In recent years, South Korean cinema has captivated audiences worldwide, transcending language barriers with its unique blend of storytelling, innovation, and artistry. Far from being newcomers to the industry, Korean filmmakers have been been honing their craft for decades. From the groundbreaking brilliance of “Parasite,” which made history at the Oscars, to the intense political…
Captured on grainy black-and-white film, surrounded by the roar of a stadium, a broken Olympian cast his gaze down to his feet. Looking utterly humiliated while clutching a laurel plant to his chest, the Korean Gold Medalist hears the anthem of a country that’s not his own. And so we start, on the “Road to…
It’s not often that deep anger lingers after watching a cinematic blockbuster. But “1212: The Day” viscerally draws out that emotion by illuminating a darkly pivotal moment in Korean politics. Namely, it gives an eyewitness account of the nine-hour military coup that took place on December 12th 1979, roughly six weeks after the assassination of…
Who hasn’t wondered, What if? “Past Lives” tells a remarkably tender story of the quiet devastation that can remain when people leave. In Celine Song’s film, it’s the engineer who’s the dreamer and the playwright who prefers decisions based on practicality over possibility. In Song’s world, the sweep of in-yun, or fate, is introduced by…
On the 73rd anniversary of the Korean War, “Ode to My Father” (2014) stands as one of the most moving films about a war that divided thousands of families caught in the crosshairs in the battle for Korea. It was reported earlier this month that approximately 16,000 elderly South Koreans have died over the past…
“The Berlin File” opens dramatically with an arms deal gone bad in this classic thriller that should absolutely be dug out of Netflix’s treasure trove of an archive. Trust us, you won’t regret it. In “The Berlin File”, bad only scratches the surface of a multinational rat’s nest of spies that slowly gets untangled throughout…
A list of this year’s 2021 Baeksang Award winners has been released! All the nominated Korean dramas are currently available to stream in many regions but the films are not yet available as of this writing. Here are this year’s Film & Television winner and nominee highlights with links for where to watch the ones…
Oscar nominations were announced this morning, with Korean American film Minari receiving six nominations overall, including best picture and the first nomination in history for an Asian American lead actor for Steven Yeun. Also nominated for excellence in acting was Youn Yuh-jung, who became the first Korean performer to be nominated for best supporting actress…
The annual Korean Baeksang Awards (also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards) are the most popular and prestigious awards for film and television in South Korea. Similar to the Academy Awards, the Baeksang Awards have categories to present the best films, directors, actors and actresses, screenplays, etc. In addition to awarding films, awards also go the…
It’s looking like a great year for Korean American representation on screen as both Minari and Happy Cleaners becomes available for public viewing this week. A gritty realistic portrayal of the Korean American immigrant experience, Happy Cleaners details the experience of a second-generation Korean American family in Flushing, New York. Starting on February 12, Lunar…