Jump to content

The Journals of Musan: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Yobot (talk | contribs)
Bots
4,733,870 edits
m Remove unicode control characters (CHECKWIKI error 16) using AWB (9065)
 
(45 intermediate revisions by 28 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox Korean film
{{Infobox film
| name = The Journals of Musan
| name = The Journals of Musan
| image = TheJournalsOfMusan2011Poster.jpg
| image = TheJournalsOfMusan2011Poster.jpg
| caption = Film poster
| caption = Film poster
| director = Park Jung-Bum
| director = [[Park Jung-bum]]
| producer = Park Jung-Bum
| producer = Park Jung-bum
| writer = Park Jung-Bum
| writer = Park Jung-bum
| starring = [[Park Jung-Bum]]<br />[[Jin Yong-Ok]] <br /> Kang Eun-Jin
| starring = [[Park Jung-bum]]<br />[[Jin Yong-ok]]<br />[[Kang Eun-jin]]
| music =
| music =
| cinematography = Kim Jong-Sun
| cinematography = Kim Jong-sun
| editing = Hyunjoo Jo
| editing = Hyunjoo Jo
| distributor = Fine Cut
| distributor = Fine Cut
Line 16: Line 16:
| language = Korean
| language = Korean
| budget =
| budget =
| admissions =
| gross =
| gross =
| native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Korean|child=yes|hide=no|header=none
⚫
| hangul = 무산일기
| hanja = {{linktext|茂|山|日|記|}}
| hangul = 무산일기
| rr = Musanilgi
| hanja = {{linktext|茂|山|日|記|}}
| mr = Musanilgi
| rr = Musanilgi
⚫
| mr = Musanilgi}}
}}
}}
⚫
'''''The Journals of Musan''''' ({{ko-hhrm|무산일기||Musanilgi}}) is a 2011 South Korean film by [[Park Jung-bum]], based on the experiences of Park's friend Jeon Seung-chul, a [[North Korean refugee]] he met while attending [[Yonsei University]]; Jeon was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died in 2008, less than 6 years after he defected to South Korea.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Claire |date=2011-12-12 |title=Park Jung-bum recalls making of 'The Journals of Musan' |url=https://view.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20111212000791&cpv=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127084111/http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20111212000791&cpv=0 |archive-date=2013-01-27 |access-date=2012-07-12 |website=[[The Korean Herald]] |language=en}}</ref>
⚫
The film received several major awards, including the Tiger Award at the 40th [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]], the Jury Prize at the 13th [[Deauville Asian Film Festival]], the New Currents award at [[15th Busan International Film Festival]], the grand prize at Off Plus Camera Festival in [[Kraków]], Poland,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-04-18 |title=Korean Film Takes Top Prize at Indie Film Fest in Poland |url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/18/2011041800519.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119045222/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/18/2011041800519.html |archive-date=2013-01-19 |access-date=2012-07-11 |website=[[The Chosun Ilbo|The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition)]] |edition=}}</ref> along with the Golden Star at the [[Festival International du Film de Marrakech]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.festivalmarrakech.info/2010-Palmares_a426.html |title=2010 Palmares |accessdate=2012-10-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116133244/http://en.festivalmarrakech.info/2010-Palmares_a426.html |archivedate=2012-01-16}}</ref>


⚫
==Plot==
⚫
'''''The Journals of Musan''''' ({{Korean|hangul=무산일기|rr=Musanilgi}}) is a 2011 South Korean film by Park Jung-Bum, based on the experiences of Park's friend Jung Seung-chul, a North Korean refugee he met while attending Yonsei university; Jung was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died in 2008, less than 6 years after he defected to South Korea.<ref>http://view.koreaherald.com/kh/view.php?ud=20111212000791&cpv=0</ref>
⚫
The film's protagonist is a North Korean refugee named Seung-chul struggling to adjust to life in Seoul. He is sharing a small apartment with a fellow defector named Kyung-chul, a "broker" who helps refugees send remittances to their families in North Korea (later in the film he angers several of his friends by allegedly cheating them and stealing their money). While both face difficult circumstances in recovering from trauma and adjusting to a new life, Seong-chul and Kyung-chol react to their situations quite differently. Seong-chul is extremely shy and submissive to authority. Throughout the film he's portrayed as a diligent worker, doing thankless tasks and accepting criticism stoically. Kyung-chul, by contest, has few moral scruples, attempting to steal a pair of pants and taunting Seong-chul.
⚫
The film received several major awards, including the Tiger Award at the 40th [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]],the Jury Prize at the 13th Deauville Asian Film Festival, the New Currents award at Pusan International Film Festival, the grand prize at Off Plus Camera Festival in [[Krakow]], [[Poland]].<ref>http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/18/2011041800519.html</ref> along with the Golden Star at the [[Festival International du Film de Marrakech]].<ref>http://en.festivalmarrakech.info/2010-Palmares_a426.html</ref>

⚫
==Plot Summary==

⚫
The film's protagonist is a North Korean refugee named Seung-Chul struggling to adjust to life in Seoul. He is sharing a small apartment with a fellow defector named Kyung-chul, a "broker" who helps refugees send remittances to their families in North Korea (later in the film he angers several of his friends by allegedly cheating them and stealing their money). While both face difficult circumstances in recovering from trauma and adjusting to a new life, Seong-chul and Kyung-chol react to their situations quite differently. Seong-chul is extremely shy and submissive to authority. Throughout the film he's portrayed as a diligent worker, doing thankless tasks and accepting criticism stoically. Kyung-chul, by contest, has few moral scruples, attempting to steal a pair of pants and taunting Seong-chul.


At the start of the film Seung-chul has a job pasting advertisements for sex shops throughout his neighborhood; he is repeatedly beaten up by thugs. Seeking more stable employment he applies for other jobs but is rejected when employers see his citizen registration number, which marks him as a North Korean defector. Finally he gets a night job at a karaoke bar; the bar owner's daughter, it turns out, is a woman named Young-sook who he recognizes from church. However, she asks him to pretend not to know her at church, because she's ashamed of working at a karaoke bar and doesn't want members of her congregation to look down on her; Seung-chul agrees not to say anything. Later in the film, when there are no customers at the bar, some of the female employees hear him singing church hymns as he works; after laughing at him for being out of tune, they offer to teach him to sing. However, when Young-sook walks in, she is angry and demands an explanation, asking why he would sing church hymns with karaoke girls. He tells her he doesn't know any songs other than hymns- the implication is that he doesn't know South Korean pop songs and it would be frowned upon to sing North Korean songs. Not realizing he's a defector, she assumes he is lying, and fires him.
At the start of the film Seung-chul has a job pasting advertisements for sex shops throughout his neighborhood; he is repeatedly beaten up by thugs. Seeking more stable employment he applies for other jobs but is rejected when employers see his citizen registration number, which marks him as a North Korean defector. Finally he gets a night job at a karaoke bar; the bar owner's daughter, it turns out, is a woman named Young-sook who he recognizes from church. However, she asks him to pretend not to know her at church, because she's ashamed of working at a karaoke bar and doesn't want members of her congregation to look down on her; Seung-chul agrees not to say anything. Later in the film, when there are no customers at the bar, some of the female employees hear him singing church hymns as he works; after laughing at him for being out of tune, they offer to teach him to sing. However, when Young-sook walks in, she is angry and demands an explanation, asking why he would sing church hymns with karaoke girls. He tells her he doesn't know any songs other than hymns- the implication is that he doesn't know South Korean pop songs and it would be frowned upon to sing North Korean songs. Not realizing he's a defector, she assumes he is lying, and fires him.


The climax occurs at a prayer meeting which Seung-Chul attends with Detective Park, the police officer assigned to help him adjust to life in South Korea. Up till now, viewers have known he is a defector only due to the numbers on his ID card; now they learn the details of his story. Born in Musan, in impoverished North Hamgyong province- he became severely malnourished and got in a fight with a friend over food. The next day he saw his friend lying on the ground, exactly where they had been fighting the day before; Seung-chul realized he was dead, and assumed the fight had killed him. He became wracked with guilt; the pastor assures him that God will forgive him.
The climax occurs at a prayer meeting which Seung-chul attends with Detective Park, the police officer assigned to help him adjust to life in South Korea. Up till now, viewers have known he is a defector only due to the numbers on his ID card; now they learn the details of his story. Born in Musan, in impoverished North Hamgyong province- he became severely malnourished and got in a fight with a friend over food. The next day he saw his friend lying on the ground, exactly where they had been fighting the day before; Seung-chul realized he was dead, and assumed the fight had killed him. He became wracked with guilt; the pastor assures him that God will forgive him.


After the prayer meeting, however, Detective Park berates Seung-Chul, asking why he told his story and saying "Who would want to be friends with a killer?" Seung-chul tells him he doesn't have any friends, and walks out of the church; as he's leaving, Young-sook, who was at the prayer meeting and heard his story, comes up to him and apologizes, explaining she "had no idea" he was a defector. She also offers him his job back at the karaoke bar and says she wants to be his friend; he walks away without answering. Returning to his apartment, he finds his dog, Baek-gu, missing; while he was gone, Kyung-chul had attempted to sell it, but was told no one would buy it because it was a half-breed; he then abandoned it in the middle of a busy street. Seung-chul goes to look for the dog and finds it eating out of a garbage bag.
After the prayer meeting, however, Detective Park berates Seung-chul, asking why he told his story and saying "Who would want to be friends with a killer?" Seung-chul tells him he doesn't have any friends, and walks out of the church; as he's leaving, Young-sook, who was at the prayer meeting and heard his story, comes up to him and apologizes, explaining she "had no idea" he was a defector. She also offers him his job back at the karaoke bar and says she wants to be his friend; he walks away without answering. Returning to his apartment, he finds his dog, Baek-gu, missing; while he was gone, Kyung-chul had attempted to sell it, but was told no one would buy it because it was a half-breed; he then abandoned it in the middle of a busy street. Seung-chul goes to look for the dog and finds it eating out of a garbage bag.


The next night, Kyung-chul apologizes- and asks Seong-chul to retrieve the money he's hidden in Baek-gu's doghouse, reassuring him that its "honest money"; he then reveals his plan to go to America. Seung-chul agrees to help him, but says their friendship is over and "this will be my last favor." Entering his apartment that night, Seung-chul is assaulted and beaten by Kyung-chul's clients, who demand to know where he is so they can force him to pay them back. Seung-chul refuses to tell them. The next morning, he goes to church, where Young-sook invites him to join her in the choir; he agrees. That night, while working at the karaoke bar, he leaves his dog Baeuk-gu outside to wait, because his apartment is no longer safe; somehow Baek-gu gets off his leash, and during a break, Seong-chul finds his body in the street, run over by a car.
The next night, Kyung-chul apologizes- and asks Seong-chul to retrieve the money he's hidden in Baek-gu's doghouse, reassuring him that its "honest money"; he then reveals his plan to go to America. Seung-chul agrees to help him, but says their friendship is over and "this will be my last favor." Entering his apartment that night, Seung-chul is assaulted and beaten by Kyung-chul's clients, who demand to know where he is so they can force him to pay them back. Seung-chul refuses to tell them. The next morning, he goes to church, where Young-sook invites him to join her in the choir; he agrees. That night, while working at the karaoke bar, he leaves his dog Baeuk-gu outside to wait, because his apartment is no longer safe; somehow Baek-gu gets off his leash, and during a break, Seong-chul finds his body in the street, run over by a car.<ref>{{YouTube|M07-T9IsBcA| title=THE JOURNALS OF MUSAN Trailer Eng Final}}</ref>
</ref>=[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLnPZGJk7_U]</ref>


==Reception==
==Reception==
⚫
The film was commended for bringing attention to the plight of [[North Korean defectors]] and the discrimination they often face in South Korean society; a review the [[Joongang Ilbo]] stated "The movie captures the isolation, loneliness and disillusionment refugees feel in what was once the country of their dreams."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-05-17 |title=Movie provides gritty look at defector's struggle in the South |url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2936295 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127150212/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2936295 |archive-date=2013-01-27 |access-date=2012-07-11 |website=[[Korea JoongAng Daily]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Korea Times]] columnist Kwon Jong-in said it "awaked South Koreans to an important issue that too many have often been ignorant of."

⚫
The film was commended for bringing attention to the plight of [[North Korean defectors]] and the discrimination they often face in South Korean society; a review the [[Joongang Ilbo]] stated "The movie captures the isolation, loneliness and disillusionment refugees feel in what was once the country of their dreams."<ref>[http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2936295]</ref> [[Korea Times]] columnist Kwon Jong-in said it "awaked South Koreans to an important issue that too many have often been ignorant of."


==Cast==
==Cast==
*[[Park Jung-bum]] ... Jang Seung-chul
* [[Park Jung-bum]] as Jeon Seung-chul, a North Korean refugee from [[Musan County]], who lives in Seoul with his roommate Kyung-chul.
* {{Interlanguage link|Jin Yong-ok|ko|진용욱}} as Kyung-chul, a fellow North Korean refugee and roommate of Seung-chul. He is a "broker" who helps refugees send remittances to their families in North Korea.
*[[Jin Yong-ok]] ... Kyung-Chul
*[[Kang Eun-jin]] ... Young-sook
* [[Kang Eun-jin]] as Young-sook, the daughter of the owner of the karaoke bar where Seung-chul works.
*[[Park Young-duk]] ... Dt Park
* [[Park Young-duk]] as Detective Park, the police officer assigned to help Seung-chul adjust to life in South Korea.

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Recipient
! Result
|-
| rowspan=3|2010 || rowspan=2|[[15th Busan International Film Festival|15th]] [[Busan International Film Festival]]<ref>{{cite web|first1=Jessica|last1=Kim|title=[PIFF] Korean directors take PIFF's New Currents awards|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2010101909452904325|website=10Asia|accessdate=2015-10-13|date=19 October 2010}}</ref> || [[New Currents]] Award || rowspan=3| ''The Journals of Musan'' || {{won}}
|-
| FIPRESCI Award || {{won}}
|-
| 10th [[Marrakech International Film Festival Awards]] || Golden Star || {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=16|2011 || 10th [[Tribeca Film Festival]] || Best New Narrative Filmmaker || [[Park Jung-bum]] || {{won}}
|-
| 13th [[Deauville Asian Film Festival]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Korean Movie Wins Jury Prize at Deauville Film Fest|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/03/17/2011031700485.html|website=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|accessdate=2015-10-13|date=17 March 2011}}</ref> || Jury Prize || rowspan=2|''The Journals of Musan'' || {{won}}
|-
| 4th [[International Festival of Independent Cinema PKO Off Camera|Off Plus Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Korean Film Takes Top Prize at Indie Film Fest in Poland|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/18/2011041800519.html|website=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|accessdate=2015-10-13|date=18 April 2011}}</ref> || Kraków Film Award || {{won}}
|-
| 54th [[San Francisco International Film Festival]] || Best New Director || [[Park Jung-bum]] || {{won}}
|-
| 15th [[Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival]] || Best First Feature Film Award || rowspan=6|''The Journals of Musan''|| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2|5th [[Zerkalo International Film Festival]] <br /> (Andrei Trakovsky Film Festival) <ref>{{cite web|first1=Lucia|last1=Hong|title=''The Journals of Musan'' wins top prize at film fest in Russia|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2011053112313958776|website=10Asia|accessdate=2015-10-13|date=31 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Okorokova|first1=Lidia|title=S. Korean Director Park Jung-Bum Wins "Best Featured Film" Award at Russian Film Festival For His Social Drama ''Journals of Musan'' at "Zerkalo"|url=http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=10770|website=The Seoul Times|accessdate=2015-10-13|date=29 June 2011}}</ref> || Best Feature Film || {{won}}
|-
| FIPRESCI Award || {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2|47th Pesaro International Film Festival<ref>{{cite web|first1=Lucia|last1=Hong|title=''The Journals of Musan'' wins grand prize at film festival in Italy|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2011062916562383884|website=10Asia|accessdate=2015-10-13|date=30 June 2011}}</ref> <br /> (Mostra Internazionale de Nuova Cinema) || Grand Prize || {{won}}
|-
| Young Critics Award || {{won}}
|-
| 8th [[Yerevan International Film Festival]] || Silver Apricot Prize <br /> (International Feature Competition) || {{won}}
|-
| 20th [[Buil Film Awards]] || Best New Director || [[Park Jung-bum]] || {{won}}
|-
| 31st [[Korean Association of Film Critics Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=The Front Line wins big at Korean Critics Awards|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=1649|website=Korean Film Biz Zone|accessdate=2015-10-13|date=14 January 2011}}</ref> || Best New Director || [[Park Jung-bum]] || {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2|[[32nd Blue Dragon Film Awards|32nd]] [[Blue Dragon Film Awards]] || Best New Actor || [[Park Jung-bum]] || {{nom}}
|-
| Best New Director || [[Park Jung-bum]] || {{nom}}
|-
| 39th [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]]<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Journals of Musan'' Wins Tiger Award at IFFR|url=http://www.hancinema.net/the-journals-of-musan-wins-tiger-award-at-iffr-27668.html|website=KBS World Radio via [[Hancinema]]|accessdate=2015-10-13|date=5 February 2011}}</ref> || Tiger Award || rowspan=2|''The Journals of Musan'' || {{won}}
|-
| 12th [[Tokyo Filmex|Tokyo Filmex Film Festival]] || Special Jury Prize || {{won}}
|}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


== External links ==
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|1802806|The Journals of Musan}}
* {{IMDb title|1802806|The Journals of Musan}}
* {{KMDb film|12542|The Journals of Musan}}
* {{KMDb film|12542|The Journals of Musan}}
* {{Hancinema film|The_Journals_of_Musan|The Journals of Musan}}
* {{Hancinema film|The_Journals_of_Musan|The Journals of Musan}}

{{New Currents}}
{{Grand prix at the Marrakech International Film Festival Awards}}
{{North Korean defectors in popular media}}
{{North Korean defectors}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Journals Of Musan, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Journals Of Musan, The}}
[[Category:2011 films]]
[[Category:2011 films]]
⚫
[[Category:2010s drama films]]
[[Category:South Korean independent films]]
[[Category:South Korean independent films]]
[[Category:South Korean drama films]]
[[Category:South Korean drama films]]
[[Category:Films about immigration]]
[[Category:Films about immigration]]
[[Category:Films shot in Seoul]]
[[Category:Films shot in Seoul]]
[[Category:Features based on short films]]
[[Category:2011 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:Directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2010s Korean-language films]]
[[Category:Korean-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Park Jung-bum]]
⚫
[[Category:2011 drama films]]
[[Category:Films about North Korean defectors]]
[[Category:2010s South Korean films]]

Latest revision as of 19:41, 15 April 2024

The Journals of Musan
Film poster
Hangul
무산일기
Hanja
Revised RomanizationMusanilgi
McCune–ReischauerMusanilgi
Directed byPark Jung-bum
Written byPark Jung-bum
Produced byPark Jung-bum
StarringPark Jung-bum
Jin Yong-ok
Kang Eun-jin
CinematographyKim Jong-sun
Edited byHyunjoo Jo
Distributed byFine Cut
Release date
  • April 14, 2011 (2011-04-14)
Running time
127 minutes
LandSüdkorea
SpracheKorean

The Journals of Musan (Korean: 무산일기; RR: Musanilgi) is a 2011 South Korean film by Park Jung-bum, based on the experiences of Park's friend Jeon Seung-chul, a North Korean refugee he met while attending Yonsei University; Jeon was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died in 2008, less than 6 years after he defected to South Korea.[1] The film received several major awards, including the Tiger Award at the 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Jury Prize at the 13th Deauville Asian Film Festival, the New Currents award at 15th Busan International Film Festival, the grand prize at Off Plus Camera Festival in Kraków, Poland,[2] along with the Golden Star at the Festival International du Film de Marrakech.[3]

Plot

[edit]

The film's protagonist is a North Korean refugee named Seung-chul struggling to adjust to life in Seoul. He is sharing a small apartment with a fellow defector named Kyung-chul, a "broker" who helps refugees send remittances to their families in North Korea (later in the film he angers several of his friends by allegedly cheating them and stealing their money). While both face difficult circumstances in recovering from trauma and adjusting to a new life, Seong-chul and Kyung-chol react to their situations quite differently. Seong-chul is extremely shy and submissive to authority. Throughout the film he's portrayed as a diligent worker, doing thankless tasks and accepting criticism stoically. Kyung-chul, by contest, has few moral scruples, attempting to steal a pair of pants and taunting Seong-chul.

At the start of the film Seung-chul has a job pasting advertisements for sex shops throughout his neighborhood; he is repeatedly beaten up by thugs. Seeking more stable employment he applies for other jobs but is rejected when employers see his citizen registration number, which marks him as a North Korean defector. Finally he gets a night job at a karaoke bar; the bar owner's daughter, it turns out, is a woman named Young-sook who he recognizes from church. However, she asks him to pretend not to know her at church, because she's ashamed of working at a karaoke bar and doesn't want members of her congregation to look down on her; Seung-chul agrees not to say anything. Later in the film, when there are no customers at the bar, some of the female employees hear him singing church hymns as he works; after laughing at him for being out of tune, they offer to teach him to sing. However, when Young-sook walks in, she is angry and demands an explanation, asking why he would sing church hymns with karaoke girls. He tells her he doesn't know any songs other than hymns- the implication is that he doesn't know South Korean pop songs and it would be frowned upon to sing North Korean songs. Not realizing he's a defector, she assumes he is lying, and fires him.

The climax occurs at a prayer meeting which Seung-chul attends with Detective Park, the police officer assigned to help him adjust to life in South Korea. Up till now, viewers have known he is a defector only due to the numbers on his ID card; now they learn the details of his story. Born in Musan, in impoverished North Hamgyong province- he became severely malnourished and got in a fight with a friend over food. The next day he saw his friend lying on the ground, exactly where they had been fighting the day before; Seung-chul realized he was dead, and assumed the fight had killed him. He became wracked with guilt; the pastor assures him that God will forgive him.

After the prayer meeting, however, Detective Park berates Seung-chul, asking why he told his story and saying "Who would want to be friends with a killer?" Seung-chul tells him he doesn't have any friends, and walks out of the church; as he's leaving, Young-sook, who was at the prayer meeting and heard his story, comes up to him and apologizes, explaining she "had no idea" he was a defector. She also offers him his job back at the karaoke bar and says she wants to be his friend; he walks away without answering. Returning to his apartment, he finds his dog, Baek-gu, missing; while he was gone, Kyung-chul had attempted to sell it, but was told no one would buy it because it was a half-breed; he then abandoned it in the middle of a busy street. Seung-chul goes to look for the dog and finds it eating out of a garbage bag.

The next night, Kyung-chul apologizes- and asks Seong-chul to retrieve the money he's hidden in Baek-gu's doghouse, reassuring him that its "honest money"; he then reveals his plan to go to America. Seung-chul agrees to help him, but says their friendship is over and "this will be my last favor." Entering his apartment that night, Seung-chul is assaulted and beaten by Kyung-chul's clients, who demand to know where he is so they can force him to pay them back. Seung-chul refuses to tell them. The next morning, he goes to church, where Young-sook invites him to join her in the choir; he agrees. That night, while working at the karaoke bar, he leaves his dog Baeuk-gu outside to wait, because his apartment is no longer safe; somehow Baek-gu gets off his leash, and during a break, Seong-chul finds his body in the street, run over by a car.[4]

Reception

[edit]

The film was commended for bringing attention to the plight of North Korean defectors and the discrimination they often face in South Korean society; a review the Joongang Ilbo stated "The movie captures the isolation, loneliness and disillusionment refugees feel in what was once the country of their dreams."[5] Korea Times columnist Kwon Jong-in said it "awaked South Koreans to an important issue that too many have often been ignorant of."

Cast

[edit]
  • Park Jung-bum as Jeon Seung-chul, a North Korean refugee from Musan County, who lives in Seoul with his roommate Kyung-chul.
  • Jin Yong-ok [ko] as Kyung-chul, a fellow North Korean refugee and roommate of Seung-chul. He is a "broker" who helps refugees send remittances to their families in North Korea.
  • Kang Eun-jin as Young-sook, the daughter of the owner of the karaoke bar where Seung-chul works.
  • Park Young-duk as Detective Park, the police officer assigned to help Seung-chul adjust to life in South Korea.

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Kategorie Recipient Result
2010 15th Busan International Film Festival[6] New Currents Award The Journals of Musan Won
FIPRESCI Award Won
10th Marrakech International Film Festival Awards Golden Star Won
2011 10th Tribeca Film Festival Best New Narrative Filmmaker Park Jung-bum Won
13th Deauville Asian Film Festival[7] Jury Prize The Journals of Musan Won
4th Off Plus Camera International Festival of Independent Cinema[8] Kraków Film Award Won
54th San Francisco International Film Festival Best New Director Park Jung-bum Won
15th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Best First Feature Film Award The Journals of Musan Won
5th Zerkalo International Film Festival
(Andrei Trakovsky Film Festival) [9][10]		 Best Feature Film Won
FIPRESCI Award Won
47th Pesaro International Film Festival[11]
(Mostra Internazionale de Nuova Cinema)		 Grand Prize Won
Young Critics Award Won
8th Yerevan International Film Festival Silver Apricot Prize
(International Feature Competition)		 Won
20th Buil Film Awards Best New Director Park Jung-bum Won
31st Korean Association of Film Critics Awards[12] Best New Director Park Jung-bum Won
32nd Blue Dragon Film Awards Best New Actor Park Jung-bum Nominated
Best New Director Park Jung-bum Nominated
39th International Film Festival Rotterdam[13] Tiger Award The Journals of Musan Won
12th Tokyo Filmex Film Festival Special Jury Prize Won

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Lee, Claire (2011-12-12). "Park Jung-bum recalls making of 'The Journals of Musan'". The Korean Herald. Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  2. ^ "Korean Film Takes Top Prize at Indie Film Fest in Poland". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). 2011-04-18. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  3. ^ "2010 Palmares". Archived from the original on 2012-01-16. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  4. ^ THE JOURNALS OF MUSAN Trailer Eng Final on YouTube
  5. ^ "Movie provides gritty look at defector's struggle in the South". Korea JoongAng Daily. 2011-05-17. Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  6. ^ Kim, Jessica (19 October 2010). "[PIFF] Korean directors take PIFF's New Currents awards". 10Asia. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  7. ^ "Korean Movie Wins Jury Prize at Deauville Film Fest". The Chosun Ilbo. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  8. ^ "Korean Film Takes Top Prize at Indie Film Fest in Poland". The Chosun Ilbo. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  9. ^ Hong, Lucia (31 May 2011). "The Journals of Musan wins top prize at film fest in Russia". 10Asia. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  10. ^ Okorokova, Lidia (29 June 2011). "S. Korean Director Park Jung-Bum Wins "Best Featured Film" Award at Russian Film Festival For His Social Drama Journals of Musan at "Zerkalo"". The Seoul Times. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  11. ^ Hong, Lucia (30 June 2011). "The Journals of Musan wins grand prize at film festival in Italy". 10Asia. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  12. ^ "The Front Line wins big at Korean Critics Awards". Korean Film Biz Zone. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  13. ^ "The Journals of Musan Wins Tiger Award at IFFR". KBS World Radio via Hancinema. 5 February 2011. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Journals_of_Musan&oldid=1219105366"