Korean Movie Info

Leading actress Moon So-ri joined the cast of the upcoming film Woori Saengae Chwegoui Soongan, the title translates as: "the best moment of our life". The sports drama will be directed by Lim Soon-rye. The true story is based on the Korean women's handball team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The cast's strong line-up also includes the actresses Kim Jeong-eun, Kim Ji-young and Jo Eun-ji. The drama will be complemented with humorous lighter moments. The portrayal of these women's greatest game will rely on the athletic abilities of the actresses to achieve realistic and dynamic action scenes; therefore, the actresses will undergo handball training during three months. The film is scheduled for a cinematic release in the second part of 2007.

MOON will tackle the role of the headstrong top player. The other protagonist is the leader of the Olympic team who fulfilled her dream by becoming a professional player; she captains a team in the Japanese pro-league until national and Olympic ambitions call. She is played by Kim Jeong-eun.

MOON debuted in the contemporary classic film directed by Lee Chang-dong "Peppermint Candy" (Bakhasatang, 2000) as a sweet and innocent young woman. She continued playing remarkable and strong characters, and among her recognitions is the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the 2002 Venice Film Festival for her role in another Lee Chang-dong film, "Oasis" (2002).

Kim Jeong-eun graduated from television with the 2002 hit comedy "Marrying the Mafia" (Gamoonui Yeonggwang) and she was praised for her role in "Blossom Again" ("Close to You" - Sarangni, 2005). Kim Ji-yeong played in last year's "Old's Miss Diary - movie" and Jo Eun-ji is currently present in Korean cinemas with the international film festival's favorite "Driving With My Wife's Lover" (Anaeui Aeineul Mannada).

Director LIM is one of the few high profile female directors in Korea and "Waikiki Brothers" is her best known film. She is selected for one of the directors that the next edition of the KOFIC Korean Film Directors series covers.



Actor and heartthrob Lee Byeong-Heon will make his global debut with a starring role in Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung's film "I Come with the Rain". In the movie, the Korean star will play the role of a Hong Kong gang leader.

Tran achieved international recognition in the mid-90s for the feature films "Cyclo" and "Scent of the Green Papaya".

The new movie, which is slated for a 2008 release, is a thriller about a former L.A. cop who is traumatized after he takes the life of a serial killer and is hired to find a Chinese billionaire's missing son.




Park Chan-wook, already considered by many film buffs to be Korea's greatest director, has received more foreign recognition of his talents.

He has been asked to join some of the world's most celebrated filmmakers to participate in making Emmanuel Behbihy's new movie "New York Je T'Aime" (New York, I love You), a collection of vignettes, each five minites or less, depicting different aspects of New York City.

The new movie, which is set to be released early next year, is a sequel to "Paris Je T'Aime", a collection of 18 shorts by 21 directors from all over the world, each set in a different Parisian neighborhood.

Besides Park Chan-wook, the other 11 participating directors include Fatih Akin, who won the Berlin Film Festival's top Golden Bear award for "Head-on" in 2004 and Wang Xiaoshuais who produced "Beijing Bicycle", winner of the Berlin's Silver Bear Award in 2001.

Park Chan-wook gained recognition thanks to his trilogy "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" (2002); "Old Boy" (2003), the Cannes' Grand Prize-winner; and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance'" (2005).

His latest feature "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK". recently won this year's Alfred Bauer Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.



Director Kim Ki-duk's movie "Breath" has drawn significant attention in Cannes.

The movie, which was invited to compete at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, received a favorable response after it was screened May 19 and has grossed impressive profits.

The world-renowned movie magazine Variety quoted the firm in charge of the movie's overseas marketing as saying that the movie has been sold to film festivals in Poland, Singapore and Lithuania.

"Breath" made headlines when it was sold prior to its opening to France, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey and Greece.

One foreign news agency expressed hopes that Korean filmmakers can produce more "charming films like "Breath"."

Attention is now focused on whether "Breath" will bring an award to director Kim Ki-duk, who has previously won awards at the Berlin and Venice film festivals.