Eight films exploring the theme 'freedom' will be shown when the annual Korean Film Festival returns to the UAE next month. Here is everything you need to know.
The event has previously been held only in Abu Dhabi but this year will include screenings in Dubai for the first time since it began in 2017. It is organised by the South Korean Embassy and the Korean Cultural Centre.
The festival will start at Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi on July 4, running there until July 7. It then moves to Vox Cinemas at Dubai Festival City Mall from July 12 to 14.
This year’s 'freedom' theme will be explored through a variety of genres, from comedy to mystery and musical to historical drama. Tickets are Dh35 per film, and all films will be screened in Korean with English subtitles except the animation Pororo Movie: Dragon Castle Adventure, which will have English dubbing and Arabic subtitles.
“We are thrilled to bring the Korean Film Festival to Abu Dhabi and Dubai,” said Lee Yong-hee, cultural attache of the South Korean Embassy. “This event not only showcases the rich and diverse storytelling of Korean cinema but also strengthens cultural ties between [South] Korea and the UAE. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating freedom through film.”
Here’s the complete guide to what is playing and when:
Road to Boston (2024)
When: July 4 at 7pm in Abu Dhabi, July 12 at 3pm in Dubai
The biographic sports film is based on true events. It is set two years after South Korea’s liberation from Japan. It tells the story of Suh Yun-bok, a young marathon runner preparing for the Boston Marathon in 1947. He is coached by Sohn Kee-chung, a former marathon runner who won gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics but wore a Japanese flag on his chest and went by the name Japanese name Kitei Son because the country was still under Japanese colonial rule. His goal is to train Yun-bok to win the Boston Marathon and be able to represent South Korea on the world stage.
Love Reset (2023)
When: July 5 at 5pm in Abu Dhabi, July 12 at 5pm in Dubai
The comedy follows Jung-yeol and Nara, a couple who get married despite heavy opposition from their families. Two years later, they are leaving the courthouse after getting a 30-day divorce settlement and are involved in a car accident, which causes them both to lose their memory. The couple quickly fall for each other again, but their families devise an elaborate plan to help them recall their memories and complete the divorce.
Noryang: Deadly Sea (2023)
When: July 5 at 7pm in Abu Dhabi, July 12 at 7pm in Dubai
The historical war action film depicts the Battle of Noryang, the last major battle to come from the Japanese invasion of Korea, which lasted from 1592 to 1598. Admiral Yi Sun-sin learns the Japanese army is trying to retreat from Joseon after the sudden death of their leader, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He forms an alliance for one last battle in the Noryang Straits, with the object of annihilating the Japanese navy by breaking their blockade.
Pororo Movie: Dragon Castle Adventure (2022)
When: July 6 at 3pm in Abu Dhabi, July 13 at 3pm in Dubai
The animated film is the seventh in the Pororo the Little Penguin franchise. Arthur is the dragon king who has great power and rules the kingdom selfishly by turning away from the people. He eventually becomes a powerless little dragon as his power gets sealed in a red jewel called Dragonheart. A wizard named Ged appears to Arthur to free him from his curse and restore his strength, but he is instead deceived by Ged and robbed of Dragon Castle. Arthur meets Pororo and his friends, and together, they go into the Porong Porong forest to help regain the Dragon Castle.
Sleep (2023)
When: July 6 at 5pm in Abu Dhabi, July 13 at 5pm in Dubai
Hyeon-soo and Soo-jin are newlyweds. One night, she discovers Hyeon-soo sleepwalking, transforming into someone else with no recollection of what happened the night before. Although they attempt sleep treatment, his sleepwalking only intensifies. Every night, she becomes more restless with fear that he might harm their newborn.
Hero (2022)
When: July 6 at 7pm in Abu Dhabi, July 13 at 7pm in Dubai
The historical musical drama is based on the stage musical of the same name. It follows the true story of An Jung-geun, a Korean independence activist who assassinates Ito Hirobumi, the first Prime Minister of Japan and Resident-General of Korea in 1909.
Dream Palace (2023)
When: July 7 at 3pm in Abu Dhabi, July 14 at 3pm in Dubai
The drama follows Hye-jeong, a widow who loses her husband in an industrial accident. She hopes to begin a new life with her son by moving to a new town and into a new apartment complex called Dream Palace. She uses the compensation received after her husband was killed. She soon learns the apartments have defects, but the residents are worried revealing this will cause their value to fall, so they try to silence her instead.
Alienoid Part 2: The Return to the Future (2024)
When: July 7 at 5pm in Abu Dhabi, July 14 at 5pm in Dubai
Alienoid Part 1 was screened at last year’s festival. The second part picks up after the events of the first film as protagonist Lee Ahn becomes trapped in the past while trying to prevent the escape of an alien prisoner who is locked in a human body. She eventually locates the Divine Sword, which can open a door through time, and sets off to find Thunder to return to the present. Meanwhile Mureuk, who has previously helped Ahn, is unnerved when he begins sensing the presence of a strange being in his body.
More information at www.k-filmfest.com
