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Korean Performing Arts - Main Page
Recently rediscovered as the eccentric master of Korean cinema during the 1960s and 1970s', Kim Ki-young came to the fore during the second Pusan International Film Festival in 1997. He is now widely recognized as one of the leading postwar directors. His films show a wide spectrum of experimentation, from genre films to highly unconventional ones. His most notable films are psychological dramas that deal primarily with female characters. A good example is his film entitled The Housemaid (Hanyo, 1960), whose main character is a femme fatale. The Housemaid is often praised as one of Kim's most exemplary works. Kim directed 31 films until his death in 1998.
Im Kwon-taek has been making a name for himself both in the national and international scene. It has been frequently pointed out that Im Kwon-taek came of age with the completion of his master piece, Mandala (1980). Having made films since 1962, he was known primarily as one of those directors who churned out genre quickies, often at the rate of eight per year. From the watershed year of 1980, however, his works have enjoyed a privileged status of art-house cinema, combined with top box office hits. His renewed status also overlaps with a period known as "New Korean Cinema" or "New Wave," terms that have started to gain currency recently. Along with New Wave directors Park Kwang-su and Chang Son-woo, Im has achieved international recognition. Although his work still shares many of the cinematic features with 1960s Korean cinema, his work has a strong following even among contemporary film enthusiasts.
One of the most controversial film-maker and producer, Shin Sang-ok has produced a prolific and wide-ranging body of work since the 1950s. Films such as the Yi Dynasty's Cruel History of Women (Yicho yoinui chanhoksa) and The Houseguest and My Mother both take a critical look at Confuci-anism. Shin Sang-ok remains as a major contributor to Korean cinema for his mastery of the cinematic genre. His films contain brilliant mobilization of the mise-en-scene, superb acting and innovative editing techniques.
The contribution of Yu Hyon-mok to Korean film history is also crucial. He is often cited as the leading figure who has inherited the legacy of the social commentary-type film so popular during the colonial period. The Stray Bullet (1961) is one of his most exemplary films.
Information provided by the Korean Embassy