The Korea Herald

JYJ‘s documentary film to open at cinemas next week

FilmFeb 14, 2012

A documentary film featuring the daily lives and dreams of three members of K-pop boy band “JYJ”will open at local theaters next week, the group’s entertainment agency said Tuesday.The 90-minute film titled “The Day” will be shown at Lotte Cinema‘s 17 major chain theaters across the country starting Feb. 23, C-JeS Entertainment Co. said.“The Day” experienced a number of twists and turns before its screening schedule was finalized.It was originally filmed to be a television documentary under a de
Singers to test ‘hallyu’ power beyond Asia

MusicFeb 14, 2012

K-pop artists are looking for opportunities to enter markets outside Asia as competition in the market stiffens.Decreasing album sales due to the popularity of music download and video-sharing sites and the arrival of international pop stars to perform in Asia are leading K-pop stars to look further afield.“They are trying to make money to cover losses from their album sales,” an official at CJ E&M said.“K-pop artists are competing with world stars in the Asian market. So we need to target marke
All that glitters: London metal thieves target works of art

TheaterFeb 14, 2012

LONDON (AFP) ― Gangs of metal thieves are targeting London’s sculptures, statues and even war memorials, stripping them from their plinths and melting them down for their scrap value as commodity prices soar.Thieves have been plundering pipes and cables for months, but police are increasingly concerned that they are turning their attention to valuable works of art.Renowned British artist Barbara Hepworth’s imposing bronze sculpture “Two Forms (Divided Circle)” once sat proudly in Dulwich Park in
[Herald Interview] Performing arts congress to focus on ‘cultural shifts’

MusicFeb 14, 2012

ISPA CEO David Baile says Korean arts scene ‘progressive’The month of June will be an exciting month for Korea’s performing arts scene as the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Congress will held in Seoul for the first time. The six-day event will bring some of the most influential performing arts figures together here, including Sydney Opera House’s chief executive Richard Evans, New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s executive director Zarin Mehta and Singapore’s Esplanade CEO Be
Madrid opens major Marc Chagall exhibition

TheaterFeb 14, 2012

MADRID (AFP) ― Spain on Tuesday opens one of the most extensive Marc Chagall exhibitions ever mounted, a feat that organizers say will not be repeated for many years.From canvasses peopled with peasants, musicians and circus characters to illustrations of books and fables, a broad sweep of the Russian master’s works is on show in Madrid.“It is extremely rare to have so many masterpieces together, to bring together so many paintings from all over the world is something that won’t happen again for
K-pop's popularity in Europe amazes girl group T-ara

MusicFeb 14, 2012

South Korea's top girl group T-ara said they could hardly believe their eyes when they were besieged by fans seeking their autographs during a performance tour in Paris early this month."It was such an amazing experience because all we wished in the past was to rise to the top of a local pop music c
Is it a man’s world? Berlin film festival asks

FilmFeb 14, 2012

BERLIN (AFP) ― Does the world treat men and women differently? Drag king pioneer Diane Torr not only believes so but in an experiment in front of the camera empowers women to test out her theory.The documentary “Man For A Day,” which has premiered at the Berlin film festival, follows a group of very different women who sign up for a workshop on how to assume the persona of a man.“Gender is a culture-given thing, it’s not natural,” German director Katarina Peters told AFP of her just over 90-minu
Drug use might have killed Whitney Houston

TheaterFeb 14, 2012

As fans await autopsy results that may not come for weeks, speculation raged Monday that pop legend Whitney Houston may have died from a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol. A T-shirt, flowers and notes are left at a makeshift memorial for Whitney Houston outside the Beverly Hills Hilt
‘Barriers of artistic institutions coming down’

TheaterFeb 13, 2012

Director of audiences and media at London’s Tate galleries talks about communicating with public in digital eraThe audience is completely changing, said Marc Sands, director of Audiences and Media at Britain’s Tate, just as it was when Tate Modern opened in 2000. “That was the moment when the audience changed both in terms of numbers and the type of people that came. Tate Modern brought contemporary art from the fringes of culture to the mainstream,” said Sands at a press conference on Monday at
Paik Hae-sun to return to Korea for recitals

MusicFeb 13, 2012

Paik Hae-sun, one of Korea’s favorite pianists, is well-known for her powerful and large-scale performances that produce great enthusiasm among audience members. The 46-year-old artist, who left the country in a surprise move seven years ago to concentrate on her performances, says her new life in New York has changed her and her music.“I used to give dramatic comparison during the recitals, but now I want to play the music with my free spirit and my life full of experiences and feelings,” Paik
Overseas quiz games aim to help spread Hallyu

Feb 13, 2012

South Korea will hold a round of quiz games in about 20 nations with questions and answers on the “Korean Wave,” in its latest effort to raise global awareness of Korean pop culture, officials said Monday.In a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave or “Hallyu” in Korean, South Korean TV dramas, movies
British Bob Marley documentary electrifies Berlin

FilmFeb 13, 2012

BERLIN (AFP) - A hotly awaited documentary on Bob Marley has premiered to cheers at the Berlin film festival, tracking his journey from bullied biracial Jamaican boy to reggae superstar.“Marley” by Oscar-winning Scottish film-maker Kevin Macdonald is a two-and-half-hour-long tribute to a child of the Kingston ghettos who made reggae a global phenomenon by the sheer force of his talent and charisma.“For me, Bob is really one of the greatest cultural figures of 20th century. I don‘t think anyone i
Streep and ‘The Artist’ triumph at Britain‘s BAFTA awards

FilmFeb 13, 2012

LONDON (AFP) - Silent movie “The Artist” and US actress Meryl Streep continued their march towards Oscar glory on Sunday after scooping top awards at the BAFTAs, the biggest night of the British film industry.At a celebrity-packed ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London, “The Artist” won seven gongs including best film, best director and best original screenplay for Michel Hazanavicius and best actor for Frenchman Jean Dujardin.Dujardin -- who is also nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal
Adele sweeps 6 Grammy Awards

MusicFeb 13, 2012

Whitney Houston’s death casts shadow on awards show as performers pay tributeLOS ANGELES (AP) ― Adele, who captured the world’s heart with an album about a broken romance, emerged as the top winner at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, winning six trophies including the prestigious trifecta of record, song and album of the year.The singer, who also made a triumphant comeback from vocal cord surgery on the Grammy stage, sobbed as she won the night’s final award, album of the year, for “21.’’ It was last yea
Actor Cho to teach at university

FilmFeb 13, 2012

Actor Cho Jae-hyun will teach at Sungshin Women’s University’s College of Convergence Arts, the school announced last week.The 46-year-old will be teaching two acting courses ― basic acting and “acting and documentaries” ― starting next month at the school’s department of acting for visual media. The Convergence Arts College was founded last year, with Son Seung-hwan, CEO of PMC Production and the producer of homegrown hit musical “Nanta,” taking charge as its president.Cho, who holds a master’s