Echoes in Time: Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema

The BFI, in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre UK, is proud to present Echoes in Time, a special programme celebrating two defining eras of Korean cinema: the Golden Age of the 1960s and the New Korean Cinema movement (1996-2003).

The BFI Southbank programme for late October and November 2024 begins with Echoes in Time: Korean Films of the Golden Age and New Cinema, a major new season running from 28 October to 31 December. Programmed by Young Jin Eric Choi and Goran Topalovic, Echoes in Time will focus on two groundbreaking periods in the Korean cinema timeline, when huge technical, stylistic and thematic innovations took place: the golden age of the 1960s and the New Korean Cinema movement (1996 to 2003).

Both periods gave birth to seminal works across a wide range of genres, successfully combining genre thrills with arthouse sensibilities. Although South Korean cinema didn’t break out into the global mainstream until the Cannes and Oscar success of Parasite (and on the small screen with Squid Game), it had been producing remarkable films for decades, despite unique historic and socio-economic challenges, and this season will serve as a perfect entry point and introduction for audiences to the rich legacy of Korean cinema.

Titles screenings in October and November will include Aimless Bullet (Yu Hyun-mok, 1961), A Woman Judge (Hong Eun-won, 1961), The Marines Who Never Returned (Lee Man-hee, 1963), Let’s Meet at Walkerhill (Han Hyeong-mo, 1966), A Swordsman in the Twilight (Chung Chang-wha, 1967), Nowhere to Hide (Lee Myung-se, 1999), The Contact (Chang Yoon-hyun, 1997), Shiri (Kang Jae-gyu, 1999), Joint Security Area (Park Chan-wook, 2000), Take Care of My Cat (Jeong Jae-Eun, 2001) and Save the Green Planet! (Jang Joon-hwan, 2003). A screening of Save the Green Planet! on 30 October will be followed by Q&A with director Jang Joon-hwan, while programmers Young Jin Eric Choi and Goran Topalovic will also introduce several films in October.

This landmark season, which features many titles rarely screened in the UK, was prepared in collaboration with the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year; featured in the programme are 12 digital restorations and 5 digital remasters supervised by KOFA, as well as unique 35mm prints from its archival collection. The season is also presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) and the Korean Film Council. The KCCUK hosts the annual London Korean Film Festival, which returns for its 19th edition from 1 to 13 November.