Our annual survey of Korean cinema, year-in and year-out one of the most exciting places on the planet for moviemaking, continues in May and June with a mix of Washington, DC, premieres plus encore presentations of several favorites from past festivals.

The festival is organized by Tom Vick, film programmer for the Freer and Sackler Galleries of the Smithsonian Institution, and Hyunjun Min of the University of Maryland.

For complete festival information, visit www.asia.si.edu/KoreanFilm2008

This festival is made possible by the Korean Film Council and the Korea Foundation.

All films are 35mm and in Korean with English subtitles unless otherwise noted.

ALL FILMS NOT RATED, BUT INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES

AFI member passes will be accepted at all screenings in the 2008 Korean Film Festival DC.

BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE
[Flandersui gae]

Director Bong Joon-ho (THE HOST and MEMORIES OF MURDER) made his feature debut with this black comedy about an unemployed professor who is driven over the edge by the incessant yapping of his neighbor's dog. Little does he know that the extreme measures he employs will have dire consequences down the road. As in his other films, Bong conveys the mood of the time (in this case, the aftermath of Korea's economic crisis in the late 1990s) with dark wit and compelling characters.

DIR/SCR Bong Joon-ho; SCR Song Ji-ho and Derek Son Tae-woong; PROD Cho Min-hwan. South Korea, 2000, color, 106 min. INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES.

Tuesday, May 13, 9:15; Wednesday, May 14, 9:15

HAPPY END
[Haepi-endeu]

Powered by an unforgettable performance from Choi Min-sik (best known as the star of OLDBOY), this ironically titled film by Jung Ji-woo was one of the first—and best—to tackle the effect of Korea's changing workplace on marital relationships. Choi plays an unemployed banker whose wife has a high-powered career and—he suspects, a new lover. As he patiently gathers evidence against her, his anguish leads to shocking results.

DIR/SCR Jung Ji-woo. South Korea, 1999, color, 99 min. INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES.

Tuesday, May 20, 9:45; Wednesday, May 21, 9:15

LOVE IS A CRAZY THING
[Yeonae]

This might sound like a romantic comedy, but don't be fooled by the title. Oh Seok-geun's film is an intense, involving drama. Its heroine, a single mother who makes ends meet by doing embroidery, also works as a phone sex operator. At the encouragement of a friend, she graduates to a better paying job as a bargirl, where she eventually falls for a charming customer who may not be what he seems.

DIR/SCR Oh Seok-geun. South Korea, 2005, color, 101 min. INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES.

Wednesday, June 4, 9:00; Thursday, June 5, 9:15

FORBIDDEN QUEST
[Eumranseosaeng]

Recent period films from Korea often take a refreshingly irreverent attitude toward the past, and this is no exception. Inspired by the lurid erotic novels that circulated in eighteenth-century Korea, Kim Dae-woo's film tells the story of a humble scholar who stumbles upon one such book and decides to write one himself under a pen name. When it becomes a hit, he hires a friend to add another dimension: illustrations. This racy, playful film shows the unexpected difficulties their success brings.

DIR/SCR Kim Dae-woo; PROD Kim Sujin. South Korea, 2006, color, 140 min. INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES.

Tuesday, May 27, 9:00; Wednesday, May 28, 9:45

THE KING AND THE CLOWN
[Wang-ui namja]

Bawdiness takes center stage in this blend of drama and comedy from director Lee Jun-ik. Set in the 16th century, it follows the adventures of two traveling male acrobats who run afoul of the palace for lampooning the king in their performances. They get into even more trouble when the king falls in love with one of them (much to the consternation of the queen). A box office smash in Korea, this is a provocative blend of history, humor and romance, both gay and straight.

DIR/PROD Lee Jun-ik; SCR Choi Seok-hwan, after the play by Kim Tae-woong; PROD Jeong Jin-wan. South Korea, 2006, color, 120 min. INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES.

Wednesday, June 11, 9:10; Thursday, June 12, 9:15