For the first time this September, the Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Melbourne, in collaboration with ACMI, held their own film festival titled the ‘Korean Film Festival in Melbourne’ or affectionately shortened ‘KOFIM’.
In the past, the Consulate of the Republic of Korea has supported the annual touring film festival ‘Korean Film Festival In Australia’ or ‘KOFFIA’. It was both interesting and refreshing to see the launch a brand new film festival exclusive to Melbourne, filled with classic and beloved Korean films.
Despite an entertaining program decorated with previously released hits, I admittedly had not seen any of them! So, I was excited to watch some Korean cinematic gems of the 2024 KOFIM program, all which I hadn’t had access to before.
With a lovely opening reception on Thursday the 5th of September at ACMI officiated by Consul General Changhoon Yi, plus the attendance of renown film director and producer Lee Joon-ik, who also had a pre-screening talk prior to the commencement of the opening night film, his 2005 historical drama classic ‘The King and the Clown (왕의 남자)’, I had a good feeling that Melbourne patrons were in for a very special evening.
Adapted from a stage play, ‘The King and the Clown’ is set in the Joseon period and follows the tale of two struggling street performer clowns wanting better their circumstances. With talent, luck, and a little bit of political controversy, Kam Woo-sung and Lee Joon-gi’s characters Jang-saeng and Gong-gil find themselves in the royal court and soon become resident performers for the mad king.
The movie itself feels like a stage production with the cast limited to sets either within the palace or the forest. The acting was superb and the story seemed unpredictable, which I loved. There’s nothing better than watching a film where you can’t predict the ending. It was also great to see a familiar face in the film, with the role of fellow struggling street clown Yuk-gab played by actor Yoo Hai-Jin.
During the opening reception, I had the pleasure of briefly meeting with special guest Lee Joon-ik and delightfully shared that I was excited to see his film ‘The King and the Clown’ for the very first time. What I didn’t expect to see was a gorgeous, intricate, deeply rooted, and passionate period tale about love, companionship and political turmoil. ‘The King and the Clown’ is both funny and fiercely serious, with its delivery detailed, cohesive and captivating throughout. One moment I was cackling in the ACMI cinema, the next I’d be hanging on the edge of my seat concerned for the characters and wondering what was going to happen next.
The talk with Lee Joon-ik prior to the screening of the movie was also lovely, and it was both great listening to insight about the creation of ‘The King and the Clown’, his thoughts on his craft and the evolving world of Korean cinema.
For ‘The King and the Clown’ I attended with two friends who had seen the movie before but were more than happy to see it again and on the big screen; a testament to how loved and appreciated Lee Joon-ik’s film is for many to gladly see it again. Not to feel left out, I am certain that there were many that night like me, watching ‘The King and the Clown’ for the first time.
My next film at KOFIM which screened on Saturday the 7th of September was ‘A Taxi Driver (택시운전사)’, directed by Jang Hoon, led by prominent actor Song Kang-ho and also starring Yoo Hai-Jin, something I found amusing, as I had just seen him in ‘The King and the Clown’ a couple nights before at KOFIM!
‘A Taxi Driver (택시운전사)’, also a historical film, set in the 80s, the story covers the Gwangju Uprising. Based on truth, the historical action drama had its own political tale to tell, following debt-laden widower and taxi driver named Kim Man-seob, played by Song Kang-ho, that unknowingly transports a German journalist, Jürgen Hinzpeter played by Thomas Kretschmann, into the civil unrest of Gwangju, South Korea with its protests.
This movie was phenomenal. At times, I was shocked and in disbelief from the gripping amount of pain and challenges that we saw the characters go through. What made this film even more powerful was knowing it was based on real events. The killings, the suffering, it really happened.
‘A Taxi Driver (택시운전사)’ is by far one of the best Korean films I have ever seen. Song Kang-ho is brilliant as the somewhat grumpy, debt-ridden and humble taxi driver with a heart. The chemistry between him and Thomas Kretschmann was so believable, that by the end of the film when a clip of the real Jürgen Hinzpeter was played, I was already deeply moved and had shed a few tears.
The tears didn’t stop for my final film at KOFIM 2024, as I concluded my run with comedy-drama ‘I Can Speak (아이 캔 스피크)’, directed by Kim Hyun-seok and starring Lee Je-hoon and Na Moon-hee as characters Park Min Jae and Nah Ok-Bun. What starts off as a story about a pestering elderly woman that consistently makes complaints at her local government council office, transforms into a tale of friendship, family, historical shame, and resilience. The film transcendence from its comedy beginnings into a dramatic and powerful story about Comfort Women. Young girls and women who were forced to be sex slaves by the Japanese military during World War II.
It wasn’t just me in tears during this film, by the film’s conclusion, practically everyone was sniffling and crying in the cinema. I had been warned prior to seeing ‘I Can Speak’ to bring some tissues with me and I’m glad I did because by the end, I was sobbing!
During the festival, there was also a professional photobooth available that you could take photos at and receive a photo strip with your pictures and the movie poster of the film you were seeing. I’m relieved that I chose to take photos prior to seeing my film because I would’ve looked terrible from crying after the end of each movie! The photo strip idea was lovely too, allowing patrons to take home a keepsake from attending KOFIM with a physical and digital copy, while also remaining on theme with the nostalgia, considering KOFIM’s 2024 film program was all about bringing classic Korean films to the big screen.
I’m not sure if the classic line up was just a 2024 theme or if it’s something that KOFIM will continue to pioneer in the future, should it return. However, I am very grateful for KOFIM bringing their 2024 classic festival program line-up to Melbourne screens, as I would not have seen ‘The King and the Clown (왕의 남자)’, ‘A Taxi Driver (택시운전사)’ and ‘I Can Speak (아이 캔 스피크)’ without this event.
Although I managed to see only 3 movies this year at KOFIM, each film was brilliant in its own way. Two, I found extremely educational as I had not known about the Gwangju Uprising nor about Comfort Women until this festival. I actually feel more emotionally and intellectually nourished having attended this event, and of course I was thoroughly entertained by the brilliance of Korean cinema. It only helps that the event is inclusive and the Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Melbourne are very warm and welcoming, regardless of how much knowledge you have about both South Korea and Korean cinema beforehand. If you were lucky, you could win some prizes too from Atomy Australia just by answering some pop quiz questions before your movie!
Korean cinema shines with its powerful stories and its unique storytelling. The Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Melbourne and ACMI have together successfully held and curated a wonderful film festival that champions Korean films that many Australians may have missed out on seeing if not for KOFIM. It’s going to be a long wait between dance cards, but I cannot wait for the next one.
The Korean Film Festival in Melbourne (KOFIM) was proudly presented by the Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Melbourne and ACMI from Thursday the 5th of September to Sunday the 8th of September at ACMI.
For more information, visit:
https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/kofim-2024
https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/au-melbourne-en/index.do
https://kofim.blogspot.com
https://www.instagram.com/korean_consulate__melbourne
