The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Korean film festival begins

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Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Korean film festival begins

Staff Reporter

— Photo: R. Ragu

CULTURAL TIES: Han Woo Park, executive director of Hyundai Motor India (centre), interacting with film director Vasanth and Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation president S. Kannan at the inauguration of the Korean film festival in Chennai on Tuesday.

Chennai: Film director Vasanth was all praise for Korean cinema at the film festival that got under way here on Tuesday.

South Korean films have earned recognition for Asia as a “generator of good cinema” in an industry dominated by films from the U.S. and Europe, he said. The Koreans did not copy Hollywood and, instead, came up with successful films on domestic and social issues.

Mr.Vasanth greeted film directors Balu Mahendra and Hariharan, who were among the audience. “Directors are here today but I wish more producers from the Tamil film industry would attend such film screenings and be encouraged to fund parallel cinema,” he said.

Han Woo Park, executive director of Hyundai Motor India, said more such cultural exchange programmes would be organised in the future.

S. Kannan, president of Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), said the growing economic ties between India and Korea had brought several Koreans to Chennai. Both Hyundai and Samsung have set up units in the city and soon Korean films may be screened in regular theatres and not restricted to special screenings, he said.

Rathi Jafer, director of Indo-Korean (InKo) Centre, said that popular Korean films were screened at the centre every fourth Friday. “These are screenings for an audience of 50 or so… We don’t have discussions after the screenings now but we may start later,” she said. The centre is also taking Indian cinema to showcase in Korea.

The festival is being jointly organised by InKo Centre, ICAF and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in New Delhi.

Five contemporary Korean films will be screened as part of the festival at the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce off Anna Salai. They are: ‘Maundy Thursday’ (July 9, 6.15 p.m.); ‘For Horowitz’ (July 10, 6.15 p.m.); ‘Highway Star’ (July 10, 8 p.m.); ‘Solace’ (July 11, 6 p.m.) and ‘Radio Star’ (July 11, 8 p.m.) For more details, call 98401-51956 or 24361224.

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