Seoul film archive to mark 100th birth anniversary of Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee
Version 2: A further news outlet has picked up the retrospective; no new facts about the programme emerged and the earlier details are unchanged.
In short
The Korean Film Archive will hold a special retrospective of director Shin Sang-ok and actor-director Choi Eun-hee from Oct. 15 to 31 at Cinematheque KOFA in Sangam-dong, Seoul, marking the 100th anniversary of their births. The programme screens 34 films, including first-time 4K restorations of three works and two films the couple made in North Korea after their 1978 abduction. Admission is free.
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The Korean Film Archive will hold a special retrospective of director Shin Sang-ok and actor-director Choi Eun-hee from Oct. 15 to 31 at Cinematheque KOFA in Sangam-dong, Seoul, the archive said on Oct. 6. The programme is titled “Love’s History: Shin Sang-ok × Choi Eun-hee” and marks the 100th anniversary of the two filmmakers’ births, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
Thirty-four films will be screened, including major works by the two and documentaries about their lives. Three films will be shown in first-time 4K restorations: “That Woman’s Crime” (1959), “As Long As This Life Lasts” (1960) and “Cruel History of a Joseon Woman” (1969). Two films they made in North Korea, “Escape” (1984) and “Salt” (1985), are also on the programme. Admission is free. [ 1 , 2 ]
Yonhap reported that the two were abducted to North Korea in 1978 and returned to South Korea in 1999. The archive counts both as born in 1926; Yonhap said Shin’s birth year is sometimes given as 1925 but that the centenary follows his autobiography and family testimony. This year also marks 20 years since Shin’s death, Yonhap said. [ 2 ]
Asia Economy listed further titles: “Seong Chunhyang”, which it said was made in 1961 in colour and CinemaScope and drew 4 million viewers; “A Heartbreaking Story” (1959), to be shown on 35mm; and “My Daughter-in-Law” (1965), which Choi directed herself. It said “Salt” won Choi the best actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival. [ 1 ]
Talks and lectures accompany the screenings. The opening ceremony on Oct. 15 will feature recollections by director Lee Jang-ho, who Yonhap said worked in Shin’s directing department, and editor Oh Seong-hwan, along with a video essay by director Kim Tae-yang. Asia Economy reported that director Bae Chang-ho will discuss Shin’s 1955 film “Dream” and that five lectures will cover Shin Film’s producer system, division and motherhood, Choi’s directing, her acting detail and portrayals of disability in “The Bell”, with speakers including Korean Film Archive secretary-general Cho Jun-hyung and professors Park Yu-hee and Ham Chung-beom. [ 1 , 2 ]
Newsis also carried the exhibition under the headline “100th birth anniversary of Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee … special exhibition ‘Love’s History’”, giving a third outlet for the programme’s title. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The documents present the retrospective as a look back at two filmmakers who led a boom period in South Korean cinema, and it puts films made in North Korea after their abduction back on a public screen. Because it is organised by the state-run Korean Film Archive with free admission, the programme is likely to reach a wider audience than a commercial re-release. The documents report no controversy around the event.
Key facts
- The Korean Film Archive will hold the special exhibition “Love’s History: Shin Sang-ok × Choi Eun-hee” from Oct. 15 to 31 at Cinematheque KOFA in Sangam-dong, Seoul. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The event marks the 100th birth anniversary of director Shin Sang-ok and actor-director Choi Eun-hee, both counted by the archive as born in 1926. [ 1 , 2 ]
- A total of 34 films will be screened, including their major works and documentaries about their lives. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Three films will be shown in 4K restorations for the first time: “That Woman’s Crime” (1959), “As Long As This Life Lasts” (1960) and “Cruel History of a Joseon Woman” (1969). [ 1 , 2 ]
- Two films made in North Korea, “Escape” (1984) and “Salt” (1985), are part of the programme. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yonhap reported that the two were abducted to North Korea in 1978 and returned to South Korea in 1999. [ 2 ]
- All screenings and events are free, and talks and five lectures are scheduled alongside the films. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A special retrospective for the 100th birth anniversary of Shin Sang-ok and Choi Eun-hee will run Oct. 15–31 at Cinematheque KOFA in Sangam-dong, Seoul, the Korean Film Archive said. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The programme screens 34 films, including major works by the two filmmakers and documentaries about their lives. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Three films will be shown in 4K restorations for the first time: “That Woman’s Crime” (1959), “As Long As This Life Lasts” (1960) and “Cruel History of a Joseon Woman” (1969). [ 1 , 2 ]
- Two films made during their time in North Korea, “Escape” (1984) and “Salt” (1985), are part of the programme. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Admission to the screenings and events is free. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The two were abducted to North Korea in 1978 and returned to South Korea in 1999, according to Yonhap. [ 2 ]
- Talks and lectures are scheduled alongside the screenings, according to the archive. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Shin Sang-ok’s year of birth Yonhap reported that his birth year is sometimes given as 1925, while the Korean Film Archive is using 1926 for the centenary based on his autobiography and family testimony; no other document addresses the discrepancy.
- The Moscow International Film Festival best actress award for Choi Eun-hee for “Salt” Asia Economy reported the award; Yonhap’s account of the same programme does not mention it, so the claim rests on a single outlet.
- The content of the Newsis report Newsis carried a headline about the retrospective, but the article text in the document deals with an unrelated National Assembly audit and a Supreme Court chief justice, so only its headline could be used for this event.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asia Economy publishes a report on the retrospective’s programme, including individual titles, formats and the lecture line-up. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports the Korean Film Archive’s announcement of the Oct. 15–31 special exhibition and its explanation of Shin Sang-ok’s birth year. [ 2 ]
- Newsis carries a headline on the same special exhibition. [ 3 ]