Masters of Korean Cinema: From Parasite to Busan
Bong Joon Ho's Parasite and his Hollywood turn Mickey 17, Park Chan-wook from Oldboy to No Other Choice, Na Hong-jin's Hope after ten years, novelist-turned-director Lee Chang-dong, and finally the Busan International Film Festival.
This course starts with Parasite, moves through director Bong Joon Ho and his Hollywood film Mickey 17, Park Chan-wook from Oldboy to his new film No Other Choice, Na Hong-jin's Hope after a ten-year gap, novelist-turned-director Lee Chang-dong, and ends at the Busan International Film Festival where these directors converge. A deep-dive course pairing each director's landmark film with recent work.
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ParasiteFilmsThe starting point is Parasite, the Academy Best Picture winner that raises the question of how Korean film reached the world stage. - 2
Bong Joon HoDirectorsOn to Bong Joon Ho, the director behind Parasite — from the Cannes Palme d'Or to four Academy Awards in one year. - 3
Mickey 17FilmsTo Mickey 17, Bong's Hollywood feature — what changes and what stays the same when a Korean director makes an English-language blockbuster. - 4OldboyFilmsCrossing to another master: Oldboy (2003), the film that put Park Chan-wook's name on the world map.
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Park Chan-wookDirectorsTo Park Chan-wook himself, and his style of blending crime and thriller with other genres. - 6No Other ChoiceFilmsOnward to No Other Choice, Park's new film — more than twenty years after Oldboy, what the same director is making now.
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HopeFilmsTo a third master: Hope, Na Hong-jin's 2026 film after a ten-year gap. - 8
Na Hong-jinDirectorsTo Na Hong-jin himself, and his approach to violent thriller and horror elements. - 9
Lee Chang-dongDirectorsTo novelist-turned-director Lee Chang-dong, whose film Burning became the first Korean film on the Academy's final nine-title shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film. - 10
Busan International Film FestivalAwards & festivalsThe course ends at the Busan International Film Festival, one of Asia's largest film festivals, where the directors just covered converge each autumn.
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