I wandered down to
the University of Toronto, Innis Town Hall, this afternoon to see a screening
from the World Wide Short Film Festival, which is playing here until Sunday.
The
screening was dubbed “Korean Film School Showcase” and featured 8 shorts from
students at the Korean National University of Arts. It would be fair to say Korea is producing some of the most talented directors out there these days, so you would think Korean film students would be right on the cutting edge. However, while there were a couple good films in this batch, overall I was disappointed. Films here were based on some pretty tried and true themes and visual presentations. My ratings below.
the University of Toronto, Innis Town Hall, this afternoon to see a screening
from the World Wide Short Film Festival, which is playing here until Sunday.
The
screening was dubbed “Korean Film School Showcase” and featured 8 shorts from
students at the Korean National University of Arts. It would be fair to say Korea is producing some of the most talented directors out there these days, so you would think Korean film students would be right on the cutting edge. However, while there were a couple good films in this batch, overall I was disappointed. Films here were based on some pretty tried and true themes and visual presentations. My ratings below.
| Painter |
| Two painters – one of art and the other of buildings – set wearily to their separate tasks. Although seemingly unconnected, the two painters become increasingly interested in each other, and soon their work, and ambitions, overlap. Rating: 2 out of 5. While visually interesting; the story was sadly predictable. |
|
Eclipse
A man
escapes the anguish of his reality by looking back upon the dreams of his childhood in this stream of vivid animation. Rating: 2 out of 5. It was like, huh? I’ll give it a 2 simply for the initial flashback with its animation and blue deers. |
|
Bravo! Mr Kim
The
aging Mr. Kim is penniless and under pressure from his landlord for overdue rent. After a valiant effort to raise the funds himself, he visits his son. But can he allow himself to become a burden to his family? Rating: 2 out of 5. This short had plenty of potential but was ruined by an afterthought ending…. did the students run out of money??? Well acted and beautifully shot, it shows what impact a poor ending can have on a movie-goer. |
| A Luminous Monkey – Cocore |
|
This stylish music video with seamless special effects features a
performance by Cocore, a famous indie rock band in South Korea. Rating: 2 out of 5. Essentially a music video with the lead singer walking a very long hallway with – literally – a head in his hand. Will he ever find the body the head goes with? Do we really care? Only redeemed because of a good song and the cute drummer from Cocore. |
| An Artistic Presentation of Metaphysical Butterfly Effect |
| A boy in search of his identity is helped by his unconventional Uncle, who introduces him to a way of thinking that illuminates the hidden connections between things. Rating: 5 out of 5. Proof some brilliant work is still being done in Korea. Gorgeous marriage of animation and live action. Funny, endearing, moving, wholly satisfying … and you just gotta love the title. The premise here is the six degrees of separation theme. |
| A Perfect Red Snapper Dish (Wan-byuck-han do-mi-yo-ri) |
| In this delicious black comedy, an anal retentive chef becomes a mad scientist as he conjures up a meticulously perfect dish. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go quite right the first time and he must try again – and again. Rating: 4 out of 5. Another winner. Ending a little hokey but the scenes prior to it make up for it. Good laughs and good cooking … well, sort of. |
| A Cat and I (Go-yang-iee-wa na) |
| An orphaned cat, rescued by a little girl, returns the favour when a family argument threatens to get out of control. Rating: 2 out of 5. Strange piece, perhaps better shortened down and used as an awareness campaign for children caught in situations of neglect. |
| Radio Dreams |
|
A special radio that enables the living and the
dead to communicate draws a diverse group of people together to converse with their dearly departed. Their longings, lamentations and regrets are played out, with unexpected results. Rating: 3 out of 5. A take on the Sixth Sense concept, where we realize the characters pulled together to speak with their dearly departed actually are the dearly departed. Friday is my next screening … a midnight madness of “creepy” shorts. Typhoons Dragon
Boating Practice + 2 days Sister team (read: B
team) to the most excellent Cyclones Dragon Boat Team, Typhoons held their first team practice Monday night at down at Ashbridges Bay.  I’m now 2 days out
from this practice and still have a couple muscles none to happy with me. Can you say epsom salt bath. Regardless, it was lovely to be out on the water – albeit exercising vigorously – as the sun set. My boatmates all seem great and Coaches Vince and Morgan know what they’re doing. One thing that’s
fascinating is just how different the dragon boat paddle stroke is from your typical canoe stroke. I’ve spent a fair amount of time backcountry canoeing in Algonquin Park and think my lazy J-stroke paddling habit will prove the most difficult thing to overcome.
|
AppsScraps 
unfortunately i did not….but i did get a new car :o)…oh and neked cycling…hotttt…hahahaha but seems too uncomfy and i wouldn’t want to do that on my bike hahaha
Koreans are hot..oh the directors are talented..Korean soap operas are so popular here. That Korean guy with the Hot bod took off over asia so quickly..wow..Maybe one day everyone will be eating Kim Chee everyday.
korean movies and soap operas have been widely popular in asia in the last little while.korean actors and actresses have gained much fame and recognition in movieland.my experience with korean productions is that they’re rather slow in pace, though sometimes romantic and intenseperhaps in a few more years, korean film students will find their own way and shine.
ryc: i’d love to go. friday & saturday happen to be my dayoffs.i appreciate if you could drop me a line via email (meoni@hotmail.com)so we can make arrangement. TKS!
Like all other cultures or societies…not all films are good. I don’t watch much Korean, but I think they’ve improved over time. And yes, dragon boat, I’m still thinking whether I should go this year…haven’t been to one for a long long time now. =)
oh and when i say.. learning by eating. I usually don’t eat the whole thing. I place the dish infront of me.. and i stare at it.. mainly because i need to trance out from everything around me.. and then i slowly break apart the dish with my fork and knifes to see how it was constructed.. the doneness of the steak, salmon, chicken or anything.. if the veg is blanched, sauted or steamed.. .. does it have butter and garlic coded? does it have seasoning? the tetture and the density of the sauce, the color and the smell. aroma that each or every thing gives off.. alll that goes into the deconstruction of a dish before I eat it. and I 1st eat a piece of a main attraction.. say it’s Poach Salmon. I would break off a piece and try it. to see if it was poached with any specific flavour poaching liquid… or fish stock with herbs. aka Nage. and then i would have another piece but this time with a bit of everything that’s on the plate. to see why the creator of this dish, wanted corainder seeds, lemon confit or just specific flavours. and then yeah.. most of the time. i only end up eating half.. but that’s only if i am trying to understand something..
i don’t really read culinary artisry that much.. it’s more like a reference book that i use.. the way how i connect and learn about cooking is simply just by eating.. and understanding why some flavours match so well and why not. with all the cook books that i have, i ‘ve never actualy made any dishes from it.. i usually just glance over the recipes and look at hte pictures of the dishes.. seeing how each other ingrident is used in what aspect and the placements of each shape and color. like now.. i can copy down a recipe without instructions on how to cook it. and just by looking at the picture of the final dish.. i could prettty much understand the step by step with the ingridents.
Ooh, Korean!
RYC: Can you…get him out of jail, then?