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Experience Cannes in Seoul with English subtitles

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff reporter

Attention international cinema buffs unable to travel to Cannes to take part in the world's largest film festival, ongoing to May 23. Local theaters are offering a piece of the French event by showing the two Korean competition titles with English subtitles.

Seoul City and major theater chain CGV have joined hands to facilitate foreign residents' access to Korean cinema. Im Sang-soo's "The Housemaid - 2010", featuring 2007 Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon, is being screened with subtitles at CGV Gangnam and Myeong-dong.

A remake of the 1960 Kim Ki-young film of the same name, the erotic thriller has been noted for its bold depiction of intrinsic human desires and the hypocrisy of double standards. It is about a cheerful divorcee (Jeon) who begins working for an upper-class couple. She is seduced by the husband and soon finds herself caught in a web of dirty family politics.

"Poetry", on the other hand, was written and directed by Lee Chang-dong, who directed Jeon's award-winning film "Secret Sunshine". Veteran actress Yoon Jung-hee makes a comeback after 15 years as a naïve grandmother who discovers the beauty of poetry. But when confronted with a disturbing incident she discovers that life is not all about writing about pretty flowers. English subtitles are available at CGV Yongsan and Guro.

Meanwhile, "Ha Ha Ha", a Korean film that is currently showing in Cannes' non-competitive section, is also playing in local theaters. It is the latest feature by Hong Sang-soo, Korea's reputed minimal realist who is a regular on the international film festival circuit. The comedy is about two old buddies who find that the world is indeed a small place, when they realize that they have met the same people in the same city, though coming away with rather different experiences, while traveling. The film has been widely released across the country but English subtitles are not available.

Seoul City and CGV plan to release some 20 local films with English subtitles throughout the year. Visit http://www.cgv.co.kr

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