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This is a very special year for Korean cinema and Brussels could not let the date go blank. A century ago, on October 27, 1919, the director Kim Do-san launched the first Korean film “Fight for Justice” at the Dansungsa Theater in Seoul. One hundred years later, on May 25, the director Bong Joon-ho would receive world recognition in France for his dark comic thriller "Parasite". For the first time, the Cannes Film Festival was awarding a Korean film with their best prize, the Golden Palm.


Taking into account these cinema achievements, the Belgian capital welcomed the 7th edition of the Korean Film Festival from October 31 to November 9. Marking 100 years of Korean cinema, the program was designed to draw a full portrait of South Korea, including classics and modern films, passing by action, animation, documentary, thriller and short films. Three beautiful and central locations in Brussels were chosen to host the festival: the Palais des Beaux-Arts (Bozar), Cinema Galeries and Cinematheque Luxembourg.


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The Korean Film Festival gets more and more popular in Brussels. The event organizer, the Korean Cultural Centre in Brussels, was attentive to their multicultural audience in Belgium and provided subtitles in French and Dutch, besides English. “I hope that the festival will encourage deeper and broader understanding, communication, and exchange between cultures,” explained Korean Cultural Centre of Belgium and European Union, Choi Young Jin.


The Brussels Film festival chose to show the diversity of Korean culture through a selection of 18 films. Different styles were exhibited, such as the comedy "The Foul King" by Kim Jee-woon; the thriller "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" by Park Chan-wook; and the historical dramas "Seopyeonje" by Im Kwon-taek and "A Resistance" by Cho Min Ho. Seopyeonje's session was followed by a Pansori concert, the Korean traditional art of music storytelling, performed by Janggu students and singers from the cultural center in Brussels.


Contemporary films took part of the festival with the documentaries "The Sea of Itami Jun"; "Family in the bubble"; the thriller "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil"; and the animation "Princess Aya". After each session, the audience had fun evaluating the Korean films from 1 to 5 by sticking adhesive labels on frames.

Moreover, two sessions were honored by the presence of their directors, such as "Motel Rose & Cocoon" by Yeo Eun-a and "My Name is Kim Bok-dong" by Song Won-Geun. After the film screening, the Belgians had the chance to introduce questions and hear Korean directors insights.

The importance of hosting a Korean Film Festival in Brussels, capital of most of European Union institutions, was also highlighted by Festival directors from Korea. “Through Brussels Korean Film Festival, K-culture fans in Europe will enjoy a broader exchange of culture and foster their creativity and global competitiveness,” said Bucheon International Animation Festival director, Seo Chehwan.


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“Korean Film Festival offers a precious opportunity for Korean documentarists to meet foreign audiences,” considered DMZ International Documentary Film Festival director, Hong Hyung-sook. “I do believe that a documentary film serves as a mirror to reflect a society from various angles. In this sense, I hope that more documentaries will be screened so that viewers can have a better understanding of Korean culture,” concluded him.


For those who missed the Korean Film festival, there is still time to catch up with Korean's 7th art. Every Friday evening at 7.30 PM, the Korean Cultural Center in Brussels screens a new movie reminding the audience of something meaningful with each film.


Korea.net