Korean Film Festival in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
The Korean Embassy and the Korea-Arab Society is hosting the second Korean Film Festival in Abu Dhabi and Dubai this month.
I never got a chance to write about its first edition last year, but I did attend a couple of film screenings and glad to see the festival is back this year. This year’s edition includes a selection of Arab films too, plus Virtual Reality Cinema.
The first part of the festival will take place in Abu Dhabi between November 7 - 10 at Vox Cinema in Yas Mall. Tickets will cost AED 20. The Virtual Reality Cinema which includes short films only is free and will take place in the foyer of Vox Cinema.
The second part of the festival will take place in Dubai between November 12 - 16 at Cinema Akil with a smaller selection of film screenings.
Here’s the line up with links to book your ticket.
Abu Dhabi - November, 7 at 7pm
Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds
Director: KIM Yong-hwa
2017 | Fantasy/Drama | 12+ | 139 min | English and Arabic subtitles
Based on the widely popular webcomic, Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds is a star-studded, action-packed fantasy epic about life, death, rebirth, and the unseen forces that guide us through all.
Ostora
Director: Hani Kichi
2012 | 7 min | Arabic with English subtitles
Erato, a mythical mermaid, falls victim to her own curiosity and breaks the ultimate law of the sea.
A mythical tale of the West meets a true legend from the East, unravelling a story of a people united on a land that today boasts a dynamic history built through the commitment of its visionary leader.
Abu Dhabi - November, 8 at 7pm
Wajib
Director: Annemarie Jacir
2017 | Drama | 96 min | 15+| Arabic with English Subtitles
Abu Shadi is a divorced father and a school teacher in his mid 60s living in Nazareth. After his daughter’s wedding in one month he will be living alone.
Shadi, his architect son, arrives from Rome after years abroad to help his father in hand delivering the wedding invitations to each guest as per local Palestinian custom. As the estranged pair spend the day together, the tense details of their relationship come to a head challenging their fragile and very different lives.
Abu Dhabi - November, 8 at 9pM
Anarchist from the Colony
Director : LEE Joon-ik
2017 | Drama | 128 min | 12+ | English Subtitles
Life of a upcoming Korean patriot Park Yeol, who formed the anarchist organization "Black Wave" during the Japanese colonial period and attempted the assassination of the Japanese Crown Prince Hirohito.
Abu Dhabi - November, 9 at 4pm
The Shower
Director: AHN Jae-huun
2017 | 48 min | PG | Animation
A girl spends time on one of the stepping stones at a brook, whilst a boy stays put awkwardly for days as she’s blocking his way
As the girl breaks the silence and the two start to get along, having fun together in the mountains, a sudden shower of rain pours down and the girl falls ill.
Five O’Clock
Director: Ayman Al-Shatri
2016 | Iraq | 14 min | PG | Drama | Arabic with English subtitles
A suicidal person believes everyone deserves to die, but he soon discovers that he desperately needs help. Death is not a solution.
Mare Nostrum
Directors: Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf
2016 | Syria, France | 13 min | PG | Drama | Arabic with English subtitles
A taut thriller about a Syrian father’s decision on the shore of the Mediterranean that could endanger his daughter’s life.
The Choice
Director: Eman Talal Alsayed
2016 | UAE | 2016 | 10 min | PG | Drama | Arabic with English subtitles
When her Emirati father passes away, Lauren is asked to fly to the UAE for the first time to meet with her father’s family and sort out her inheritance.
However, to claim her rights, she is expected to cleanse her father's "mistake".
The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the film director Nawaf Al Janahi, who programmed the Arab short films for this afternoon.
Abu Dhabi - November, 9 at 6pm
The Fortress
Director : HWANG Dong-hyuk
2017 | History / Drama | 140 min | 15+ | English Subtitles
In 1636, during the Second Qing Invasion of Korea in the 14th year of King Injo is rule, King Injo and the Royal Court finds shelter inside Namhan Fortress outside the city as the Qing is large army continues to attack.
The Qing army, led by General Ingguldai, quickly surrounds the fortress, leaving the king and the court stranded in a prolonged standoff. For a truce, the Qing General makes a humiliating proposal of sending the Crown Prince out as hostage. Unable to move forward or fight the outnumbering enemy, the people of the fortress start dying from cold and hunger. Between the Minister of the Interior, who emphasizes the king is duty to protect the lives of his subjects regardless of humiliation, and the Minister of Rites, who maintains that they must fight to death for the greater cause, the king must make a grave choice.
Abu Dhabi - November, 9 at 8pm
Master
Director : CHO Ui-seok
2016 | Action, Crime | 142 min | 15+ | English Subtitles
A crime investigation team goes after company Won Network; the company is involved in a massive fraud case. Charismatic CEO Jin Hyun Pil is suspected of swindling investors out of millions through a pyramid scheme.
Criminal investigation team leader Kim Jae Myung targets Jin's sidekick Park Jang Gun, a genius hacker who is the mastermind of the fraud. Jang Gun fails to entrap Jin and decides to get out of this sticky situation quietly. Smelling a rat, Jin devises a secret plan to root out his betrayer.
Abu Dhabi - November, 10 at 2pm
Little Forest
Director : YIM Soon-rye
2018 | Drama | 103 min | G | English Subtitles
No job, bad romance, and terrible grades… Nothing goes smooth in young Hye-won’s life in a big city. She puts her unsolved matters behind and impulsively returns to her hometown. There she reunions her childhood friends Jae-ha and Eun-sook who carry their unusual rural life on their own way.
From that winter Hye-won’s days are filled with simple but peaceful moments; having meal with her organic ingredients. All through 4 seasons Hye-won slowly finds the real pleasure of living a simple life, and realizes the genuine reason to return to hometown. New spring is approaching, and she puts the first step in her brand new life.
Ticket information.
Abu Dhabi - November, 10 at 4pm
Honey, Rain and Dust
Director : Nujoom Alghanem
2016 | Documentary | 86 min | PG | Arabic with English Subtitles
Aisha, Fatima and Ghareeb are amongst the best known honey specialists in the northern parts of the UAE. Ghareeb is also considered a beekeeper because he established a sanctuary at the top of the mountains, where he can be in control of the surrounding environment and protect his honey bees.
Fatima and Aisha prefer to roam the mountains freely to find the highest natural honey. Meanwhile, the bees are coping with climate change, survival challenges and the production of honey. Involuntarily, the bees have become integral to the lives of Aisha, Fatima and Ghareeb. But, for how long and to what extent can the bees keep providing?
The screening will be followed by a discussion with the producer of the film, Khalid Albudoor.
Abu Dhabi - November, 10 at 6pm
Confidential Assignment
Director : KIM Sung-hoon
2017 | Action, Comedy | 125 min | 15+ | English & Arabic Subtitles
Three days to accomplish North Korean detective’s mission, and South Korean detective’s mission to stall him.
North Korean detective Cheol-ryung (HYUN Bin) is sent to South Korea in search of a rogue military officer, who has also killed his wife. South Korean detective Kang (YOO Hai-jin) is assigned to interfere with the investigation and uncover the real motive behind why the North Korean detective was sent to the South.
Dubai - November, 12 at 7.30pm
Little Forest
Director : YIM Soon-rye
2018 | Drama | 103 min | G | English Subtitles
No job, bad romance, and terrible grades… Nothing goes smooth in young Hye-won’s life in a big city. She puts her unsolved matters behind and impulsively returns to her hometown. There she reunions her childhood friends Jae-ha and Eun-sook who carry their unusual rural life on their own way.
From that winter Hye-won’s days are filled with simple but peaceful moments; having meal with her organic ingredients. All through 4 seasons Hye-won slowly finds the real pleasure of living a simple life, and realizes the genuine reason to return to hometown. New spring is approaching, and she puts the first step in her brand new life.
Ticket information.
Dubai - November, 13 at 7pm
The Fortress
Director : HWANG Dong-hyuk
2017 | History / Drama | 140 min | 15+ | English Subtitles
In 1636, during the Second Qing Invasion of Korea in the 14th year of King Injo is rule, King Injo and the Royal Court finds shelter inside Namhan Fortress outside the city as the Qing is large army continues to attack.
The Qing army, led by General Ingguldai, quickly surrounds the fortress, leaving the king and the court stranded in a prolonged standoff. For a truce, the Qing General makes a humiliating proposal of sending the Crown Prince out as hostage. Unable to move forward or fight the outnumbering enemy, the people of the fortress start dying from cold and hunger. Between the Minister of the Interior, who emphasizes the king is duty to protect the lives of his subjects regardless of humiliation, and the Minister of Rites, who maintains that they must fight to death for the greater cause, the king must make a grave choice.
Dubai - November, 16 and 17 at 11.30am
The Shower
Director: AHN Jae-huun
2017 | 48 min | PG | Animation
A girl spends time on one of the stepping stones at a brook, whilst a boy stays put awkwardly for days as she’s blocking his way
As the girl breaks the silence and the two start to get along, having fun together in the mountains, a sudden shower of rain pours down and the girl falls ill.