From Memories of Murder (courtesy Film at Lincoln Center)
One of the most exciting post-Cold War artistic explosions has been happening in South Korea. While perhaps best-known currently for its music industry, Korean film has gradually but dramatically increased in stature, particularly over the past decade. This year, Parasite became the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes before going on to break box office records.
Film at Lincoln Center is celebrating the roots of the new wave of Korean cinema with its screening series Relentless Invention, which showcases films released between 1996 and 2003. Two early films by Bong Joon-ho, the director of Parasite, are featured (Barking Dogs Never Bite and Memories of Murder), as are many works by his acclaimed countrymen, including Hong Sang-soo (The Day a Pig Fell into the Well), Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), and Jeong Jae-eun (Take Care of My Cat). One of the best NYC retrospective line-ups of the year, it features action films, thrillers, romantic comedies, outrageous sci-fi, horror, and melodrama alike. If you want to know how one little film industry got to the point where it produced Parasite, you have no excuse but to check this out.
When: Friday, November 22 through Wednesday, December 4
Where: Film at Lincoln Center (165 West 65th Street, Lincoln Center, Manhattan)
More info at Film at Lincoln Center.
