Brussels' Korean Film Festival returns for 2019

The Korean Film Festival always lights up the first 10 days of November, with screenings of the best in Korean films.

But this year the offering is especially lustrous, as 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema.

The festival, taking place at Bozar and Cinéma Galeries from 31 October to 9 November, is divided into two categories; Historic Classic and Modern Classic.

The historic section presents five films that are "either historically worthwhile or not sufficiently recognised in the past". The films are mostly from the Korean New Wave that had its origins in the late 1980s.

The easing of control by the military government and the enhanced freedom of thought, of the press, and of expression allowed filmmakers to explore previously taboo themes and unleash their artistic expression. Among the films screened is Sympathy for Mr Vengeance by Park Chan-wook, the story of a man who turns to crime to be able to pay for his sister’s surgery. The film manages to have a strong emotional impact with very little dialogue and was a box office disappointment but is now hailed as a masterpiece.

Another film in this section is The Foul King in which a timid bank teller becomes a professional wrestling star. In the film, director Kim Jee-woon parodies the clichés of such genres as westerns, comedies, horror and comics.

The modern section presents 10 films from the last two years, including the opening night feminist action comedy Miss & Mrs Cops in which two cops who are sisters-in-law but can’t stand each other end up having to work together in a case of digital sex crime, drugs and crypto-currency.

Princess Aya is an animated film that dips into ancient myths and legends to create a fantasy action film in which the main character transforms into wild animals.

There are documentaries, historical films, family tragedies and for the closing night, The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil - an action thriller in the best Korean tradition with garish neon nightscapes, fast action car chases, and lots of blood. There is also a screening of six short films.