The Alternative Golden Age of Korean Cinema (1988-1995)

Описание: While the classic Golden Age of Korean cinema is usually placed between 1955 and 1972, and the modern Renaissance is said to begin with “Shiri” in 1999, there exists another, often overlooked creative peak that reshaped Korean filmmaking from within. Spanning roughly from 1988 to the mid-1990s, this period saw a wave of directors who pushed Korean cinema into bold new thematic, political, and stylistic territory.

Benefitting from the gradual loosening of censorship and state control, filmmakers such as Kim Dong-won, Lee Myung-se, Park Kwang-soo and Chung Ji-young confronted the realities of modern Korean history head-on. Their films explored the division of the two Koreas, the Gwangju massacre, authoritarian rule, capitalism, labor rights, education, patriarchy, tradition, LGBT themes, and even the cultural impact of the Seoul Olympics. Remarkably, many of these works were not just artistically daring, but also found commercial success, with “Chilsu and Mansu” standing out as a defining example.

Rather than revisiting the historical framework in detail, this video focuses on the films themselves, presenting a curated list that captures the spirit and urgency of this transformative era. The list will continue to grow as more titles from the period are revisited, with films like “A Petal” included for their production context and thematic continuity, despite being released slightly later.

A deep dive into a crucial, radical chapter of Korean cinema that paved the way for everything that followed.

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