Art and Culture1

And now it's time for the arts and culture report with our Michelle Kim. I hear she'll tell us about a new album with a special purpose.

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Hello Michelle

[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young

So what is this album you'd like to tell us about[Reporter : ] The album is by 15 groups of female indie singers and it benefits Korea's so-called "comfort women",.. women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War 2. The comfort women continue to fight for a formal apology from the Japanese government, which,.. in addition to denying them their request has begun to make statements that go far from accepting resposibility for their past actions. Here are the details.

The soft melodies of the gayageum set the tone for a song about the hopes and dreams of a young girl living in the countryside. As it continues, the lyrics tell a darker story of how those dreams are shattered during wartime.
The song is part of a compilation album benefitting the Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan, euphemistically known as "comfort women".

Released Tuesday, the album contains 16 songs by 15 groups of female indie singers that pay tribute to the women,.. who are still seeking a formal apology from the Japanese government.
Jeong Min-ah, one of the featured singers on the album, spoke recently about what the album means to her.

[Interview : Jeong Min-ah, Singer] "This is something that could happen now or in the future. It's something that shouldn't and cannot be forgotten and I wanted to express that through my music".

Song Eun-ji, the album's producer, said the album was made to console the women, now grandmothers, who for more than 70 years have been living with the pain they had to deal with at such an early age.

[Interview : Song Eun-ji, Album Producer and Singer] "The purpose of making this album is not to have the grandmothers tell us about what they dealt with in the past. Instead, I hope members of the younger generation like us can tell each other about the hardships and the pain our female elders felt and endured".

The singers held three concerts to raise money for the album in the spring and proceeds from the album will go to support the grandmothers.

This seems like a great way to tell people about what these women had to deal with in a way that is very accessible to the general public, especially members of the younger generation.

[Reporter : ] I agree with you. Music is a great way to get people to empathize with the women and understand their history. I hope the album will reach listeners not just in Korea but hopefully globally and help heal the wounds of the past.

I certainly hope so, too. And now switching gears, I hear you have a movie preview for us[Reporter : ] Yes, I do.
One of my favorite actors of all time, Bradley Cooper, has teamed up with the heroine of the film "Colombiana", Zoe Saldana, for the premiere of the romantic drama, "The Words". Take a look.

The stars were out on Tuesday night for the premiere of the romantic drama, "The Words".
Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana were joined by co-stars Dennis Quaid, Jeremy Irons and Ben Barnes at the L.A. premiere of the film, which is written and directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal.

"The Words" centers on a talented writer named Rory Jansen, played by Cooper, and his beautiful wife, played by Saldana.
Facing extreme pressure to achieve literary success, Jansen takes a tremendous risk when he steals another man's work to fulfill his ambition.

Cooper explained his feelings about the storyline of the film.

[Interview : Bradley Cooper, Actor] "In the process of making the movie I realized that I really enjoyed it. The cast was insane to work with, wonderful scenes and it was really well written. There is some magical moments in it. They really captured something, these guys. I feel it is a really romantic movie, it went way beyond the plot points that you are talking about. There is something about the feeling of this film that I am happy to be a part of".

Dennis Quaid said he found the complex storyline an attractive challenge.

[Interview : Dennis Quaid, Actor] "It was just a really great story, a story within a story. I don't know how they came up with it, they did. They were just kids when they wrote it".

"The Words" opens in the U.S. on September 7th.

When I first heard the names Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana, I thought it was going to be an action film, but it's far from that, isn't it[Reporter : ] It sure is. Just as you've said, we've mainly seen these two actors in action films, like "Limitless" and "Colombiana" but they've definitely eased into their new roles. The on-screen chemistry between them has already made headlines in tabloids fueling rumors of a possible off-screen romance.

Well,I guess I'll look forward to this very romantic film. Do you know when it will be released in Korea[Reporter : ] The date hasn't yet been announced, but with all of the pre-release buzz and the star-studded cast, I'm sure it won't be long.

That's good to hear. And now to wrap things up, you have the events bulletin for us[Reporter : ] Yes I do. Today's bulletin features the Brave Guys concert, starring some of the country's best K-pop musicians, and two musicals. You can still catch "Chicago" at the D-Cube Arts Center before it ends in October and the musical "Bibap" continues its open run in Seoul, so get out your calendars to plan your weekends with these events.

[Reporter : ed: jenny]
The comedy group Brave Guys from the show "Gag Concert" takes its act into the theater for a concert that also includes performances by K-pop groups such as IU, Beast, 4Minute, Sistar, DJ D.O.C and many more. The "Brave Guys Concert" is September 9th at the Yonsei University Amphitheater.

Audiences can still catch performances of the musical "Chicago" at the D-Cube Arts Center in Seoul before it closes on October 7th. The cast features singer Insooni and musical theater star Choi Jung-won-I alternating in the role of Velma Kelly, and Yoon Gong-joo and K-pop singer Ivy will alternate in the role of Roxie Hart.

It's perhaps the most delicious show ever The musical "Bibap" continues its open run at the Cinecore Bibap Theater in Seoul with a spicy mix of music, dance and cooking.

Thank you for the update

[Reporter : ] My pleasure.

SEP 06, 2012

Reporter : dainee@arirang.co.kr