On November 2nd, the London Korean Film Festival returns for its 18th iteration, and features an astonishing 40 films. As you’ve likely come to expect, the festival is broken into multiple strands: the usual Cinema Now, looking at the latest films to come from Korean filmmakers, and the Women’s Voices focus. This year sees two new strands: celebrating 40 years of the Korean Academy of Film Arts, and Korea Season.
Korea Season will be looking at disability in films, and will also be showcasing young and upcoming talent, while the KAFA 40 Years strand will feature 4 films and a number of shorts, which look at the changes and developments in Korean society, notably youths.
The opening film A Normal Family, based on the Dutch novel The Dinner, is a domestic drama about two brothers: a defence attorney whose client killed a man with his car, and a paediatrician who priotises the health of his patients over anything. As the novels’ title suggests, the film revolves around one particular family dinner where the conscience of both men, and their teenage children, will be tested.
Closing the gala, on November 16th, is a wildly different story. Dr Cheon and the Lost Talisman is a comedy action film about a fake exorcist who finds himself facing a real demonic possession, and looks like the perfect post-festival mint, especially after what looks to be some excellent, but likely quite heavy subjects over the previous two weeks.
But those are the films everyone will be wanting to see (get tickets before they sell out). So here are ten others to check out this year.
- Phantom (2023)
Based on,Mai Jia’s 2007 novel of the same name Phantom is a tense spy thriller, set during the 1933 Japanese invasion of Korea. Five people suspected of being the “Phantom” , a spy for the Japanese, are trapped inside a hotel to be interrogated, and must fight to free themselves. - Innocent Witness (2019)
A drama that follows the relationship between lawyer Soon-ho and autistic student Ji-woo, who is the only witness to a murder case. Soon-ho attempts to befriend her in order for her testify in court, to prove his client’s innocence. - Hail to Hell (2022)
One I’m personally looking forward to the most, Hail to Hell sits firmly within my favourite genre: the black comedy. Two young women scrap their suicide pact when they discover their bully is living a happy life, and instead plan to wreak vengeance on the person who ruined their lives. It’s a directorial debut for Lim Oh-jeong, and sets to be a blast. - Mother Land (2022)
Maybe worth checking out just for its style, Mother Land is Korea’s first stop motion film in forty-five years. It tells of a girl from a nomadic tribe of the tundra who takes off on an adventure to save her sick mother. If you see just one, this might be the one to check out, if only for novelty and visual flair. - Table for Two (2022)
One of the few documentaries this year, Table for Two tells of a mother and daughter, and their struggles when the daughter’s anorexia reaches critical point. Kim Bo-ram, experienced in telling women’s stories, offers a moving look at how women’s bodies are perceived by themselves, and outsiders. - A Letter from Kyoto (2022)
Part of the Indie Talent part of the Korea Season strand, A Letter from Kyoto delves into all the complicated tension, affection and misunderstanding that can exist among three grown sisters and their mother. - The Summer (2023)
Another animated film, this time 2D. Two schoolgirls, a bookish, quiet type and a popular football player, develop a romance as they end adolescence and enters into adulthood. The Summer is the depiction of a queer romance shaped by the conditions of the world and personal ambitions. - Walk Up (2022)
Hong Sang-soo is practically a staple of the LKFF, and this year he doesn’t disappoint, bringing more black-and-white stories of the everyday, this time focusing on a filmmaker and his estranged daughter. - Open the Door (2022)
A tightly-written neo-noir told in five reverse-order episodes, Open the Door tells of the disintegrating lives of a migrant Korean family across two generations in New Jersey, and of the secrets that are buried and the memories dredged up. - Greenhouse (2023)
Lee Sol-hui’s debut feature sees a mother whose son is in a youth detention centre attempting to change her life for the better. Currently living in a greenhouse, she attempts to raise funds to move into a real house, working as a caregiver. Things are bound to take a darker turn in this moody crime drama.
Like I said, though, there are tonnes of films this year, but I can’t write about all of them. Check out the entire listings here.
The Festival runs from November 2nd to November 16th, at various locations in London.
The Asian Cinema Critic 