Im Kwon-taek

Once at a pagoda Mongryong Lee, a scion of a well-to-do family, meets Chunhyang, the young daughter of a courtesan and an aristocrat. Despite her low social standing she is smart and well-educated. The young people fall in love and think about marriage so that they could always be together. Mongryong is soon to go to the capital to take the state civil service exam. They part and in Chunhyang's life there appears the greedy and lustful Byun Hak-do, who tries to seduce her.

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A young woman is tricked into prostitution, thinking she is going to sell beverages at a village store. She soon learns about the dark world of Korea's red-light districts, where their pimps and society exploit her.

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While awaiting the publication of his fairytale about his dementia-stricken octogenarian mother, an acclaimed South Korean novelist receives news that she has passed away, so he leaves the city and returns to her village to take part in the funeral.

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Based on the great river story, The Taebaek Mountains chronicles the lasting generational conflict between proprietors and peasants in South Korea.

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The 1930s. Wishing to pass down his knowledge, the father teaches his children to sing Pansori. The elder daughter and the younger son become professional singers but time has changed and people are no longer interested in folk singing. The younger boy gives up on his studies and runs away from home. Fearful that the daughter might do the same, the father blinds her. The blind girl continues to practice with great diligence and achieves perfection in this art. Years pass, the brother is roaming the world in search of his sister and eventually finds her. All night long they sing together sharing their memories.

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Following the final events of General's Son 2, Kim Du-han is forced to go on the lam but eventually returns to Jongro where he attempts to rebuild his gang with the brothers that are still alive and loyal and defeat Hayashi's Yakuzas once and for all.

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In mid-19th Century Korea, the people of Joseon Dynasty embrace the new religion Donghak. After the founder is executed, Choi Si-hyeong becomes Donghak’s second-generation leader and successfully propagates the religion, but in doing so becomes the object of oppression by the royal court.

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Upon being released from prison, Kim Du-han begins rebuilding his street gang in the face of Hayashi's Yakuzas and increasing Japanese influence.

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In Japanese-occupied South Korea, a young man, newly-released from prison, is accepted into a gang for his fighting skills and quickly rises to the top. Based on the life of South Korean mobster and politician Kim Du-han.

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Schoolgirl Sun Nyog suffers from pain and hardships, life and the world around her confuse the girl. Her father, a Buddhist monk, left them, the mother has totally neglected her daughter while her lover harasses the girl. One winter day Sun Nyog goes to the temple. She decides to study Buddhism and is ordained as a nun. In 1989 the film participated in the MIFF competition and won the Bronze St. George for Best Actress.

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A documentary covering the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.

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A historical drama about the life of Prince Yeonsan of Joseon,.

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A barren noblewoman encourages her husband to take a young peasant as a surrogate to secure the male line.

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Young-hwan who is the descendant of a fallen noble family takes pure and innocent Adada as his wife. Because of Young-hwan's selfish desires, Adada seeks out her childhood friend Su-ryong. But he, too, becomes a slave to desire. Adada protests and dies by drowning.

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The lives of the women working in a "café" in a South Korean port town, where customers exchange tickets for services.

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A middle-aged woman in Busan searches for the son she lost in Gilsodom during the Korean War.

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In Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, a young man is forced to marry the king's daughter despite being betrothed to another woman, triggering a series of tragic events.

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A man married to a Christian, but from a shamanistic upbringing, attempts to come to terms with the spirit of his mother who visits him in dreams.

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In 1980s South Korea, a former cop, now in destitution, is placed in a rehabilitation center, where, by chance, he finds the Communist guerilla who had eluded his capture more than 30 years ago.

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A beleaguered cabbie accompanies a mysterious and moody woman on an eventful journey across South Korea to find her long-lost lover.

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A young South Korean woman moves to an isolated mountain village, where all of the villagers are related except for a mysterious vagabond, to take up her first teaching post.

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Abengo Corps is under the direct control of headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. In order to conceal the Inchon Landing Operation, Abengo is assigned to the Wonsan Landing Operation as a decoy mission. With the operation soon at hand, the members of this operation go on a special vacation to Busan. Among them is Il-gyu. He meets with Bae Su-na, a refugee, and they spend a passionate, touching night of love together. The members perform their duties as ordered. Lieutenant Colonel Koh receives a coded message from the headquarters. Koh realizes that his men are a diversion for the Inchon Landing Operation. Lieutenant Koh is angered and resentful. And Lieutenant Sung is chosen to enter the battle instead of Lieutenant Colonel Koh. During the January 4 Retreat, Lieutenant Sung meets Su-na, who has had Il-gyu's son. Lieutenant Sung helps her out.

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Kwon Dal-ho is a teacher who wants to make his 3rd grade class the best. Yu-dae becomes the class representative and Ki-pyo, the leader of the ten troublesome students who’ve been held back, transfers to his class to the chagrin of the other kids…

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A story that follows the lives and interactions of two Buddhist monks living in South Korea.

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After the war, a journalist investigates a Communist leader in South Korea.

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Mrs. Han who argues with her husband about living expenses. She unexpectedly earns 5 million won over an apartment she sold and becomes a speculator. She teams up with some slanderers and makes big money then soon dissolved into pleasure with men around her. Finally, slanderers trick her and she is broke and nearly mad. The police catches the speculators and they show no regrets. When the verdict is announced, they finally see their wrong doings.

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There is trouble in a fishing village on a remote southern island. The catch has been meagre and Wang-nyeoni, the local shaman, is on strike: she refuses to perform a ritual to turn fortunes around. In flashback we learn how she married into a shaman (dang-gol) family, tried her best to help her husband succeed as fisherman, but found both their lives blighted by Pan-su, the village boss and main ship-owner. After agreeing to return to duty, blessing the fishing fleet, Wang-nyeoni will serve up cold revenge in spectacular style.

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In an effort to erase his disgrace, the mischievous Kim Hwan starts a movement to build birdnests but the old park keeper gets injured in his efforts. In order to get money for the park keeper's hospital fees, Hwan gets on his friend Chil-sung's boat to catch some fish. However, Hwan gets caught up in the tide and drifts off to sea where he is rescued by a Chinese ship. The Chinese ship tries to take Hwan to North Korea but Hwan resists with an anti-Communist will so strong he's willing to die. Hwan is safely returned to his home country. At the airport, Hwan's friends bring the old park keeper who is in a cast. They receive Hwan with beautiful music and performances.

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During the Japanese occupation of South Korea, a Japanese bureaucrat is ordered to persuade an influential Korean patriarch into obeying the law of changing his Korean surname to a Japanese one.

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Movie meets humanities! This talk show/variety show for movie enthusiasts features interesting discussions by a writer and two movie directors where film and humanities intertwine.

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A partially restored version of Director Im Kwon-taek's Bhiksuni, which was halted in 1984 due to opposition from the Buddhist community. It contains the agony of a woman who has converted to Buddhism. The documentary, which is shown together with the partially restored version, contains the story of the production of Bhiksuni told by actress Kim Ji-mi, director Im Kwon-taek, cinematographer Jung Il-sung, and writer Song Gil-han.

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Young is a nameless actor who dreams of becoming a big movie star. Then one day, he makes his breakthrough with a film and becomes a star overnight.

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After the film screening, five people hold a meeting. Director Jeong asserts that a film should move the heart. Actress Soo-yeon emphasizes on the message of the film, Film critic Tony just discusses about the current trend of Korean cinema. Tomiyama cannot fully express her thoughts because of the language barrier. And, the head of jury, Sung-ki can’t control the situation. Will this jury reach an agreement against all odds? A satire for those who make, watch, and criticize films is about to begin.

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Director Chung Ji-Young criticizes the thought that older directors have difficulties in making certain movies. Actress Yoon Jin-Seo agonizes over her identity as an actress. In 2009, before the movie "Unbowed" was made, they met and planned a documentary about Korean movies, including the processes a Korean movie goes through and difficulites. "Ari Ari the Korean Cinema" is a documentary with interviews of Korean directors, actors and actresses.

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Discover the roots of Korean cinema. A cinema who surprised by the success recorded in the major international festivals. Interviews to five famous Korean directors, to get to know closely the evolution of Korean cinema. Through their words, their pictures and their stories. The Korean cinema has tendency to describe both the society, the past and the modern. The world of west cinema knows these directors through the journey of some of their movies. What do we know about their thoughts, their life, their culture and their way of working? The documentary focus on it.

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South Korean cinema is in the throes of a creative explosion where mavericks are encouraged and masters are venerated. But from where has this phenomenon emerged? What is the culture that has yielded this range of filmmakers? With The Nine Lives of Korean Cinema, French critic, writer and documentarian Hubert Niogret provides a broad overview but, nevertheless, an excellent entry point into this unique type of national cinema that still remains a mystery for many people. The product of a troubled social and political history, Korean cinema sports an identity that is unique in much modern film. Niogret's documentary tells of the country's cinematic history - the ups along with the downs - and gives further voice to the artists striving to express their concerns, fears and aspirations.

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A personal consideration of the Korean cinema by director Jang Sun-Woo, looking at it’s history of outside influence and censorship.

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A depiction of the life and fate of a physically weak woman who has strong maternal love.

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