Booklet: Literature on Screen

Films and literature have always had a close relationship, but in Korean society this relationship has been particularly significant. From the era of colonization, pure literature was adapted into films, which were designated as “literary films.” This designation symbolized Korean filmmakers’ desire to display the highest level of artistry in Korean films, while at the same time concealed a sense of inferiority that came from the treatment of Korean films as “low-brow films for amusement.” In addition, at times, literature was a source of creative breakthrough that was needed as the Korean film industry frequently suffered from a dearth of material to choose from. As a result, in the past, government policies supported films that were based on literature, and there were attempts by the publishing and film industry to jointly develop material and plan the publishing of a novel and  the production of a film to occur concurrently. As such, this year’s subject “Films and Literature” offers a good opportunity for viewers to delve into Korean film history and literary history as well as developments in Korean society.

For this year’s project, we have compiled eight films. The history of cinematizing literature is long and varied, and hence, the task of selecting just eight films from numerous works was extremely difficult. Although it would be impossible to grasp the full account of the relationship between Korean films and literature, we hope that the films included in this DVD box set will provide an opportunity to understand at least a portion of that account.

As with all art forms, literature and films act as windows through which to communicate with the world and as mirrors that reflect life. Hence, when we study the relationship between a film and a piece of literature, we are also studying the society and the era on which the works are based. The eight films contained in this year’s DVD box set allow us to look at the circumstances and changes that have taken place in Korean films and literature from the 1960s to today, as well as the changes that have occurred in Korean society. We hope that the films and commentaries included in the collection will be used as a valuable resource to help viewers understand Korean films, literature and Korean society.

Park Yuhee
Professor, Korea Univ.
Song Hyojoung
Film Critic and Lecturer, Korea Univ.
Chon Woo Hyung
Professor, Konkuk Univ.
Lee Young-mee
Scholar of mass culture and art
Kim Ji-mi
Film Critic and Lecturer, Seoul National Univ.
Oh YoungSuk
HK Research Professor, Sungkonghoe Univ.
Roh Jiseung
Professor, Incheon National Univ.
Hwang Hye-jin
Professor, Konkuk Univ.
Lee Chae-won
Film Critic and Lecturer, Sogang Univ.

Greetings 4
Preface 11
The Daughters of Kim's Pharmacy 35
Mist 61
The Road to Sampo 87
A Dwarf Launches a Little Ball 115
Deep Blue Night 137
Our Twisted Hero 161
Chunhyang 187
Eungyo 223