Koreans are back in Berlin with titles ranging from auteur Hong Sangsoo’s latest to superhero films, animation and debut features from rising talent.
Festival
in water
Dir. Hong Sangsoo
Following three consecutive Silver Bear-winning films in the Berlinale — The Woman Who Ran (2020), Introduction (2021) and The Novelist’s Film (2022) — director Hong’s latest work will world premiere in Encounters. The drama stars Shin Seokho, Ha Seongguk and Kim Seungyun, and centres on a young actor who sets out to direct a short film. He travels to an island with two former classmates and wanders, unsure of what to shoot, until he meets a woman picking up rubbish on the coast. It is produced by Jeonwonsa Film.
Contact: Finecut
Kill Boksoon
Dir. Byun Sung-hyun
Set to world premiere in Berlinale Special, this Netflix feature is written and directed by Byun, whose The Merciless premiered in Cannes’ Midnight Screenings in 2017. Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon (Secret Sunshine) stars as an assassin leading a double life as a mother raising a teenage daughter. She is thrown into battle when her two identities collide. Sul Kyung-gu (The Merciless), Kim Si-a (The Closet), Esom (Microhabitat) and Koo Kyo-hwan (Peninsula) also star. The film is produced by See At Film.
Contact: Netflix
Regardless Of Us
Dir. Yoo Heung-jun
This feature debut from director Yoo has its world premiere in Berlinale Forum. The drama stars Cho Hyunjin as a middle-aged actress recovering from a sudden stroke that prevented her from attending her film’s premiere. She becomes confused as a string of colleagues visit and share different impressions of the film, with puzzling stories unravelling when she sleeps. The film also stars Choi Sungwon, Kwak Minkyu, Kim Misook, Cho Soyeon and Kang Il. Produced by Neungso Film, Regardless Of Us is due for local release in the third quarter of 2023.
Contact: M-Line Distribution
Market
Birth
Dir. Yoo Ji-young
Winner of the Citizen Critics’ Award at Busan 2022, this drama examines how a promising young writer and her roommate/lover deal with an unplanned pregnancy that brings huge changes and conflict. The film stars Han Hae-in and Lee Han-ju.
Contact: Indiestory
The Childe
Dir. Park Hoon-jung
From the director of Night In Paradise and The Witch: Part 1 & 2, this action drama stars Kim Seon-ho and Kang Tae-joo. It follows a struggling Filipino-Korean boxer with an ailing mother. He receives an unexpected call and is taken to Korea, the homeland of his father, but ends up being watched and chased for malevolent reasons.
Contact: Contents Panda
Cobweb
Dir. Kim Jee-woon
Kim, director of Cannes 2008 action adventure The Good, The Bad, The Weird and Venice 2016 title The Age Of Shadows, returns to stylish ensemble drama and black comedy with Cobweb. Set in 1970s dictatorship-era Korea, Cannes best actor award-winner Song Kang-ho (Broker) stars as a director desperately trying to reshoot the ending of a film, with confused cast and crew as well as meddlesome censors. Im Soo-jung, Oh Jung-se, Jeon Yeo-been and Jung Soo-jung also star. Produced by Anthology Studios, Barunson Studio and Luz y Sonidos, the film is in post-production.
Contact: Barunson E&A (international excluding French-speaking territories); Finecut (French-speaking territories)
Hi-Five
Dir. Kang Hyoung-chul
This sci-fi drama from the director of Swing Kids revolves around five people who gain supernatural abilities after receiving organ transplants. They assemble a superhero team and face off against a cult leader with the ability to absorb energy. The film stars Lee Jae-in (Hard Hit), Yoo Ah-in (#Alive), Ahn Jae-hong (Time To Hunt), Ra Mi-ran (Honest Candidate), Kim Hie-won (Perhaps Love), Oh Jung-se (TV’s It’s Okay To Not Be Okay) and Park Jin-young (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations). Produced by Annapurna Films, it is in post-production with a local release expected this year.
Contact: Contents Panda
Ms. Apocalypse
Dir. Lim Sun-ae
From the director of An Old Lady, which won the New Currents audience award at Busan in 2019, this drama stars Lee You-young (Perhaps Love), Lim Sun-woo (Nothing Serious) and Roh Jae-won (Ditto). Set at the turn of the millennium, the story follows a dowdy accounting manager — nicknamed Ms. Apocalypse — trying to help a delivery driver who has been embezzling company money. After she is arrested and serves a few months in prison, she finds the driver’s wife waiting for her with a compelling offer. Produced by Kirin Productions in association with With A Studio, the film is in post-production.
Contact: Showbox
Pororo Popstar Adventure
Dirs. Yoon Jae-wan, Kim Sung-min
In this fantasy adventure in the popular Korean children’s animation franchise, Pororo the Little Penguin and his friends are close to winning a singing contest that they entered for fun. As they advance towards the final, they face the petty jealousy of villain Big Ben. Produced by OCON Studios, the film is in production and due for release in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Contact: K-Movie Entertainment
Project Silence (working title)
Dir. Kim Tae-gon
This disaster action drama is from the director of Sunshine Boys and Familyhood. Lee Sun-kyun (Parasite) stars as a man who is travelling with his daughter on the bridge to Incheon airport when a thick fog causes a massive chain-reaction automobile crash. Amid the chaos, mutant military dogs escape from a transport vehicle and those left on the bridge must make it through the night. Ju Ji-hoon from the Along With The Godsfranchise co-stars. Produced by Blaad Studios, the film is set for release this year.
Contact: CJ ENM
Sleep
Dir. Jason Yu
This mystery thriller starring Jung Yu-mi (Train To Busan) and Lee Sun-kyun (Parasite) marks Yu’s feature directing debut. Produced by Lewis Pictures (Okja), the story centres on a pregnant wife who becomes worried about her husband’s sleeping habits. What starts out as some light sleep-talking soon escalates to unexpectedly grotesque behaviour. They consult a sleep clinic without success, and then seek help from a shaman as his nightmarish behaviour escalates. The film is in post and scheduled for release in 2023.
Contact: Lotte Entertainment
Two Heart
Dir. Jung Yu-Shin
Starring Jung Man-Sik (Hunt), On Ju-wan (Honest Candidate) and Shin So-yul (A Violent Prosecutor), this drama takes place in a terminal ward where children’s last hope is to get an organ transplant. Two fathers fight desperately to each save their own child but are ultimately faced with a final choice. Produced by Mirovision, the film is due for release in the third quarter of 2023.
Contact: Jason Chae, Mirovision/Studio Bonanza
Under Your Bed
Dir. Sabu
From the Japanese director of previous Berlinale Competition titles Mr. Long (2017) and Chasuke’s Journey(2015), this is Sabu’s first Korean-language film. Based on a thriller novel by Ohishi Kei about a man who is pulled into a whirlwind of destructive love, the film stars Lee Ji-hoon (TV’s River Where The Moon Rises) and Lee Yoon-woo in a story of a man obsessed with a woman from his past who turns out to have married a violent man. Produced by Mystery Pictures, the film is in post and due for release in June.
Contact: Julie Sung, kt alpha
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