Busan 2015 Review: A COPY OF MY MIND Sells Itself On Romance And Intrigue

Part of MKC's coverage of the 20th Busan International Film Festival.

By Pierce Conran

Acclaimed Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar returns with his fifth feature, A Copy of My Mind, a tale of love, passion and how to get ahead in the back alleys of sprawling Jakarta. Made with the help of CJ Entertainment, as the Korean major continues to industriously wean its way into developing Southeast Asian film markets, this romantic thriller, which teeters back and forth between the worlds of DVD piracy and local politics, is suffused with ample wry commentary.

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Busan 2013 Review: Moebius Is Insane and Brilliant

Part of MKC's coverage of the 18th Busan International Film Festival.

Kim Ki-duk has shocked many a festival/arthouse audience over the years, ever since he used fishhooks to terrible effect in The Isle (2000). Watching his films can be an uncomfortable experience and while he has perhaps gone overboard in the past, he's never been outrageous just for the sake of it. Spectators, for their part, have steadily become more drawn to his works. With his new feature Moebius, never has he so deliberately sought to shock them. His message, framed in a terrifying and morbidly humorous narrative that recalls the tropes and themes of Greek tragedy, is clearer than it's ever been. It's also never been quite this powerful.

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WKR: Pieta and The Thieves on the Intl. Circuit (09/08-09/14, 2012)

Packed WKR this week with lots on Pieta, post-Golden Lion win, and a number of writeups on The Thieves following its HK release and TIFF screening.

CURRENT FILMS

Pieta

(Joong Ang Daily, September 14, 2012)

(My Dear Korea, September 14, 2012)

(Screen Daily, September 4, 2012)

(Seongyong's Private Place, September 7, 2012)

The Thieves

(HK Knows Hong Kong, September 6, 2012)

(InSing.com, September 12, 2012)

(keukey's world, September 11, 2012)

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KCN: Kim Ki-duk Wins Historic Golden Lion and Busan Unveils Lineup (09/06-09/12, 2012)

Big week for news as Kim Ki-duk scoops up the Golden Lion and BIFF unveils its programme! Much more besides including the promotional material for The Perfect Number, the Bang Eun-jin thriller based on the Keigo Higashino novel 'The Devotion of Suspect X.'

Venice

Kim Ki-duk's Pieta Takes the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival
It has been extensively reported at this point but it's wonderful to hear that Kim Ki-duk's Pieta took the Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. This marks the first time a Korean film has scooped up top honors at one of the major three European fests (Berlin, Cannes, Venice)! It is also a major comeback for Kim Ki-duk and proof of his popularity overseas. Also encouraging is the film's strong performance in Korea, which was bolstered by the international accolade, jumping four spots in the rankings in a single day. (Modern Korean Cinema, September 12, 2012)

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WKR: Pieta Bows at Venice, New Releases and KOFFIA (08/31-09/06, 2012)

A slew of reviews from all manner of sources this week including many for Kim Ki-duk's latest Pieta.

CURRENT RELEASES

577 Project

(Joong Ang Daily, September 5, 2012)

Neighbors

(Modern Korean Cinema, September 5, 2012)

Pieta

(Cine-Vue, September 6, 2012)

(Indiewire, September 4, 2012)

(The Hollywood Reporter, September 3, 2012)

(The Korea Times, September 6, 2012)

R2B: Return to Base

(KKonnect, September 2, 2012)

Young Gun in the Time

(Modern Korean Cinema, August 30, 2012)

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KCN: Park Chan-wook takes on Western, Pieta at Venice and Busan Heats Up! (08/30-09/05, 2012)

The bis news this week is a new Park Chan-wook project, Pieta premiering at Venice and numerous Busan Film Fest announcements

BIFF 2012

The 17th Busan International Film Festival is exactly one month away and the news is starting to come in thick and fast. MKC will be on site for the entire event:

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Korean Cinema News (07/26-08/01, 2012)

Another abbreviated KCN due to PiFan coverage but nonetheless soe important Venice announcements, interviews and box office history in the making!

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

SICAF 2012: Animation Event in Korea
Local press covering this year's Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Fest (SICAF) frequently touted diversity, among other program elements, as the event's primary commendation. This year marks the sixteenth edition of the annual comics and cartoons showcase, and although animation screened in competition has traditionally come in from all over the globe, the festival's confident mix of emotional, adult films and seasoned children's fare produced a rather unique schedule. SICAF 2012(July 18-22, 2012) concluded last week. (Animation Insider, July 30, 2012)

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Korean Cinema News (07/19-07/25, 2012)

An abbreviated KCN as I am was away covering this year's PiFan.

KOREAN CINEMA NEWS

Korean Film Invited to Venice’s Independent Section
Director Jeon Kyu-hwan’s feature-length film The Weight has been included in the line-up of the Venice Film Festival’s autonomous sidebar section, the movie’s distributor Fine Cut said. Jeon, whose previous works include Berlinale-featured Varanasi and Dance Town, has become the first Korean director to be invited to the Venice Days competition program. The sidebar is widely considered to be the equivalent of Cannes Director’s Fortnight. (The Korea Herald, July 25, 2012)

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