Courtesy of Angelika Film Center
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Despite the closure of the Angelika Film Center’s Plano location last fall, the remaining Angelika theater at Mockingbird Station is still an essential hub for film in North Texas. In addition to screening many of the most high-profile independent and international films currently in release, the theater’s special programs that celebrate a specific cinematic theme are often worth a ticket grab.
This year, the theater’s first “Korean Film Series” will be held throughout May, with screenings of four different movies every Wednesday this month.
In 1991, May became recognized by the United States government as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, with the name officially changed to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in 2021. Although the Heritage Month was officially revoked earlier this year after President Trump’s “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions” executive order, it hasn’t prevented cultural entities from continuing to honor the tradition.
South Korea has experienced a cinematic renaissance for the last two decades. The country’s growth in film has led it to be dubbed the era of “Korean New Wave” – artistry that has fostered creative genres of film that address the social and economic upheaval experienced by South Koreans throughout the 21st century.
The beginning of the movement is often associated with the release of Park Chan-wook’s 2003 action-thriller titled Oldboy, which was re-released in Dallas theaters in 2023 for its twentieth anniversary. Although Oldboy was recognized as a significant international breakthrough with global recognition, the “Korean New Wave” was crystallized with the release of Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, which became a phenomenon in 2019. Given that the film’s reputation has only grown more immense over time, it is fitting that it was the first to screen at the Angelika on May 7.
The impact of Parasite’s run at the Academy Awards was unprecedented. Not only had an international language film never won the Best Picture prize before, but a South Korean film had never even made it into the Best International Language Film category before. Nonetheless, Parasite earned praise from nearly every respected Hollywood figure and ended up taking home the trophies for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Language Film. While Bong was given the opportunity to make four speeches over the course of the Oscars’ night, his most memorable line was a remark about the importance of honoring international cinema: “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
The pandemic may have halted the opportunity for many film fans to seek out South Korean films in theaters, but Bong’s recommendations helped to make many more popular on streaming services.
Burning, the second film in Angelika’s series, is a psychological drama from Lee Chang-Dong released in 2018. It earned greater awareness among American viewers after becoming available on Netflix. Like Parasite, Burning is an economically-conscious thriller about the disparaging impact of the class divide in South Korea, which allows for little socialization between those of different backgrounds. While the film spoke to issues pertinent in South Korea, the themes of Burning resonated with a worldwide audience, particularly in light of economic instability. It also was not a film that was lacking in star power, as it featured a brilliantly villainous turn from Steven Yeun, a star of The Walking Dead who would go on to earn his first Oscar nomination for Minari.
Burning and Parasite are both confrontational, darkly comedic films that could inadvertently subject their audiences to an existential crisis. However, the Angelika’s slate also includes South Korean cinema that doesn’t fall into the “extremist” movement.
The third entry in the theater’s series is In Our Day, a quiet family drama about an aging actress who returns to her home in Seoul. While director Hong Sang-soo’s films have not had the same breakthrough internationally, he’s been cited as an influence by Bong, Lee, and other South Korean artists. The Angelika’s screening of In Our Day suggests the theater holds an interest in exposing viewers to cinema that they may not have been familiar with, which could heighten anticipation for Hong’s upcoming work.
The final film to be screened is Poetry, another effort from Lee, albeit a far more contemplative and emotional work compared to Burning. The complex family drama was met with global fanfare upon its debut in 2010, where it took home the Best Screenplay honor at the Cannes Film Festival, several top prizes at the Korean Film Awards, and a rare 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Sadly, the film’s United States distributor, Kino Lorber, did not have the resources to give it a robust theatrical rollout, making it an unearthed film almost entirely for American cinephiles. The Angelika’s screening isn’t just a reminder of what American audiences are missing, but a rare opportunity to see this modern masterpiece in the way that it was intended to be seen.
The disturbing irony is that while Americans have shown growing interest in South Korean cinema, the current presidential administration is in danger of eroding these crossover endeavors. President Trump’s recently proposed tariffs on international films would restrict foreign cinema shown in the U.S. and potentially impose restrictions on theaters that intend to screen them.
A four-week series spotlighting a small fraction of South Korean art may seem like a minor endeavor, but this month, Dallas audiences have the opportunity to celebrate foreign art in a time when it’s needed most.
