A look at Korean cinema

 Korean cinema has recently given several proofs of its profound and exclusive artistic activity. Especially this year, thanks to the victory of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival obtained by Parasite, attention towards the seventh Korean art has risen dramatically in Italy as well.

But the fascinating Korean film industry does not stop only with this work by Bong Joon-ho but also has many other facets. My task today will be to introduce you to the basic aspects of Korean cinema, so that you too can begin to orient yourself within this fantastic world.

The Hallyu, or the Korean Wave

If you are someone whose interest in Korean culture started thanks to media such as music, drama, or film then you are also a victim of the so-called Korean wave . But what exactly is this wave? The Hallyu in Korean is precisely a phenomenon that has developed since the nineties, which thanks to the strong distribution of media material through Asia first, and the rest of the world then, has allowed Korean culture to be much more known and appreciated in the world. The term was coined by the Chinese media of those years and describes the invasion that other Asian countries have suffered and continue to suffer.

Nowadays, in fact, one of the main reasons why Korea is known or famous is thanks to K-Drama and K-Pop, which present it to the world with characteristics that fans cannot do without. . One of the media that brought Korean culture around the world was also the cinema. In fact, although Korean cinema has existed for more than 100 years, it began to receive more attention right from the 1990s.

The most famous Korean actors and directors

Many are those who still bear the name of the cinema of this country today. Starting from personalities such as Sol Kyung-gu, Song Kang-ho (protagonist of Parasite), and Choi Min-Sik, considered the three best actors of today's Korea, up to great directors such as Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, and so on. Each of them has a unique style, which reveals a strong love for this art, and a particular way of telling Korean stories, characters, sensations, emotions, and culture.

Don't worry though, if you are someone who doesn't like overly artistic films, Korean cinema also features a large and continuous collection of lighter and more entertaining films. You will be able to enjoy typical Korean comedies such as the unmissable 'My Sassy Girl, action and science fiction films such as Train to Busan 'and' Along with the Gods ', and also numerous horror films such as' Svaha: The Sixth Finger 'if you are passionate about the genre. However, one thing remains certain, Korean cinema is on the rise, has attractions for all tastes, and if you are a lover of Korean culture or cinema itself, you will not be disappointed.

The advantages of following Korean cinema

If you are a person interested in learning more about Korean daily life, their world, and their way of thinking, then watching a myriad of Korean movies will help you. Also, if you are a Korean language learner/student, you will have the chance to practice your listening skills by watching a movie with subtitles. Although it may seem like a difficult enough activity to do, if you commit yourself and choose less difficult to understand works such as those of Hong Sang-soo (the director who describes Korean human relationships in a very direct and clear way), you will only get better.

Plus, you can not only make your language skills better, but if you start watching more and more works, you will gain another advantage, that of finding a rich offer of interesting films that will catch your attention. Two birds with one stone as they say!