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A scene from Lee Don-ku’s “Fatal” (BIFF) |
Three Korean films have been invited to the upcoming Berlinale’s Panorama section. The section features new independent and art house films that deal with “controversial subjects or unconventional aesthetic styles.”
One of the three films is director E J-yong’s “Behind the Camera,” which tells the story of an eccentric filmmaker and 14 actors and actresses who work with him on a film project.
The movie premiered at last year’s Busan International Film Festival and received positive reviews from the local press. Its cast includes veteran actress Yoon Yeo-jung, actor Oh Jeong-se and actresses Kim Min-hee, Kang Hye-jung and Choi Hwa-jung.
Filmmaker Leesong Hee-il’s queer film “White Night,” as well as Lee Don-ku’s low-budget crime drama “Fatal” have been included in the lineup. While “White Night” deals with a brief romance between a male flight attendant and a delivery man, “Fatal” tells the story of a teenager who is coerced by his schoolmates into raping a woman. He runs into his victim 10 years later, when he is in his late 20s.
“Fatal” was premiered at last year’s BIFF and received rave reviews for its strong narrative and character development.
Meanwhile, director Shin Su-won’s drama “Pluto” has been invited to the festival’s Generation section, which features works that are aimed at children and young people.
The film deals with a group of high-school students, who get the best grades in the class, determined to do anything to get into the nation’s top universities. Director Shin, who used to work as a teacher, created young characters who take brutal measures against their rivals at school.
Last month, the festival announced the lineup for its competition section, which included local director Hong Sang-soo’s latest work “Nobody’s Daughter Haewon.” The film shows a few days in the life of a young woman who is left behind by her mother when she goes off to Canada.
BIFF founding director Kim Dong-ho’s directing debut piece, “Jury,” also has been invited to the festival’s non-competition section.
The Berlin Film Festival opens with Wong Kar Wai’s epic martial arts drama “The GrandMaster.” The film is set against the backdrop of tumultuous 1930s China and features the life of Chinese martial arts fighter Yip Man, who also taught Bruce Lee. The film’s star-studded cast includes Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi and Korean actress Song Hye-gyo.
The 63rd Berlin International Film Festival runs from Feb. 7 to 17.
By Claire Lee (
dyc@heraldcorp.com)
