Languages Archives: Korean

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Shorts 9: Family Friendly Animation – Better Together

  Various

  Canada, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United States     75 minutes

Synopsis

All ages are welcome in this family-friendly program, full of colorful films that celebrate play, encourage curiosity, and emphasize the importance of communal bonds. Featuring works by Shira Avni, Lena von Döhren, Eva Rust, Guillermo Casarin, Seungbae Jeon, Christian Kaufmann, João Rodrigues, Afnan Bawyan, Adriel Meka, and Mitra Shahidi.

Two One Two (Canada) offers a poetic and deeply personal glimpse into motherhood in the form of a gorgeous, glimmering two-headed monster. A gassy fish allies with other sea creatures to fend off a hungry seagull in the hilarious and melodious underwater tale POND (Switzerland). A girl connects with her Mayan heritage on a camping trip with her father that turns into an exciting adventure in Balam (Mexico, U.S.). Peek into the inner lives of batteries with the oddball charmer Battery Mommy (South Korea). After a tiger escapes from the zoo, a bored subway worker gets the surprise of a lifetime in Town Hall Square (Germany). A curious girl gets sucked into the bizarre and magical world of the book she is reading in Ana Morphose (Portugal). A woman attempts to overcome language barriers by preparing a cultural dish that takes on a life of its own in Saleeg (Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, Sweden). A friendly boy makes an unexpected connection when he attends a mysterious summer camp in Camp Kona (U.S.). In Starling (U.S.), a couple is visited by their child in her new spiritual form for a beautiful meditation on grief and eternal love.

 Arabic, English, Korean, Mayan, Spanish, Tigrinya, Urdu with subtitles 

Screenings & Events

Virtual Screening

This program will be available to stream from October 16 at 12:00pm CT to October 22 at 11:59pm CDT.

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A felt battery person uses a straw to blows bubbles in a bowl. Beside it are bubble wands, soap and water and big bubbles.

Battery Mommy [short film] 건전지 엄마

  Seungbae Jeon

  South Korea     9 minutes

Synopsis

Battery Mommy is the heartbeat of the nursery, powering its most beloved toys and essential devices. As the children take their afternoon nap on a chilly winter day, Battery Mommy suddenly discovers a horrifying sight—the Christmas tree in the nursery has caught fire.

This film screens as part of the Shorts 9: Family Friendly Animation – Better Together program.

  

 Korean with subtitles 

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A blurred image of two people walking down a beach, and another person with a camera on a tripod.

in water mul-an-e-seo

  Hong Sangsoo

  South Korea     61 minutes

Synopsis

Formally bold and endlessly rich, veteran director Hong Sangsoo offers up his most aesthetically daring work to date with in water. A trio of friends venture to Jeju Island to make a film: Seongmo, the director and a recently retired actor, doesn’t have a script, and isn’t sure what his film should be about. Together, the three wander in search of a story, hoping the island’s rocky landscape will prove inspirational.  Walking alone, Seongmo encounters a young woman picking up trash, which gives him the creative spark he needs.

Returning to his signature themes of cinema and self-reflection, Sangsoo skews the focus of his lens to create intentionally blurred, abstracted, breathtakingly beautiful images.The result is a profound meditation on the mysteries of art, inspiration, and the enigmatic nature of the creative process.

  

 Korean with subtitles 

A close up of a woman over a black and red backdrop.The film is preceded by The Daughters of Fire, in which a triptych of sisters sing about their suffering after the eruption of a volcano in Cape Verde. This short film by Pedro Costa represents a radical step forward in form and ambition for the singular Portuguese maestro.

Learn more about The Daughters of Fire

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Hong Sangsoo
  •   Hong Sangsoo
  •   Hong Sangsoo
  •   Hong Sangsoo
  •   Shin Seokho, Ha Seungguk, Kim Seungyun
  •   Hong Sangsoo
  •   Jeonwonsa Film Co.

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A group of men wearing winter coats, gather together while facing a crowd of people.

Concrete Utopia

  Um Tae-hwa

  South Korea     130 minutes

Synopsis

A massive earthquake has reduced Seoul to a battered post-apocalyptic snarl of twisted metal and collapsed rubble — except for one building, the Hwang Gung Apartments, the last vestige of civilization as far as the eye can see. Together with the rest of the building’s tenants, young couple Min-seong (Parasite’s Park Seo-jun) and Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young) must work together to restore order and plan for their survival, which turn out to be just the beginning of their troubles.

South Korea’s official submission for next year’s Oscars and a box-office smash in its home country, Concrete Utopia is a rollicking disaster epic that deftly mixes intimate psychological tensions with action-packed set pieces. Not unlike other recent South Korean hits, it’s a skillful combination of violence, thrills, and acerbic social commentary about authority, community, and the fine line that exists between heroes and villains, civility and savagery.

 Korean with subtitles 

Content Considerations
Potentially disturbing images of violence
Learn about Festival content considerations...

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Byun Seung-min
  •   Lee Shin-jin, Um Tae-hwa
  •   Han Mee-yeon
  •   Cho Hyoung-rae
  •   Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-jun, Park Bo-young
  •   Kim Hae-won
  •   Choi Byung-Hwan
  •   Cimax Studio

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Our Midnight A-wo Mi-deu-na-it

  Lim Jung-eun

  South Korea      2020    

Synopsis

Caught between pursuing his passion and settling for a “real” job, struggling actor Jihoon takes up a gig patrolling the streets of Seoul at night. A serendipitous meeting with Eunyoung, a kindred spirit also facing a personal crisis, turns into a reflective, intimate stroll through the city’s twilight hours. Beautiful black-and-white photography creates a stunning portrait of the city by night that is also a poetic meditation on love and life.

 Korean with subtitles 
  77 minutes

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