| Im Kwon-Taek |
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Since he began his film career as a production assistant in Seoul in the mid-1950s, Im Kwon-Taek has been shaped by-and in turn, re-shaped-the chaotic Korean confluence of traditional culture and pressing modernity. In the process he has become one of Korea's best known filmmakers.
Im's early career matched the mood of a rapidly industrializing country. From his 1962 debut through the early 1980s, Im churned out up to eight low-budget genre films a year in order to meet the government's domestic film quotas. In the late 1970s, however, Im was yearning to make more artistically satisfying films. He changed course with 1981's Mandala, a contemplative journey that follows two Buddhist monks through as their struggles with individualism, belief and enlightenment. Critically acclaimed, Mandala created a new reputation for Im: that of the art house auteur.
Working prolifically ever since, Im has cemented that reputation by creating films with distinctly Korean settings and concerns. His 1993 Sopyonje, which tells the story of a traditional pansori singer trying to make a living in the modern world, was the first domestically made film to draw over a million viewers in Seoul. Having won every major Korean film award, and garnered accolades from Cannes and the Berlin Film Festival, Im continues to immerse himself in Korea's story. His 2000 film Chunhyang expanded on Sopyonje's exploration of the pansori, further developing its unique sounds as a narrative tool. His 2002 Chihwaseon captured the life of a nineteenth century painter who changed the direction of Korean art. Local but never provincial, proud yet never nationalistic, Im's films ask vital questions: What traditions should a culture preserve in the face of modernity? And how can it preserve them? By insisting on the relevance of the traditional, Im's films have provided at least one possible answer.
ALL 4 Im Kwon-Taek retrospective films will be shown at BAM Rose Cinemas ONLY.
BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 623-2770 website
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