Director Kim Ki-duk’s latest film “Pieta” is to make its world premiere at the 69th Venice International Film Festival in the competition line-up.A total of 18 films, including Kim’s, have been selected to compete for the coveted Golden Lion during the festival, including Brian De Palma’s thriller “Passion” and Terrence Malick’s romance “To the Wonder.”Three of Kim’s films have been featured at the festival in previous years: “The Isle” (2000), “Address Unknown” (2001) and “3-Iron” (2004). He wo

[HERALD INTERVIEW]Crossover artist focuses more on vocals, experiments with musical talent with new albumEven among fans, not many know that BoA has a six-letter tattoo on her left wrist. “Chiara, it is my baptismal name, meaning clear,” the singer explained. Now, she might seem a little more transparent than some Korean fans would like, since she has spent most of the last decade away from home to expand her international career. Her dynamic dance moves and heavy stage make-up even on TV often

U.S. actress Kristen Stewart publicly apologized for cheating on her boyfriend, Robert Pattinson, with the married director of “Snow White and the Huntsman.”　The longtime couple are the stars of the romantic “Twilight” vampire film franchise and have been dating for several years.Several media outlets reported Tuesday Stewart, 22, recently had a brief fling with director Rupert Sanders, who is 41, married and the father of two children. TMZ said Stewart publicly confirmed the affair Wednesday an

Director Jeon Kyu-hwan’s feature-length film “The Weight” has been included in the line-up of the Venice Film Festival’s autonomous sidebar section, the movie’s distributor Fine Cut said.Jeon, whose previous works include Berlinale-featured “Varanasi” and “Dance Town,” has become the first Korean director to be invited to the “Venice Days” competition program. The sidebar is widely considered to be the equivalent of Cannes Director’s Fortnight. Starring “Beyond the Years” and “Bad Guy” actor Cho

Belgian violinist Lorenzo Gatto, the second-prize winner at the prestigious 2009 Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, holds his first solo recital in Korea at the Seoul Arts Center on Aug. 6. Together with Italian pianist Roberto Giordano, the 26-year-old will perform Paganini’s variations on the G string on a theme from Rossini’s “Moses,” Kreisler’s variation on a theme by Corelli and Ravel’s Tzigane. Gatto will also perform with Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra led by maestro Gum Nan

SAINT PETERSBURG (AFP) ― Russian opera star Yevgeny Nikitin, who was forced to pull out of the Bayreuth Festival over swastika tattoos, on Tuesday insisted the images were not Nazi and he abhorred National Socialism.The statement by the bass-baritone ― published by his home opera house the Mariinsky Theatre of Saint Petersburg ― was his first reaction released in Russia to a scandal that threatens to overshadow a stellar career.“National Socialism disgusts me, in all its forms,” said the soloist

Actress Go Doo-shim shows off some fine dancing in her latest playVeteran actress Go Doo-shim’s latest play has been largely promoted as a “healer for women.”The 61-year-old actress, mostly known for her TV roles as self-sacrificing devoted mothers, is depicted as a sultry dancer in the play’s poster. The way the play is marketed, “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” looks like yet another story of an elderly woman finding herself ― in the tradition of Sohn Sook’s “Shirley Valentine” or Noh Sa-yeon’

Did you ever wonder what happens to the superstar model once she’s glittered for her last close-up? Well some of them, like Carman Dell’Orefice, just keep on posing. The white-haired Dell’Orefice has been modeling since 1947 and is still slouching with the best of them.HBO is offering an intimate view of some of the world’s most famous faces when it premieres the documentary, “About Face: Supermodels Then and Now” at 9 p.m. EDT July 30.But “now” is not always the end of the runway. Many models a

Seoul Zoo will soon face stiff competition for the best collection of exotic animals in town: A host of new tropical beasts are coming to town for the tenth anniversary of Hangaram Art Museum’s Art & Play exhibition. The annual exhibition is known for its engaging, lively approach to modern art, and this year’s edition, “A Carnival of the Animals,” is no exception with its exploration of the theme with unique contemporary pieces by Korean artists. The art often employs more than just sight, with