HK film festival-S Korean director

SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) -- An international film festival next month in Hong Kong will look back on the works and career of senior South Korean director Yu Hyun-mok, event organizers said Friday.

Born in 1925, Yu is considered a pioneer of Korea's modern film history, making
more than 40 films since his film debut in 1956 with "Crossroads (Gyocharo)."
The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), which will run March 22-April
13, will be screening four of Yu's works -- "The Aimless Bullet," "Daughters of
Pharmacist Kim," "Guests Who Came by the Last Train" and "Rainy Days."
The retrospective event, titled "The Realist Dao of Yu Hyun-mok," will be
sponsored by the Korean Film Archive.
The 1961 feature "The Aimless Bullet (Obaltan)" was repeatedly voted the best
Korean film of all time by local critics. U.S. magazine "Variety" had called it a
"remarkable product of brilliantly detailed camera and rich characterizations" in
1963.
The 84-year-old director's dedication to socially and politically disputed topics
set him apart from the box-office-oriented producers and the authoritarian
governments during the 1960s through 80s.
Despite the lack of commercial success, Yu is considered a neorealist who has
made a significant contribution to the Korean film industry. He is also the
producer of the country's renowned animation "Robot Taekwon V (1976)."
hayney@yna.co.kr
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