Yunnan, China. Chan will play a common soldier, while Wang and Yoo will play princes of warring states. Yoo's character will be the villain of the story.

In a telephone interview with Yonhap News, Yoo was quoted as saying, ``I cannot speak in detail about the movie, but I will play the bad guy. Because I play a fighting prince, I have to do action sequences involving horseback riding and swordsmanship.''``Junior Soldier'' is an 80 billion won project that Chan, who is acting, producing and writing for the movie, has been preparing for 20 years.

The Chinese-language film anticipates worldwide release in the fall. ``I've been working in China for a while, so the Chinese lines won't be too much of a problem,'' said Yoo. ``But I'm practicing lines that are in archaic Chinese.''Emerging director Ding Sheng (``The Underdog Knight'') will helm the movie.

``When Jackie Chan was planning the project 20 years ago, he was thinking of playing Lee-hom Wang's part. But because time has passed, he decided to take the role of the common soldier,'' said Yoo. ``My part wasn't very big at first, but the director changed that after meeting me, saying I'm fit for the action sequences.

''This will be Yoo's first attempt at acting. JC Group Korea said that Chan thought highly of Yoo's well-toned physique and fluency in English, Korean and Chinese, and that he had the potential to become the next Jackie Chan. ``I feel nervous, like a newcomer again,'' said Yoo. ``Starring in a Jackie Chan movie alone is such a great honor, and playing a sizable role is really exciting.''

Local criticism still lingers about Yoo's controversial military service evasion and subsequent deportation. ``Of course I am still very cautious about that,'' he said. ``But I want to show that I am trying my best wherever I am, and I hope to inch my way back to stand before those I've disappointed.''

'Kitchen' Offers Tasteful Romance

Synn Min-a, Ju Ji-hun and Kim Tae-woo in "The Naked Kitchen"

The title says it all: ``The Naked Kitchen.'' Newcomer Hong Ji-young brings a sensuous romance that paints the taste of juicy meals and unforgettable kisses.

After competing at a few international short film festivals with ``Herstory,'' Hong makes her feature film debut both here and abroad through the Berlin International Film Festival, which continues through Feb. 15. The movie's nationwide release in Japan is slated for June.

For local moviegoers, ``Kitchen'' will be a delightful trend-spotting, trend-setting franchise. It capitalizes on the national obsession with fine dining, particularly the recent interest in food styling and things fusion. Martha Stewart can feast her eyes with brunch dished up on Hermes china and Korean court cuisine served in a Western-style multiple-course meal.

Other scenes are like fashion magazine spreads, as the cellophane-thin lead actress Synn Min-a (Shin Mina) struts around trendy neighborhoods in her candy-colored shoes. But the emerging director displays a sense for both style and substance as she delves the meaning of love and infidelity. The movie is a fine asset to the Korean chick flick genre as it sugarcoats the sensitive subject matter with scrumptious dishes, summer sunshine and colorful parasols.

``Kitchen'' can be compared to Gina Kim's ``Never Forever,'' as both show that first loves, or one great love, does not necessarily last forever. The movie also suggests it is possible to love two people at the same time, quite like Chong Yun-su's ``My Wife Got Married.'' >>More

Theater to Host Movie Watching Marathon

So I get an international call from Canada, from a man who claims to be a world-record holder of TV watching marathons, etc. He wanted me to send him and his publicists plane tickets/lodging for an exclusive cover of his participation. I wonder if CGV will invite him?

CGV Theater will host the 1st Movie Watching Marathon at its Wangshimni chain in Seoul Feb. 24.

According to the Guinness World Records, the longest movie-watching marathon took place over 70 hours, 33 minutes in Norway. South Korea's top score stands at 66 hours 41 minutes 56 seconds set in 2005 at Theater Scala in Seoul. Participants will have a chance to rewrite movie-watching history and win prize money and gifts.

The competition will begin at noon and continue until participants fall asleep. Following regulations of the Korea Record Institute, there will be a five-minute pause after one movie and then a 15-minute break after three movies. Contestants must use the breaks for eating and using restrooms, because they will be dropped out for leaving the seat or using cellular phones during the screening.

Organizers will monitor participants through camcorders during the entire event. Those who close their eyes for more than 5 seconds or use ``artificial means'' (such as matches) to keep their eyes open will be disqualified. Contestants who converse with or bother others will be asked to leave. About 200 staff members will be employed for the event, as well as 26 paramedics.

Anyone aged over 18 can apply to compete at CGV Theaters across the country or at www.cgv.co.kr. The deadline for applications is Feb. 15 and some 300 will be chosen by a draw on Feb. 18. Top contestants will be rewarded with cash prizes: 3 million won for first place, 2 million won for second and 1 million won for third.

On Feb. 23, the day before the marathon, there will be an online contest for guessing the record of the first prizewinner. Participants that make the closest estimates can win television sets, digital cameras, laptop computers and mp3 players.

Gyeonggi Province Aims to Become Film Hub

Gyeonggi Province is stepping up efforts to become a cinematic hub with actor Cho Jae-hyun as its front man. The Gyeonggi Film Council named the top actor as its new chair Thursday to promote filmmaking in the region.

The 44-year-old star of the upcoming film ``Marine Boy'' accepted his two-year tenure at a ceremony Friday in downtown Seoul.``This is a great honor and I hope the special guests with us today will serve as the council's advisory committee,'' said the versatile actor, who has appeared in art films such as Im Kwon-taek's ``Beyond the Years'' and hit TV soaps like ``New Heart'' (MBC). >>More

This is great news. And not just because I am totally in love with Mr. Cho (I sigh every time I see him with how gorgeous he is in person). Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, has great potential to become a cultural hub -- everything is way too centered on Seoul!

Gyeonggi-do hosts the annual Pucheon (Bucheon) International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan), the largest of kind in Asia, and will be home to big franchises like Hallyuwood, a K-drama theme park, Universal Studio theme park and Paramount Movie Park. Also, many artists like director Park Chan-wook, live in the rising hot spot, Heyri.