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Eric Rohmer Retrospective Showcases Breezy Side of French Cinema


Eric Rohmer

ERIC ROHMER RETROSPECTIVE

Most of the luminaries of the French New Wave have either kicked the bucket or burned out (a lot of people don’t realize that Godard is actually still alive), but Eric Rohmer goes on making decent films. What sets him apart from ordinary directors is his consistency and effortless mastery of cinema. Rohmer’s movies have such a disgustingly natural flow that they make filmmaking seem easy. This month, the Busan Cinematheque is offering a feast for film buffs with this retrospective that pulls mostly from the auteur’s “Comedies and Proverbs,” “Six Moral Tales,” and “4 Seasons” series.

Where: Busan Cinematheque

When: September 8-15

In French with English Subtitles:

The Lady and the Duke (2001)

Autumn Tale (1998)

A Summer’s Tale (1996)

Rendez Vous in Paris (1995)

A Tale of Springtime (1990)*

The Friend of my Friend (1987)*

Summer (1986)

Pauline at the Beach (1983)*

The Good Marriage (1982)*

Claire’s Knee (1970)

My Night at Maude’s (1969)

In French without English Subtitles:

A Tale of Winter (1992)*

4 Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle (1987)

Full Moon in Paris (1984)

The Aviator’s Wife (1981)

Perceval le Gallois (1978)

Love in the Afternoon (1972)*

The Collector (1967)

*denotes personal favorites

Destination: Paris Park / Omok Park



Parc de Paris in French, Pah-ree gong-won in Korean, or Paris Park - anyway you say it, it's still a beautiful park. Originally built in 1987 inside an area with many apartment buildings, it serves as a symbol of friendship between France and Korea. Leave it to Korea for getting the gesture right - it was built only a couple years after Seorae Village got its start (Frenchtown, if you will) - albeit on the other side of Seoul. In any case, the sentiment seems to have been appreciated.




Some very nice fountains - a little difficult to play in, but if there's any wind at all you'll feel a little spray depending on where you stand.



What I'd like to call the Korean sobriety test - walk these uneven rocks without losing your balance. Go ahead, just try. It's harder than it looks.



A fairly typical barefoot path - walking on these things while barefoot is supposed to stimulate the different parts of your feet. I like foot massages better...



A short but beautiful walking path. Not pictured just over the hill is the traffic - an unavoidable reality of living in Seoul and amongst the dozens of apartment buildings.



How they got the trees to cooperate with the shelter I'll never know.


The proper entrance to the park. While Paris Park itself is fairly small, the area between two one-way streets is pedestrian-friendly, and eventually leads to some more fountains:









A sun and moon fountain - with emphasis on the water. A couple kids found a way to stay cool even though we're only talking about ankle-deep water here:






While headed back to the subway station, I came across another pleasant surprise - yet another park located inside the pedestrian-friendly zone.



Called Omok park, it's beautiful if you live in the area, but not worth a special trip by itself.



Seeing a professional video camera pointed at someone is seen around Seoul every now and then. Since it's very much a 'get-the-shot-then-move-on' sort of deal, there isn't exactly time for making a set. In any case, it's occasionally entertaining to watch as something is being filmed.



For better or worse, the park is constructed for the local residents - perhaps a form of compensation for living in such cramped conditions in the first place. Go if you're in the area or like parks in all their shapes and sizes, or don't mind having the skyline filled with ubiquitious apartment buildings.

Directions to Paris Park / Omok Park: Take line 5 of the Seoul subway system to the Omokgyo station. Take exit 2 to street level; look right and cross the street. Keep walking straight, and you'll see Omok park on your left. Keep walking and you'll eventually come across Paris Park on the right. If walking a kilometer or so is too much, walk straight out of exit 2 and wait for a bus at the bus stop 100 meters away.

Creative Commons License © Chris Backe - 2009

 

Korean Sociological Image #17: Deconstructing the Ass Dance

A both compelling and rather confusing marketing campaign from Samsung, difficult to avoid on the Korean internet at the moment: The dancer is actress Han Hyo-joo (한효주), very popular because of her role in the drama Shining Inheritance (찬란한 유산), which finished last month with record ratings. The products being advertised are the VLUU Wink, which [...]
  

 

Anti-Racism Law Proposed by Korean politician

A potentially major story breaking on a Saturday afternoon - from the Korea Times (hat tip to Korean Rum Diary for first blogging about it):
A ruling party lawmaker is to propose legislation that would define racism
and set out punishments for racist acts.

The bill, if endorsed later this year, will become the first legal attempt
to fight racism in South Korea, where various forms of discrimination
originating from skin color and state of origin exist.

Rep. Chin Young of the Grand National Party (GNP), the president of a
parliamentary discussion group on a multiracial society, said an anti-racism
bill will be submitted to a regular session of the National Assembly for
approval, which will begin on Sept. 1.

"The bill specifies which organizations will be responsible for monitoring
acts of racism and what kinds of punishment will be imposed on violators," the
lawmaker told The Korea Times.

"I have considered theories and cases in other countries, including the
United States and France as a reference for the bill."

Chin said the draft bill needs further consultation with experts. "The bill
also includes how to help non-Koreans acclimatize themselves to Korean society
and, in the long run, live here as real Koreans without prejudice and bias," he
said.


Wow - never thought I'd hear of something like this happening. It does come across as a response to one incident from awhile back, although it's been a very long time coming. Many stories have a habit of being one-shot Johnny's - one headline announcing something, and never hearing about it again as it dies a comparatively quiet death.

Legally defining what racism is, however, is merely the first step. African-Americans knew across the US what racism was - and experienced it everyday. The cop still has to come out, figure out what's going on despite his own bias(es) and a language barrier. That cop must make his report to a prosecutor, who must not let an old man go just because he's said he's sorry or offers some form of hush money. That prosecutor must then (if necessary) prove a case for a person not of his own country and find guilt within his own countryman. That judge must then set a sentence, and the news must get out that racism will not be tolerated at all.

Cultures can - and do - change. Korea has proven itself resilient enough to make drastic changes over the last several decades - and it's time for one now. Chin Young, you have our support on this one :)

Creative Commons License © Chris Backe - 2009

Teacher fired after getting the swine flu

Now here's a story that makes us scratch our heads. Brian in Jeollanam-do broke the story, and the Midnight Runner has done an excellent podcast with the teacher supposedly affected.

The Canadian teacher, only identified as 'Mark' had been on vacation in Thailand, then returned to Korea. He began feeling sick about 4-5 days after returning to Korea (though 'Mark' never mentions having a week of quarantine, which has quickly become standard procedure for most schools too worried about foreign teachers getting sick). From the podcast, his hagwon asked him to come into work even though they knew he was sick.

'Mark' got his testing done, was asked to stay at home as a precaution. He was treated with Tamiflu, and went back to work since he was feeling better. He was eventually diagnosed with swine flu, and the clinic called the school to inform them. The hagwon responded by telling him not to come in, and that they may have to shut down the school, test all the teachers, inform the students, and so on. Perhaps the school suffered big losses as Mark suspects, or several students quit the school as he seems to imply. Although none of the teachers or students got infected, it sounds as though enough students quit (or threatened to quit), and 'Mark' was eventually fired.

At this point, 'Mark' began talking about money. Here's where the story gets interesting for me personally. On the podcast, he began talking about getting his severance pay, a flight home, and getting paid for the three months remaining on his contract. He called the Labor Board, only to find out that the school doesn't need to pay your severance pay (which is true - you have to be employed for at least a year before you can get your money out) or your flight home (which is not obligatory by the school - it's in most contracts that they arrange your trip home after your contract is complete). As for the time left on his contract, I'm not sure if he seriously expects an employer to pay for work not done. Sorry, it's a seriously sucky situation, but getting money you haven't yet earned is highly unlikely at best. Contracts are not intended to serve as a guarantee of future earnings, nor does a one-year contract actually mean you'll be paid for that entire year.

The swine flu has made many in this country paranoid - some to the point of being concerned even after being cleared by a doctor (according to the story, that was the case). The parents do have a right to be concerned if there was a chance of their kids getting sick - but getting cleared by the doctor and following the respective quarantine rules should have been enough. I can imagine enough parents freaking out and demanding the school get rid of him - even though he presumably no longer posed a threat. There might a case out of 'wrongful termination' - but fighting a local businessperson able to hand out white envelopes understand the court system will be like pushing a boulder up Mount Everest.

Creative Commons License © Chris Backe - 2009

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