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The National Korean Film Council (KOFIC), republic of Korea Centrum for Korean studies – University of Sofia “Sv. Kliment Ohridski”, National Academy for Theatrical and Film Art “Kr. Sarafov” and Andronika Martonova present Focus “Korean cinema” on three films with three discussions.

Empty House
2004, 95min dir. Kim Ki-Dok

“We all are empty houses, waiting impatiently the one who will find us and release us” Kim Ki- Dok

“The empty house” is a story about the lacks and the missing things, which transform our souls in empty houses, in which no one lives, no one comes, and no one expects nobody. This is a story about the longing for love and freedom. The homeless Te Sok lives like a phantom – he lives in the other people`s houses while they are away. He never steals. On the contrary – he fixes some of the things, he does the washing or some reparation works. And so one day, in one empty house he meets the beautiful Son Hua. And the life of both of them changes in a strange, mysterious way.

Official site: http://www.binjip.co.kr/

Untold Scandal
2002, 124min dir. I Jay-ion

„Untold scandal” is an astonishing screen interpretation of the classical French novel “Dangerous relationships” by Shaderlo de Laklo „Опасни връзки” I Jay-on moves the action in Middle-Age Korea, in the ages of Choson dynasty.

The film has a great success in Korea and brings over $5 million after the first four days on the silver screen. They call the director a rising star of the Korean cinema. Other films of I Jay-ion are: Homo Videocus(1990), Novel (1998), Asako with the red shoes (2000).

Official site:http://www.thescandal.co.kr/

Raging years
2004, 105min dir. Im Kuon-tek

„Raging years”is a glance at the past, the world of the gangsters – the 50-s and the 60-s. A film, filled with social critics and nostalgia – two sentimental areas which are very different, but sometimes cross and enter in conflict with each other. The veteran of the korean cinema Im Kuon-tek has created a great action. This year he received the award of honours “The golden bear” at the Berlin festival for special contribution to the world cinema. „Raging years”is nominated for “Golden lion” at the festival in Venice.

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Lections and discussions:

1. East, West, Cultures and Cinema
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Ignatovski

Born in 1942. Graduated NATFA “Kr. Sarafov” in Sofia and Russian Academy of Theatre Arts GITIS in Moscow, professor, PhD in Art Studies. He has worked in ‘Bulgaria National Film Archive’, The Union of Bulgarian Film Makers, Boyana Film Studios, Bulgarian Culture Institute – Berlin, Radio 99, Radio Chanel Kom, Bulgarian National Television, currently –a tutor at NATFA “Kr. Sarafov” , observer for ‘Politika’ newspaper. Author of numerous articles in theatre, cinema, television, massmedia. Author of 6 books.

2. The Korean cinema – attempt of a portrait of a success
3. Aesthetics, religious-philosophic elements and neo-traditionalism in the modern korean cinema.
Andronika Martonova

Film cric, specialized in Asian cinema, head of the culture department in ‘PARI’ newspaper – “Pari Weekend”. Born in 26.03.1974 in the Chech Republic. Graduates in “Film & TV Critical Studies” in NATFA “Krustio Sarafov”. Currently She’s covering her PhD degree in ‘recent asian cinema’ in Bulgarian Academy of Sciences(BAS) – Institute of Art Studies. Tutor at NATFA: assistant of prof. Vladimir Ignatovski in “Film & TV Critical Studies”.Guest – lecturer at Sofia Unversity St. Kliment Ohridski.

Leader of the project
Проф. дфн Александър Федотов

Aleksander Fedotov is born 6th of March 1956 in Novosibirsk.In 1979 He graduates The St. Petersburg State University faculty of ‘East laguages and cultures’ Aleksander Fedotov is member of International Association of Tibetan Studies (IATS), International Association for Mongol Studies (IAMS), Association for Korean Studies in Europe (AKSE). Aleksander Fedotov has taken part with scientific projects in international congresses and conferences in tibetan studies, mongol studies, korean studies, altai studies and oriental studies in Bilgaria, Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Australia, India, Russia, Hungary, Germany, Swiccerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Israel, The Chech Republic, Turkey and others. He has 30 books – monographies and translations of original essays in korean, old tibetan, old mongol, mongol and english published in Bulgaria and abroad (India, China, Mongolia, Great Britain) in bulgarian and english.

The program Focus “Korean cinema” on three film in three discussions is a part of the project Interpretation of the traditional Korean cultural values in the modern Korean cinema, which has received in march 2005 a subsidy for scientific research at the KOFIC. The project is an attempt for a portrait of the unique style of the Korean traditional cinematography.

Principal aims of the analysis:
the continuity between the cinema aesthetics and the aesthetics of the traditional Korean painting
the basic categories from the Korean spiritual tradition
han, nim, chong, mot, hung and the modern cinema.
the interpretation of philosophical and religious elements by the directors of The republic of Korea
the conflict between the values of the old and the new in the modern films
the continuity between the Korean folklore and the cinema
traditional Korean symbols ant metaphors in cinema
the dialogue between the cinematographers.

Leader of the project:
Prof. Alexander Fedotov – deputy-rector of the University of Sofia, director of the Centrum for East Languages and Cultures, deacon of “Korean studies”.
Observer, consultant and editor:
Prof. dr. Vladimir Ignatovski – NATFA
Researcher and coordinator of the project:
As. Andronika Martonova – BSA, section “Cinema and television”

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