Join us for a special screening of the award-winning animated film The Shaman Sorceress (무녀도) and a live in-person conversation and reception with the filmmaker Ahn Jae-huun, director of the celebrated Korean animation studio Meditation with a Pencil, and Korean voice actor Jang Won-young about their work on the film and the vibrant K-Animation industry today! Like many of Ahn's films, The Shaman Sorceress is inspired by iconic Korean 20th century literature and strives to capture the essence of Korean culture and sentiment in the face of profound change. In the film, a mute girl and her father leave behind a strange painting with a story to tell from a bygone era... Mohwa has practiced shamanism, the indigenous spiritual beliefs of traditional Korea, for her entire life. The return of her son Wook-Yi as a converted Christian with a new view of the world sparks a conflict that drives the family to tragedy, in this important tale of generational and cultural change.  Director Ahn Jae-huun's The Shaman Sorceress (2021) is something totally unique from mainstream animation today. Winner of the Contrechamp Jury Distinction award at the 44th Annecy International Animation Film Festival, it was inspired by Korean author Kim Dongri’s 1936 short story "A Shaman’s Tale" and its later expansion into Kim's 1978 novel known as Eulhwa (을화), which was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Like many of his 20th century contemporaries, Kim was deeply affected and influenced by the 1910-1945 period of colonial rule in Korea and the role of traditional culture in a rapidly changing and modernizing nation. Many of Ahn’s films thus vividly reflect this evocative and transformative period in history while capturing an indescribable emotional essence of Korean culture. In Korean with English subtitles, 86 minutes. Reception included. Please note that both sessions are open to the public with the same program but different dates, times, and location!   Session 1 Thursday, November 13 at 6:30-9:00 PM Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. 2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW    Session 2 Friday, November 14 at 2:30-4:30 PM American University, Kerwin Large Lecture Hall (T01) 4400 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest → Enjoy the screening with complimentary Korean fried chicken!   RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!  Session 1: Nov. 13 @ KCCDC    Session 2: Nov. 14 @ American University     About Ahn Jae-huun and Meditation with a Pencil At a time when much of American film and television animation was outsourced to talented studios in Korea, Ahn Jae-huun worked as an experienced animator for such iconic shows as The Simpsons and Family Guy. But when staring his own studio in 1998, Meditation with a Pencil, Ahn’s vision was very different: to depict deep and authentic aspects of Korean life and culture in beautifully hand-drawn painterly styles. The stories he chose to bring to life through animation were equally evocative and insightful of the Korean experience, including formative 20th century Korean fiction by authors like Lee Hyoseok, Hwang Sun-won, and Kim Dongri. Many of these works, including When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom, The Shaman Sorceress, The Shower, A Lucky Day, and Spring, Spring, originated during a period of profound hardship, transformation, and self-discovery for Korea under colonial rule. The studio thus creates with the philosophy of “drawings that cure and colors that touch one’s heart.”    

Join us for this month's second free K-Cinema Korean movie night!  Exiled to a remote island during the Catholic Persecution of 1801, aristocratic Joseon Dynasty scholar Jeong Yak-jeon (Sul Kyung-gu) becomes fascinated by the sea, its creatures, and the ordinary folk who live there. He agrees to an exchange of knowledge with young fisherman Chang-dae (Byun Yo-han), who himself aspires to make his mark on the world. But as the two become companions, their conflicting world views become more apparent, setting up a fateful decision. Director Lee Jun-ik’s stylish 2021 period film The Book of Fish (자산어보) blends equal parts comedy, history, folk culture, and social commentary into an irresistible story of friendship and its trials in life. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 126 Minutes. RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

Join us for this month's first free K-Cinema Korean movie night! Hyun-woo (Yoo Ji-tae) has lived as a cold, guilt-ridden prosecutor ever since losing his beloved Min-joo (Kim Ji-soo) in a department store collapse years ago. But when he suddenly receives Min-joo’s old honeymoon diary, he is given a roadmap to trace all the memories of his lost lover. Along his journey to confront his past, Hyun-woo befriends Se-jin (Uhm Ji-won), only to discover a special connection between her and his lost love. This wistful and bittersweet classic from director Kim Dae-seung and starring heartthrob Yoo Ji-tae captures the essence of Korea’s 2000s tragic romance films, a period that set the stage for emotional Korean storytelling on screen to take the world by storm in the decades that followed. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 114 Minutes. Traces Of Love (가을로) Wednesday, October 15, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

Chae-yoon Ha, the country’s top negotiator known for her unshakable composure in any situation, is left reeling after a mission ends in tragedy, with both hostages and captors dead. Ten days later, Tae-gu Min, an international arms dealer on the police blacklist, kidnaps Korean police officers and journalists in Thailand, naming Chae-yoon as the negotiator. With no clear reason, purpose, or demands, Min unleashes the deadliest hostage situation yet, while Chae-yoon must confront him without yielding an inch. With only 12 hours left, a life-or-death negotiation begins.  Director Lee Jong-seok’s 2018 crime thriller The Negotiation was praised for its top acting talent, storytelling twists and turns, and strong female in a famously gritty genre. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 114 Minutes. For mature audiences.  The Negotiation (협상) Wednesday, September 17, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

Set in 1920s Japanese-occupied Korea, Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho), a Korean serving as a Japanese police officer, is tasked with infiltrating the armed independence movement group. To accomplish this, he approaches the group’s leader, Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo). Despite standing on opposite ends of history, the two men grow close while keeping their true intentions hidden, setting up a tense game of manipulation, betrayal, and counterintelligence. Director Kim Jee-woon's The Age of Shadows (2016) is a crowd pleasing historical epic that also won over critics, including awards for Best Art Design at the Daejong Film Awards as well as Best Director and Best Actor (Song Kang-Ho) at the BaekSang Arts Awards. Produced and distributed by Warner Bros., the film also went on to widespread international acclaim.  Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 140 minutes. The Age of Shadows (밀정) Wednesday, September 10, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!

As a member of an elite North Korean investigation team, Im Cheol-ryung (Hyun Bin) is called to a counterfeit printing facility only to discovery treachery in his team's own ranks. When the dust settles, Im is recovering but his government is about to send him on an unprecedented mission: team up with South Korean forces to track down Cha Ki-seong (Kim Joo-hyuk), Im's former supervisor who has fled to the South with the master printing plates. Im has only three days to complete his mission, but South Korean officials have their doubts about Im as well as Cha's culpability. Detective Kang Jin-tae (Yoo Hae-jin) from Seoul is ordered to keep a close eye on the whole operation, lest things go horribly wrong. Director Kim Sung-hoon's 2017 action thriller Confidential Assignment offered an original twist on North-South politics in Korea, and went on to earn its stellar cast awards for Best Supporting Actor (Kim Joo-hyuk) and Most Popular Actress (Yoona), among others. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 125 Minutes. Confidential Assignment (공조) Wednesday, August 27, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!  

Hyung-Wook (Yu Hae-Jin) is a charismatic contract killer with a perfect record whose epic bathhouse slip has him being taken to the hospital by paramedics, including the lovely Ri-Na (Jo Yoon-Hee). Struggling actor Jae-Sung (Lee Joon), who can't even pay his rent, witnesses the slick-dressed hit man take a fall -- on a whim, he switches their locker keys, and as a result, entire identities. Hyung-Wook wakes up with no memory of his deadly past, and learns that he is...a broke actor named Jae-Sung? Both men try to embrace their new lives, to hilarious effect. Director Lee Gye-byeok's hit comedy Luck-Key (2016) gave veteran character actor Yu Hae-jin a chance to play the lead, earning him nominations for Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards and Chunsa Film Art Awards and the top prize from the University Film Festival of Korea. Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 112 minutes.  LUCK-KEY (럭키)  Wednesday, August 13, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP FOR THIS EVENT!  

As a former gangster who left behind a rough past, Dong-chul (Ma Dong-seok) now leads an honest life working at the fish market. But when his wife Ji-soo (Song Ji-hyo) is suddenly abducted without a trace, Dong-chul must take matters into his own hands after receiving a chilling phone call. The criminal predators are about to become the prey when they realize that this particular target with a past and a vengeance is unstoppable. Director Kim Min-ho's 2018 action/crime thriller Unstoppable wowed audiences with its compelling cast, debuting at No. 1 at the box office in Korea and going on to further success with international audiences.  Free with an RSVP! Complimentary snacks. In Korean with English subtitles. 115 minutes.  Unstoppable (성난황소) Wednesday, July 16, 6:00 PM  Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW) RSVP HERE!