SIFF2009
10th - 18th Dec 2009
Indiespace (Jung-ang cinema), Seoul
Presented by: The Association of Korean Independent Film & Video, Korean Film Council
Organized by: Seoul Independent Film Festival 2009 Executive Committee
Location:
Subway line 2, 3 Oeljiro-3 ga station, exit 12
(walk underground to the direction of oeljiro-ibgu about 7-8min)
line 2 Oeljiro-ibgu station, exit 5
Subway line 4, Myeong Dong station exit 10 (7-8 minutes)
Tickets: Opening ceremony 7,000won, normal 5,000won.
or known as
Director: Lee Jong-yong
Actor: Lee Beon-soo, Jo Ahn
This is also another sports movie, one of the best movie in 2009.
This is also based on a real story.
This story touches heart so much as the ending is out of expected.
If you are a teacher who loves your students so much, watch this movie.
If you are a student in a team work, watch this movie.
If you are a trainer or a leader, watch this movie.
It is worth to get the ideas from this movie how the team work moves the hearts of the people rather than the success of a bronze.
Synopsis:
"Not everyone gets the gold medal.
If you don't give up and do your best, at the end that alone deserves a gold medal.
I believe in all of you."
The words were in the mind of a female national weightlifting athlete in the Olympics game.
Story was like this:
Lee-Ji-Bong, a bronze medalist of 1998 Olympic Weightlifting athelete, hurt his hand and quitted the sports after the game. He didn't want to involve in sports again but he was invited to teach in a girl high school, under the sports department.
To join this new sports, the interested parents were invited to have a preview. He informed them the danger of the sports and scared them away. Yet there were still a few girls regardless of that joined him and wanted to be trained. One of the girl comes from a poor family. Her grandmother just passed away and she lost her home. She joined the weightlifing group so that she can have a place to stay in. Then the teacher starts to accept them and teach them.
However, he didn't want them to involve in the game because he knows that - only one person- the gold medalist - will be recognized among the all. If not, all their hard work will be considered nothing. He gave them normal exercise and training while he did fishing.
They asked him, "Why don't you teach us?"
He answered, "If you don't get the first, you won't even be acknowledged."
He didn't take much interest to teach them any skill.
The teacher even wanted to burn out the bronze medal he won, but one of the girl got it back and set as her secret tool. She is the one who went to the Olympic Games later.
Without any proper training and skill, they went for the first inter-school competition, and all the girls felt disappointed. They felt shamed and lost their confidence. The teacher of another girl high school even teased them.
Thus, Lee made up his mind and trained up the young ladies - gave them hard training - a serious training with records and good planning. He even asked them to study hard though most of the time they have to do exercise.
Finally, the day of competition has come and they won in the inter-school competition.
They were recognized. They were encouraged by the school and even promised to build a temporary dormitory for the team.
However, good things not always happen in one row. The teacher was asked to send his students (5 of them in total) to another girl school and be trained. They had a hard time and wanted to go back to Lee. He was not allowed to and even his authority was taken away.
For their future, Lee sacrificed himself and sent them away. While he decided to send out the letters he wrote to the students, he had a heart attack on the road and he passed away. The students were so sad and they used their strength to send the teacher's body to the graveyard.
The girl, who continued the sports, went to the Oympics game and achived the success that her teacher and her companions could not do.
The movie actorsThe real people of the story
Review
May be because I'm a girl, I cried when I watched this movie. Truly girls are emotional. The storyline is well written and the spirit of the game is shown in the movie. The effort of the teacher and his students should be the model of the school today. There is always fruitful if a good teacher is willing to lead and teach his or her students, no matter what the result is. Students need proper teaching, most of all, need pure and true heart of model.
Any thumbs up for the girls - they're willing to make themselves be tough and strong - from their original slim bodies.
This Korean movie, means National Athelete, is highly recommended to watch and I can say that, it is one of the best movies in 2009.
May be it is because:
first, I like ski.
second, I like sports movie.
third, it is based on a true story.
forth, the patriotism - the unity of Korean - the brotherhood as a team - is shown in the movie.
fifth, low budget brings out good movie.
Synopsis:
A famous high ski athlete (Korean-American) was back to Korea to look for his parents. He can speak Korean well and he showed up in a TV program. The national team co-ordinator, plus trainer, looked for him and asked him to join the Korean national team. He didn't think it is fair to him as this country sent him away first. Anyway, later he was little bit moved by the trainer as he promised to help him looking for his parents.
Thus, to be in a team, they need 4 people in a group. They went to find the candidates, whom have totally different backgrounds from one another. One is a club's attendee, one is a poor worker staying with a younger brother and his grandmother and another one is a father's boy. The trainer invited them to have a preview of high-ski and asked for their participation.
When they saw the scenes of failures, first they wanted to quit. But after they were told that if they become the national athelete, they no need to join the military service. :) They decided to be trained and become the national team.
However, it was not an easy task. First, they don't have a proper place to be trained. They were trained in the construction place of the high ski stadium. Second, they don't have much budget. They could not get any financial support when they are training. Third, they had to use their own imaginations to build a temporary ski jump route. Without the support of the government, they only can use a haunted roller coster place. Even later when the decision of the high ski stadium was canceled, they were not allowed to use it too.
After much training, they went for the first competition yet it was not successful. They were lucky to be in the final round list because of the weather. The quarrel of the team leader and the ex-US team members made them have a hard time to get into the competition.
Besides the story of the sports, there are also stories of the atheletes:
Team leader found his mother but she was having a hard time, she is a housemaid under a cruel daughter of the house owner. At the end of the story, she came to her son and recognized him again.
The daughter of the trainer made a spotlight in the story - a beautiful lady but is a liar. She seduced one of the team member but she was touched by his true heart at the end.
The brother of the good grandson joined the team later as a back-up as he was hurt in the first competition. He was too young but encouraged by his brother, he jumped for the first time and he was success.
The father's boy got married with a korean-chinese lady who works in his father's restaurant, and she was pregnant. Her father tried to push him back to work but he finally fight for his own life.
In the final, they joined the international competition and they won the 3rd prize. The jump scene was shown in the movie but not the prize award.
Review
I watched this movie in the theatre and with the big screen, I could feel the true spirit of the sports. Though later I found out that the whole view of the international ski jump competition are all computerized-making, they did a good job. Their hard work burns my passion to work for my dream too! I also want to work hard for my own dream!
I hope you can enjoy this movie too!
This photo shows the real national atheletes. They have a hard time getting support from the Korean government. It is a true information (as I have friend who knows one of them). The Koreans only like sports like soccer and baseball. They do not give much subsidy to this sports although they have a high potential to get into the international field successfully. I hope this movie, and more supports from the Koreans, can influence the support from the government.
To celebrate 7th Asiana International Short Film Festival (5th Nov - 10th Nov 2009), the organized party has decided to hold a series of provincial screening.
Seoul event:
Date: 5 to 13 September
Venue: Haechi Hall in Myeong Dong
features of total of 18 short films from many different countries.
Cost: 3,000 won per program.
Program please view here.
Info: 02-727 3251
I've got 2 free tickets from Korea4expats.com so... I went there with my friend on last Saturday 4pm - which I met the famous actor 안성기 An-SeongGi.
We had a short time meeting with him and 2 other young Korean directors (Park Jae-ok of Stop movie and Lee Seung-nam of Refresh Her... movie)
Before the show
After the show, we took photos with the banner.
I'm thankful that I got the lucky draw - a free set of coffee package! (3 lucky draws)
What we watched was program 3:
Four by Ivana Sebestova, Slovakia, 2007, time: 15'40', 35mm, Color, Animation (about 4 girls, beautiful yellow and grey combination of colors)
510 Meters Above Sea Level by Polte Kerstin, Swiss, 2008, time: 16' 30", Digi Beta, color, Fiction (a girl who missed the train and met a girl on the lonely airport)
Stop by Park Jae-Ok, Korea, 2008, time: 6', Beta SP, Color, Fiction (son and mother story, time stopped when they met an accident)
Refresh Her... by Lee Seung-nam, Korea, 2007, time: 22', Digi Beta, Color, Fiction (countryside story of coffee girl with an old man story)
Tony Zear by Valentin Potier, France, 2007, 20', Beta SP, Color, Fiction (28-year-old single Tony with his big ear story - search for true love)
Way Home by Oh Erick, Lee Hung-Yeon, Korea, 2008, 9', Digi Beta, Color, Animation (father bring home a rock story)
I personally like the story of Stop, but I like the creativity of Refresh Her... It lets me know about the different side of the country of Korea. May be something unusual is always the new thing we like to explore.
Thus, if you have time and like to watch movie, why not try on these types of short films? Anyway, combination of all still needs to be there for 1 hour 30 minutes or more. Enjoy it!
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