The Toronto festival, called the 'Cannes' of North America, is the largest regional film market and one of the four major global film festivals after the Cannes, Berlin and Venice. It's double the pleasure to have been invited along with the Cannes winning Korean film 'Secret Sunshine'." The Contemporary World Cinema category, regarded a key section at Toronto, invites award winning films and new productions by up-and-coming directors. 'Happiness,' directed by Heo Jin-ho, depicts the ultimately cruel love story of a couple who first meet at a nursing home.
The Korean film "Happiness" starring Hwang Jeong-min and Im Soo-jeong has officially been invited to the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival. An official of the movie said, "An invitation to the festival's Contemporary World Cinema category came simply through a preview of the film's edited version, as full editing and mixing has yet to be done.
(lee young ae girl)
(lee young ae girl)
Pop artist Nancy Lang Multi-talented Lang's unconventional character and provocative performances have grabbed the attention of the art, fashion and entertainment circles alike. In her trademark series 'Taboo Yogini,' characters such as a woman with a huge courtesan wig or a figure with a body of a robot and a head of a girl, rooster or dog appear. And invariably held in their hand is a powerful gun or a Louis Vuitton bag. In the backdrop is a car, a Chanel lipstick and other luxury brand logos. "Yogini" means an angel or a devil in the dictionary. Since her performance of 'Lost Dream' in her underwear at the 2003 Venice Biennale, Nancy Lang was introduced to Korea, and she quickly appeared in magazines, on TV and on the Internet. Her showbiz philosophy that she would make money with art shouting "Cutie! Sexy! Kitty!" and "I Love Dollars" has raised controversy among art circles as well as the public. (lee young ae girl)
Her childhood dream was to become a violinist. And she realized the dream through art. Once, at the San Marco Piazza in Venice, she was held by the police for four hours, after which she became popular. Her performances thereafter continued to stand out. The New York born ethnic Korean is a US citizen. She only attended an international high school in Manila but her mannerisms and accent bear the hallmarks of a third generation Korean-American. Her Korean name is Park Hye-ryeong. But eyeing the world as her stage, she strategically changed her last name through help from a lawyer. "Lang" was the final choice among several names as it visually looked nice in typographic terms. Born into a well-to-do family, Lang however went through difficult times when her father died during her college years and her mother fell sick. At times, she couldn't pay her tuition. But through the trials, she developed a clear sense of life and living.
Taboo Yogini, representing both good and bad, is a ceaselessly resurrecting spiritual being due to its persistent power and life energy. It is the symbol of Lang herself, her dreams, her wounds and her fight. The self-proclaimed 'walking pop art' doesn't hide her love for brand name and elite goods. Last year at the Seoul Arts Center, the bikini clad Lang asked audience members to put oil on her body before going on to sing 'Purple Scent' to the tune of a karaoke machine. She pulled off another eccentric performance "Nancy Lang's autograph session" during which she autographed her posterior as the inaugural artist of the Gwangju Biennale. The Taboo Yogini series is expected to evolve even more. In pursuit of breaking apart and assembling robots, Lang has only yet gathered the parts, and during the process she can let go of past regrets. Her work these days in fact show glimpses of her severing chains with the past and moving toward a fantastic future, portrayed by a wounded yogini and a guardian angel robot. If yogini was Peter Pan to Lang, the robot would be her Tinker Bell. It may be that she is inviting someone she can rely on in the future into her world filled with luxury goods. Dreaming of Korea's Takashi Murakami Her work and lifestyle and her brutally candid and daring speech and actions invite criticism at times. But she doesn't care. She confidently argues that, like a racehorse, she only runs toward a clear goal. She has firmly established herself as an artist reaching out to the public. Few others see art as showbiz as much as she does. But approaching show business with new ideas and works is a whole different realm. Her role model is Takashi Murakami, who successfully turned his character creations into art based on the animation, comics and games culture. Most of her works sell well and her name once topped the top online search word list. She knows what she wants, "I will become a world renowned artist who can influence the general public, and based on that foundation, I want to gain wealth and fame." We wonder what she will show us next, as she brings along issues and controversies wherever she goes with her art. (lee young ae girl)
Her childhood dream was to become a violinist. And she realized the dream through art. Once, at the San Marco Piazza in Venice, she was held by the police for four hours, after which she became popular. Her performances thereafter continued to stand out. The New York born ethnic Korean is a US citizen. She only attended an international high school in Manila but her mannerisms and accent bear the hallmarks of a third generation Korean-American. Her Korean name is Park Hye-ryeong. But eyeing the world as her stage, she strategically changed her last name through help from a lawyer. "Lang" was the final choice among several names as it visually looked nice in typographic terms. Born into a well-to-do family, Lang however went through difficult times when her father died during her college years and her mother fell sick. At times, she couldn't pay her tuition. But through the trials, she developed a clear sense of life and living.
Taboo Yogini, representing both good and bad, is a ceaselessly resurrecting spiritual being due to its persistent power and life energy. It is the symbol of Lang herself, her dreams, her wounds and her fight. The self-proclaimed 'walking pop art' doesn't hide her love for brand name and elite goods. Last year at the Seoul Arts Center, the bikini clad Lang asked audience members to put oil on her body before going on to sing 'Purple Scent' to the tune of a karaoke machine. She pulled off another eccentric performance "Nancy Lang's autograph session" during which she autographed her posterior as the inaugural artist of the Gwangju Biennale. The Taboo Yogini series is expected to evolve even more. In pursuit of breaking apart and assembling robots, Lang has only yet gathered the parts, and during the process she can let go of past regrets. Her work these days in fact show glimpses of her severing chains with the past and moving toward a fantastic future, portrayed by a wounded yogini and a guardian angel robot. If yogini was Peter Pan to Lang, the robot would be her Tinker Bell. It may be that she is inviting someone she can rely on in the future into her world filled with luxury goods. Dreaming of Korea's Takashi Murakami Her work and lifestyle and her brutally candid and daring speech and actions invite criticism at times. But she doesn't care. She confidently argues that, like a racehorse, she only runs toward a clear goal. She has firmly established herself as an artist reaching out to the public. Few others see art as showbiz as much as she does. But approaching show business with new ideas and works is a whole different realm. Her role model is Takashi Murakami, who successfully turned his character creations into art based on the animation, comics and games culture. Most of her works sell well and her name once topped the top online search word list. She knows what she wants, "I will become a world renowned artist who can influence the general public, and based on that foundation, I want to gain wealth and fame." We wonder what she will show us next, as she brings along issues and controversies wherever she goes with her art. (lee young ae girl)
Directed by Jun Su-il, the movie will compete in the "Horizon" category of the Venice festival. Lim Kwon-taek's movie "Beyond the Years" will also participate in the festival in the non-competition category. (lee young ae girl)
The actress was pursued by the paparazzi all the way from the airport, and some 200 journalists attended the event, double the originally expected number. The director of Celine's Hong Kong branch said he was satisfied with the new bag line because it turned out more beautifully than he had expected. He also added he was honored to have a business partnership with Song, who is a pan-Asian star. A person from Celine said the company was flooded with orders for the Song Hye Kyo for Celine bags even though they have yet to go on sale. (lee young ae girl)
Korean Stars To Visit Japan in August Well-known Korean stars with large fan bases in Japan will travel to Tokyo in August. The Japanese sports daily Nikkan Sports reported that a number of famous Korean stars are scheduled to appear at the two-day "FACE in Japan Premium Event" at the Tokyo Dome on August 14th and 15th. The event is part of a cultural exchange program between Korea and Japan and a sequel to the Hallyu Expo held in Jeju Island last year. Actress Yoon Son-ha will host the show for two days. Actress Ha Ji-won, actors Lee Dong-gun, Jo Han-seon, Shin Hyun-jun, the popular idol group TVXQ, and other up-and-coming singers and performers will make appearances. (lee young ae girl)
Singer Younha, Actor Lee Named Anti-Corruption PR Envoys Younha and actor Lee Jin-wook have been named as publicity envoys for the anti-corruption Clean Wave Campaign. The anti-corruption committee cited Younha's clean and pure image and her exemplary behavior since her debut and Lee's upstanding image established through his drama roles. The ceremony will be attended by a hundred teachers from across the country. The singer and actor's activities will include participation in the Campus Clean Wave, a similar campaign for teenagers, and International Anti-Corruption Day events. (lee young ae girl)
Min HR Sizzles Under Asian Spotlight Singer Min Hyo-rin is receiving interview requests from a slew of Asian media outlets and broadcasters including China's largest portal SINA.COM, the popular Hallyu magazine COOL MUSIC and Japan's KN. (lee young ae girl)
Even inside officials are amazed by the calls as Min has conducted no overseas activity whatsoever. A foreign media official says that Min is a new face but her mystical and at the same time lovely persona is appealing to Hallyu fans in China and Japan.
He said Min's interviews will be released some time next month via various outlets. Her management agency says a possible advance to China or Japan isn't planned and she will focus her work in Korea, expressing deep gratitude for Asian fans' interest in the Korean singer. It also added that should the opportunity and right conditions arise, Min will consider going overseas.
Even inside officials are amazed by the calls as Min has conducted no overseas activity whatsoever. A foreign media official says that Min is a new face but her mystical and at the same time lovely persona is appealing to Hallyu fans in China and Japan.
He said Min's interviews will be released some time next month via various outlets. Her management agency says a possible advance to China or Japan isn't planned and she will focus her work in Korea, expressing deep gratitude for Asian fans' interest in the Korean singer. It also added that should the opportunity and right conditions arise, Min will consider going overseas.
Park Jung-sook Gives Lecture on Korean Wave TV personality Park Jung-sook, who is currently studying at the University of Columbia in the USA, will give a lecture at Waseda University in Japan on July 11. Park's lecture will deal with international relations with a focus on the popularity of Korean culture overseas. The seminar will be attended by experts from Japan and other countries as well as former President Kim Young-sam. On June 30, Park made a presentation in Japan at a women's forum on ways to prepare for the issue of aging in society. Back in February, she presented at a forum on the popularity of Korean culture in Asia at Harvard University. (lee young ae girl)
Yoon Mi-rae Makes Successful Comeback Singer Yoon Mi-rae, also known as T, has recently made a successful comeback in Japan after a five-year hiatus, suggesting a new direction for the Korean wave. Yoon displayed her formidable hip-hop skills on July 10 at the Drama original Sound Korea 2007 in Tokyo, evoking applause from some 2000 people in the audience. Yoon sang "After Pain Subsides," the theme song of the SBS TV drama "Prague Lovers," which is airing in Japan. Her unique style of voice that is quite rare in Japan captivated the hearts of Japanese listeners. Yoon was the only performer at the concert to receive a curtain call, in which she sang "Scent of Life," a song from her first album. The singer's agency says Yoon will, at the minimum, hold some small-scale concerts soon in Japan to target the Japanese music market. (lee young ae girl)
Charity Mentioned in Chinese Gov Authorities in Jinan city in China's Santung province announced at an administrative briefing earlier this week that the charity foundation set up by Korean singer Jang Nara has begun operation. The Jinan government says "the foundation named after the popular Korean singer has begun operation" calling it the first of its kind in the city. It said the first 200,000 yuan were donated by a Beijing cultural corporation and that so far 500,000 yuan have been collected from Chinese dailies, Korea's Chung-ang University and Jang's concert proceeds. The money will all go to help poor leukemic children in Jinan. The city also says that the city vice mayor, on behalf of the municipal charity association, has officially appointed Jang as Jinan's charity ambassador. (lee young ae girl)
Online Mall to Enter China The recently launched online shopping mall of Lee Eun, a former member of the girl band Chakra, is seeking to advance to China as the first shopping mall opened by a Korean celebrity. Sales are brisk at the shopping mall "Euni," which has posted a three-fold sales increase in recent days. Singer-turned-actress Lee recently visited China for inspections to launch her business. She said, "Never did I imagine advancing abroad, but I decided to expand my business upon the advice of a relative living in China. I want to further promote the Hallyu boom as a businesswoman and later return as a performer."
