As you could see in the moblog, I was at the Cinema Korea 2003 festival yesterday to see the film WET DREAMS. I even got a press pass, which was a nice touch. Arriving at Sogetsu Hall (5 minute walk from Aoyama 1-Chome station on the Ginza line), it was nice to see a big crowd for this kind of festival. The crowd did seem to be older than what I usually see at movie events, so I suspect there were a fair amount of Japanese-Koreans in attendance. Before entering the screening room, you could browse all sorts of Korean related goods, like magazines, CDs and DVDs. They were also giving out some free Korean instant ramen! Entering the theatre, the place quickly filled up to show a sold out house. You can still chance a screening today (see my previous post for times and movies), but get there early as there are probably not many seats left, if any at all.
As for the movie, WET DREAMS, it was a blast. Imagine a comedy like AMERICAN PIE, but without the American hangups on sex, and much funnier. The film follows a group of young boys all looking to discover sex (or rooting, as they call it), and the ways they try to get it are all hilarious. I’d never heard of this film before, and am definitely glad I chose it. I don’t know what the availability of it is in other countries, but you can always get the Korean DVD from the excellent online shop Yeon DVD. You can also find out more about the state of Korean cinema at The Korean Film Page. There’s also a look at 2002 in Korean cinema at the Cinespot site.