President Park Geun-hye’s upcoming visit to Kenya will offer an opportunity to local movie-goers there to witness first-hand the charms of Korean cinema. To mark the presidential visit, a Korean Film Festival will be held at the Imax Theatre in Nairobi on May 29 and 30. Invited guests to the festival include influential figures in local political and government circles, cultural icons, academics, students from the Jomo Kenyatta University and about 300 other dignitaries. Many of those who were unable to get an invitation have asked the festival to release additional tickets.

The festival will screen “The Thieves” (도둑들, 2012) and “All About My Wife” (내 아내의 모든 것, 2012). This choice of movies reflects the results of a survey of Kenyan cinema buffs, most of whom answered that they prefer action and comedy films.

The heist movie “The Thieves” was directed by Choi Dong-hoon. It weaves a tale of conspiracy, betrayal and love, involving ten male and female thieves who come together to steal a hidden diamond inside a casino in Macau. More than 13 million people saw the movie, thanks to excellent performances by Kim Hye-soo, Kim Yoon-seok, Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae.



The romantic comedy “All About My Wife” tells the story of a married couple that has been together for seven years. It shows the couple's detailed psychology as they get ever more bored with each other. Actress Im Soo-jung plays a nagging wife who still has strong feelings for her husband. Actor Lee Sun-kyun plays the husband who decides to divorce, but is unable to tell her because he's too timid. Actor Ryu Seung-ryong plays the Casanova hired by the husband to seduce the wife. The movie depicts the complicated feelings that can emerge from a love triangle. The film attracted more than 5 million viewers.

Co-organizer of the festival Oleksil Sierkov said, “The Korean Film Festival in Nairobi will offer a great opportunity for Kenyans to understand Korea much better. It will also make some widely known Korean brands much more popular here in Kenya.”

By Wi Tack-whan, Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr