Ryu Seonghie – As “THE HOST” of the @KCCUK

Well, not quite but almost…

Indeed, on Thursday 11th December 2014 not only is one of Korea’s biggest directors [Bong Joon-ho] film showing, but also it’s a very POPULAR movie.

AND, the film “THE HOST” has a ‘host’ [*sigh*, *psy* or *cry*(!)] of stars… Including Song Kang-ho, Bae Doona, Go Ah-sung, Park Hae-il… and more!

But that’s not all – a Korean ‘star’ in her own right, or indeed field (her very own artistic field or that of Production Designing), Ms Ryu Seonghie will be joining the KCCUK (Korean Cultural Centre, London) for a Q & A following the film.

Here at @MiniMiniMovies, I (and I should probably mention certain other co-founders of the London Asian Film Society) am ecstatic to also announce that later this month an interview with Ms Ryu Seonghie herself will appear on this very site.  It’s actually occurring this Thursday too!

Need more reasons to attend?  Well…

1) The event is FREE.

2) There are still places available – but BOOK quickly!

3) You’ll hopefully get a chance to say Hi, grab a photo maybe, a chat and / or photo.

Still unsure? Take a look at this Production Designer’s resume, courtesy of the blurb from the wonderful KCCUK website:

“The Korean Cultural Centre UK
Presents

Ryu Seonghie
Production Designer

Korean Film Nights 2014:
The Year of the Film Professionals

Oct – Dec 2014

INTRODUCTION

One of the longest running and most popular initiatives at the Korean Cultural Centre UK, our Korean Film Nights has undertaken two ambitious film programmes in the last two years. In 2012 we presented The Year of the 12 Directors – a series of film events that allowed British audiences to meet with the most prominent film directors from all genres of Korean cinema. Following on from its success, in 2013 we developed The Year of the 4 Actors programme in which we invited four of the most exciting actors, Moon So-ri, Jeon Do-yeon, Choi Min-sik and Ha Jung-woo to meet with their fans in London alongside showcasing a wide spectrum of each of their works. In 2014, to conclude this three-year project of Korean Film Nights, we are introducing The Year of the Film Professionals programme that illuminates the overlooked processes of filmmaking behind the screen.

This year’s programme focuses on four critical elements of filmmaking: Screenwriting, Film Music, Cinematography and Production Design. In turn for each quarter of 2014, we will present 4-6 films followed by a culminating event of Q&As and workshops where we welcome four of Korea’s top industry professionals each of which have worked on our very best films over the last two decades.

We end our Film Professionals year with a screening of six films from the very talented Production Designer, Ryu Seonghie. The KCCUK will be screening; Memories of Murder, The Front Line, Late Autumn, Mother, A Bittersweet Life and The Host. We hope that you enjoy the rest of this year’s vibrant film events at the Korean Cultural Centre UK and would like to thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for Korean cinema.

Hye-jung Jeon
Project Director

BIOGRAPHY

Originally a student of pottery, Ryu Seonghie debuted as a Production Designer with Flower Island in 2001, a film which instantly showed off the designer’s imagination. She soon chose to undertake a number of thriller and noir genre films and quickly became associated with the top filmmakers of the Korean film industry by working with Ryoo Seung-wan on No Blood No Tears and Kim Jee-woon on A Bittersweet Life. However the most important partnerships have been with the giants of K-Cinema Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho. These two filmmakers have produced some of the biggest, most commercially successful and critically praised films the country has seen, sharing a success that stylistically owes a great debt to its production design by Ryu Seonghie.

Visually stunning films such as Oldboy, The Host, I’m a Cyborg And That’s OK, Thirst and Mother have the trendmark originality and imagination that Ryu Seonghie has based her career on. What wouldOldboy be without its purple and black patterning and colour palette or I’m a Cyborg without its face masks? Central to her work is Ryu Seonghie’s dedication to visualising the emotional core of a story and enhancing the director’s vision.

In her thirteen year career Ryu Seonghie has shown herself to be an incredible force in helping to create and elevate Korean film standards to what they are today.

FILMOGRAPHY

Gukje Market (2013)
The Attorney (2013)
Behind The Camera (2012)
The Front Line (2011)
Late Autumn (2010)
Mother (2009)
Thirst (2008)
Hansel & Gretel (2007)
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Ok (2006)
The Host (2006)
A Bittersweet Life (2004)
Three….. Extremes (2004)
Old Boy (2003)
Memories Of Murder (2003)
No Blood No Tears (2001)
Flower Island (2001)

Korean Film Nights: Programme
THE FILMS

16 OCT MEMORIES OF MURDER
30 OCT THE FRONT LINE
13 NOV LATE AUTUMN
27 NOV MOTHER4 DEC A BITTERSWEET LIFE
11 DEC THE HOST + Q&A WITH RYU SEONGHIE

Next year?  After these 3 years [2012 – Year Of The 12 Directors; 2013 – Year Of The 4 Actors; 2014 – Year Of The Film Professionals] can we seriously take any more?!

*****