7 – 14 November
The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF), organised by the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) and supported by the Korean Film Council returns to the ICA and more London screens for its 21st edition.
As one of the longest-running film festivals dedicated to Korean cinema outside of Korea, the festival showcases the best and most anticipated Korean films.
The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF), organised by the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) and supported by the Korean Film Council returns to the ICA and more London screens for its 21st edition.
As one of the longest-running film festivals dedicated to Korean cinema outside of Korea, the festival showcases the best and most anticipated Korean films.
Programme
Saturday 7 November, 4pm
The Accordion Door
At age 9, after a close encounter behind an accordion door, the previously slow-witted Ji-soo lost his memory, while acquiring a prodigious talent for writing. Now in middle school, Ji-soo (Moon Woo-jin) is shielded by his essay-writing success from his obvious social shortcomings — until football-loving transfer pupil Hyeon-joo (Lee Jae-in) turns his head and disrupts his confidence.
Saturday 7 November, 6pm
En Route To
En Route To opens with the revelation of a secret held by Yun-ji (Sim Subin), something that has been plaguing her with anxiety. The homeroom teacher with whom Yun-ji had been having an affair suddenly disappears after she tells him about her pregnancy. Left with not that many choices, Yun-ji steals the savings from her dorm roommate Kyung-sun (Lee Jiwon) to buy illegal abortion pills. Kyung-sun sets out to find Yun-ji and recover her missing money but ends up uncovering Yun-ji's secret at the end of her chase.
Sunday 8 November, 8pm
The Mutation
Se-oh (Han Hyun-min) works at an amusement park as a white-tiger-costumed mascot and collapses one day due to overwork. He then makes a resolution with himself — buys a luxury suitcase and goes travelling. He gets on a subway and finds So-ra (Lee Zoo-young) appears at his side. The Mutation explores their journey and gradually explores the facets of their pasts as well: Se-oh, who is of Black, mixed-race descent but knows little about the circumstances of his birth, while So-ra has lived under shadows following the death of her same-sex lover.
Tuesday 10 November, 6.30pm
The World of Love
The World of Love depicts the story of Joo-in (Seo Su-bin), a seventeen-year-old high school girl who keeps her thoughts and feelings to herself. She receives mysterious notes after refusing to participate in a school-wide petition signed by all of her fellow students. The film title is a clever and poignant word play as ‘Joo-in’ sounds like ‘owner’ in Korean, suggesting both a personal agency and the reclaiming of her story.
Wednesday 11 November, 8.40pm
Mad Dance Office
Mad Dance Office is a lively comedy that creatively combines the dramatic gestures of flamenco dance with the uncertain steps of a woman in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Loosening a long-stiffened body and following the rhythm of music can be challenging, but through the brief moment of freedom one experiences while dancing—one might find a window leading to a new possibility of life.
Saturday 14 November, 2pm
Women’s Voices Shorts Programme
The landscape painted by Korean women filmmakers is so vast and complex that it defies easy categorisation. The four selected shorts share a determination to carve out a path of their own while delivering the pleasures of diverse genres and forms.
Saturday 7 November, 4pm
The Accordion Door
At age 9, after a close encounter behind an accordion door, the previously slow-witted Ji-soo lost his memory, while acquiring a prodigious talent for writing. Now in middle school, Ji-soo (Moon Woo-jin) is shielded by his essay-writing success from his obvious social shortcomings — until football-loving transfer pupil Hyeon-joo (Lee Jae-in) turns his head and disrupts his confidence.
Saturday 7 November, 6pm
En Route To
En Route To opens with the revelation of a secret held by Yun-ji (Sim Subin), something that has been plaguing her with anxiety. The homeroom teacher with whom Yun-ji had been having an affair suddenly disappears after she tells him about her pregnancy. Left with not that many choices, Yun-ji steals the savings from her dorm roommate Kyung-sun (Lee Jiwon) to buy illegal abortion pills. Kyung-sun sets out to find Yun-ji and recover her missing money but ends up uncovering Yun-ji's secret at the end of her chase.
Sunday 8 November, 8pm
The Mutation
Se-oh (Han Hyun-min) works at an amusement park as a white-tiger-costumed mascot and collapses one day due to overwork. He then makes a resolution with himself — buys a luxury suitcase and goes travelling. He gets on a subway and finds So-ra (Lee Zoo-young) appears at his side. The Mutation explores their journey and gradually explores the facets of their pasts as well: Se-oh, who is of Black, mixed-race descent but knows little about the circumstances of his birth, while So-ra has lived under shadows following the death of her same-sex lover.
Tuesday 10 November, 6.30pm
The World of Love
The World of Love depicts the story of Joo-in (Seo Su-bin), a seventeen-year-old high school girl who keeps her thoughts and feelings to herself. She receives mysterious notes after refusing to participate in a school-wide petition signed by all of her fellow students. The film title is a clever and poignant word play as ‘Joo-in’ sounds like ‘owner’ in Korean, suggesting both a personal agency and the reclaiming of her story.
Wednesday 11 November, 8.40pm
Mad Dance Office
Mad Dance Office is a lively comedy that creatively combines the dramatic gestures of flamenco dance with the uncertain steps of a woman in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Loosening a long-stiffened body and following the rhythm of music can be challenging, but through the brief moment of freedom one experiences while dancing—one might find a window leading to a new possibility of life.
Saturday 14 November, 2pm
Women’s Voices Shorts Programme
The landscape painted by Korean women filmmakers is so vast and complex that it defies easy categorisation. The four selected shorts share a determination to carve out a path of their own while delivering the pleasures of diverse genres and forms.
