Screenwriter: Ui Ung Yong

A Korean feature film “Two Families in Haeun-dong” produced in 1996 and the other “My Position in Future” in 1997 gave deep emotions to the Korean people.

The former shows that one can only enjoy happiness in family when he devotes everything for the country and people, not for only his family. And the latter deals with the issue what valuable wealth younger generation should create for the country.

It gained a gold torch light prize at the 6th Pyongyang International Film Festival for its high ideological and artistic value.

The two scenarios were created by Ui Ung Yong in his early 30s.

He, who was specially interested in literature in his childhood, wrote his first scenario “Days at University” when he worked at an institute in local area as an assistant.

His first work won the prize at a contest for its good theme and value in education. This led him to a professional scenario writer.

He has persistently strived to work out scenarios dealing with issues urgently requested in public, to give answers with plain but meaningful stories.

He has become a Kim Il Sung Prize winner at 33 for creating excellent works reflecting the requirement of the era and the revolution. He has made persistent efforts to create many good works such as “People in Jagang Province” (Part 1 and 2), “Firelight”, “Fraternal Feeling”, “Wave of Songgang” (Part 1 and 2) and “Let People Appreciate You” in a bid to repay for the trust and hope of the Party.

Another feature film written by him will soon be on screen to make a hit.

Source: http://www.rodong.rep.kp/InterEn/index.php?strPageID=SF01_02_01&newsID=2011-12-07-0047&chAction=S

As the Rodong Sinum continues to put up articles of a film-related nature, I will try and dig them up and post them here. I’ve not come across any of this guy’s films, but it’s possible that their English translation of the titles is different to what I have.

Posted in Kim Jong-il, North Korea, North Korean Films | Tagged | 2 Comments

Review: My Home Village (1949)

It’s been such a long time coming.

I finally tracked down – and finally sat down and watched – the first North Korean film ever produced: My Home Village (1949), directed by Kang Hong-sik.

I knew what to expect from the film (a lack of English subtitles meant I only had a crude English synopsis to guide me) but having watched my fair share of Chinese films made after the Communists took power in 1949 I recognized many of the staples in this DPRK effort.

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Posted in Kim Il-Sung, Korean Film Art, My Home Village, Review | 2 Comments

Beijing screening of new North Korea doc “Hana, dul, sed”

The good folks at Koryo Tours are hosting the China premier of an Austrian produced documentary “Hana, dul, sed”. If you’re into a more factual look at the workings of North Korea head along to the Bookworm in Beijing (details below) on Tuesday 27th March at 7.30pm. The director will be along afterwards for a Q&A.

Here’s the blurb they sent out:

Join us for the China premiere of Hana, dul, sed … A documentary by Austrian filmmaker Brigitte Weich which gives us a subtle glimpse of the workings of Pyongyang society and the way ideology functions in its citizens’ work and personal lives.

It is a film about four young women, their friendship, dreams, hopes, and the passion for football they share. Being a member of the women’s national team is not only a way to make a living but gives the players prestige, popularity, and certain privileges, like larger food rations. To Ri Jong Hi, Ra Mi Ae, Jin Pyol Hi, and Ri Hyang Ok, however, football is not about fame or fortune but hope. “What is beautiful about soccer,” says one, “is that when you run onto the pitch, it’s like your heart opens up wide, like you could take on the world.”

The film screening (98 mins) will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director.

Place: The Bookworm

Tel: (010) 6586 9507

Date: Tuesday 27th March

Time: 19:30

Cost: RMB 20 for members, RMB 30 for non-members (includes a free drink)

 

Posted in Documentary, Football, Koryo Tours | Leave a comment

Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea

There are so many facets of North Korean animation worth exploring (I touched on it a little bit in my last post).

By far the most fascinating account of how the animation industry works in North Korea can be found in the graphic novel Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea.  Guy Delisle – a French-speaking Canadian – was sent to North Korea by the French animation studio he was working for. Pyongyang finds itself the unlikely Asian hub for animation outsourcing, and a few titles you might not expect have been animated there (Disney’s The Lion King for one).

The graphic novel manages to capture the mundaneness and blandless of Pyongyang whilst maintaining the readers interest. If you’re interested in North Korea, it’s definitely one of the lighter reads available on the market.

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North Korea Animation

My word. I have been slack.

A stack of new North Korean DVDs arrived, I got in contact with possibly the biggest authority (in the west) on North Korean film (Mr Johannes Schönherr) and people left right and centre have been pointing me in the direction of more online resources for North Korean film.

And yet the site isn’t getting updated as often as it should. Let’s blame it on the day job. And keep your eyes peeled for more updates in the future.

For now, to tide you over, here’s a link to a video on YouTube of a nameless North Korean anti-American animation. There’s so much to be said about the DPRK animation industry: how it often has work from the west farmed out to it, how Nelson Shin produced a joint North-South Korean animated film called Empress Chung and, most interestingly, part of Disney’s The Lion King were animated there.

But for now, let’s just enjoy this little short. And come back soon, for more updates are surely on the way.

 

Posted in Animation | Tagged | 5 Comments

WCW Wrestling in North Korea

Not essentially a DPRK film related story, but the sheer bizarre nature of how WCW wrestling ended up performing a show in North Korea shortly after the death of Kim Il-Sung is definitely worth a post.

The above video shows a virtually silent crowd of 320,000 North Koreans packed into the Pyongyang’s May Day stadium to see the spandex clad wrestlers go at it. I wonder what the North Korean’s perception of whether the action is “fake” or not was.

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Vice Guide to North Korean Film

I’ve been apprehensive about posting this video for quite some time. Not that I have lofty ideals for this site which I think might be compromised if I posted a link to the acerbic Vice, but more because I feel a little intimidated by what the bunch of slackers managed to achieve with the short documentary. Continue reading

Posted in Documentary, North Korean Films, Shin Sang-ok, Vice | 1 Comment