Remembering Korea's heroes at Korean Film Festival at the Shang

The Korean Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and the Film Development Council and the Shangri-La Plaza opened Remembering the Heroes, a weekend of film screenings celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Republic of Korea's March 1 Independence Movement and Provisional Government.

KCC Director Lee Jin Cheol

The films to be screened over the weekend of April 6-7 at the Red Carpet at the Shang are Man of Will/대장 김창수 and The Last Princess/덕혜옹주, two period films highlighting the stories of those who fought for the freedom of the Korean people. This is a change of pace from the popular Korean fare that has been embraced by local audiences for more than a decade now.

NARA team

NARA team

Korean Cultural Center of the Philippines Director Lee Jin Cheol, FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño, and Shangri-La Plaza's EVP and General Manager Lala Fojas welcomed the guests during the opening night. Cultural presentations by KCC's NARA team provided entertainment that night.

Remembering the Heroes also marks the first ever Korean film festival at the Red Carpet at the Shang, which has been the home of foreign language film festivals throughout the years.

Man of Will/대장 김창수

The opening night saw the screening of Man of Will, directed by Lee Won-tae. Based on a true story, the film stars Cho Jin-woong as Kim Chang-soo, a prisoner on death row whose crime was killing a Japanese who he claimed was one of the Empress' assassins. After a hard time in prison, he won over his prison mates when he started to teach them how to read and write. The film also sees heartthrob Song Seung-heun, in an antagonistic role as the traitorous prison director Kang Hyuk-sik who enjoys (and benefits from) socializing with the Japanese. A patriotic tale, the film emphasized the merits of literacy as a way to independence although there is still a great deal of violence throughout. 

The Last Princess/덕혜옹주

The other film selection is The Last Ptincess, directed by Hur Jin-ho. The film stars Son Ye-jin as Princess Deokhye, the last Princess of the Joseon Dynasty, who tries to return to her homeland of Korea after being taken to Japan as  hostage when she was a teenager.