FILM

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Spotlight on World Cinema: Korea. The resurgence of Korean cinema in recent years has been widely documented, from the awards garnered by films and directors at prestigious international film festivals to the audacity of its contemporary horror films, which have helped to redefine the genre.

With innovative storytelling, Korean films not only have been commercially viable in the domestic and regional markets, but also have appealed to cinephiles everywhere on the international festival circuit. The Korean film industry is thriving, with international accolades steadily accumulated by its directors and actors in both art house and commercial genres. A further testament to this is the global itinerary of festivals devoted exclusively to Korean movies.

Not quite a festival, this brief series presents four acclaimed recent releases. Directly from Cannes and in advance of its U.S. premiere comes the latest film by the prolific Hong Sang-soo, subject of a tribute at the MFAH in 2010. Finding Mr. Destiny, a frothy musical comedy that was a box-office sensation in Korea, is the Saturday night centerpiece. The weekend opens and concludes with two dramatic films featuring the actress Jeon Do-yeon. Ms. Jeon achieved instant star status with her 1997 debut in The Contact, and has since performed in a variety of roles that have earned her a reputation as a movie star at home and a celebrated actress on the world cinema stage.

Secret Sunshine
Milyang
Directed by Lee Chang-dong
2007, in Korean with English subtitles
South Korea
142 minutes

A young widow (Jeon Do-yeon, whose wrenching performance won the award for Best Actress at Cannes) moves with her son to the small city where her late husband grew up. She settles in, trying to make friends among the suspicious locals, but attracting only the unwelcome attention of a shambling mechanic (The Host’s Song Kang-ho).

And then, out of nowhere, something terrible happens, and she finds herself struggling to make sense of it all.

Presented in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea (Yun-soo Cho, Consul General). Special thanks for programming assistance to Soo Jin Hwang, KOFIC; Tom Vick, Freer/Sackler, Washington, D.C.; and Gina Caruso, Honolulu Academy of Arts.