By Honorary Reporter Erlyn Parcon from the Philippines

2019 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines, sealed back in the 1950s during the Korean War, when the Philippine Expeditionary Force was deployed to help South Korea defend itself against invasion. To commemorate this milestone, the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Taguig, in cooperation with the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange and the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and in partnership with Film Development Council in the Philippines (FDCP), SM Cinema and SM Lifestyle Entertainment, held the 2019 Korean Film Festival from Nov. 6-8.

The festival is the annual flagship project organized by the KCC and one of the most anticipated events for Korean film enthusiasts in the country. Under the theme "Sailing Beyond Together," the event screened seven carefully selected Korean movies at SM Cinema branches across seven Philippine cities: "Architecture 101," "House of Hummingbird," "Little Forest," "Microhabitat," "Miss Granny," "Parasite" and "The House of Us."

Opening night on Nov. 6 was held at Samsung Hall of SM Aura Premier in Taguig and attended by prominent Philippine figures and media representatives. Kicking off the festivities was a vocal performance by Venisse Nicole Siy, the grand prize winner of the 28th Philippines-Korea Cultural Exchange Festival in September this year. She performed "If You Go to Los Angeles" from the soundtrack of the comedic drama "Miss Granny," one of the selected films in the festival. This was followed by an opening speech by KCC Director Lee Jin-cheol, who elaborated on the theme of this year's festival and his hope for more people from both nations to celebrate their continuing friendship.

FDCP Chairwoman and CEO Liza Diño-Seguerra also sent a video message wishing for another successful festival this year. She said that in July this year, her council participated in bilateral talks between Korea and the Philippines led by the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry on a co-production treaty. She said she was also grateful for the tireless support of both the KCC and the Korean Embassy in elevating the Philippine film industry. The opening film of the festival was the award-winning "Microhabitat" by director Jeon Go-woon, who was also present there. The movie is about a 30-something woman Miso, who sacrifices basic necessities to protect her vices: cigarettes, whiskey and her boyfriend. Before the screening, Jeon said her main motivation for making the movie was her personal struggle in finding a home in Seoul. She added that she was curious about what Filipinos thought of her movie and that she wanted to work with filmmakers from other countries, especially if the price is right. Her latter statement made the audience laugh.

Next was the event "Director’s Talk" with Jeon and the festival's program director Maeng Soo-jin. Maeng said she was interested to know how empathetic the movies in this year’s festival would be to Philippine society. Moreover, Jeon said that through her movie, she wanted to express the reality of the high cost of living in Seoul, adding that she was amazed on how well her movie was received not only in Korea but also in other countries. And while "Microhabitat" was the first title she came up with for the film, she said the direct translation of the film's original title, "A Little Princess," or the name of a novel, would be far harder for viewers to grasp.

During the talk, the audience asked questions to Jeon and voiced opinions on the movie. The film's message received divided opinions from viewers, with some saying the protagonist achieved a happy and content life and others claiming that the ending was sad from the perspective of reality. Yet everyone commended "Microhabitat" for being an honest portrayal of a difficult life that Filipinos could relate to given their hard situations in the Philippines.

The festival's Cinema Forum also featured Jeon along with Cha Seung-jae, chairman of the Asian Film Market Steering Committee of the Busan International Film Festival, Sonny Calvento and Sheron Dayoc, producers of the Philippine film "John Denver Trending," and Ed Lejano, producer and director of the Philippine movies "Seroks" and "Swipe." Held on Nov. 8 at the University of the Philippines' Film Institute, this event aimed to raise understanding and upgrade cooperation in the film industry between the Philippines and Korea under the theme "Korea-Philippines Film Industry Development and Cooperation Plans."

chaey0726@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.