'Seoul Urban Legends' - 'Seoul Villages' adapted into movies

Sunday, November 5, 2023

'Seoul Urban Legends' - 'Seoul Villages' adapted into movies

In case you missed the VIP Presentation of 'SEOUL URBAN LEGENDS' ('서울 도시 전설들') in CGV Apgujeong on October 31, here's what you need to know about the first adaptation of my short stories into movies.

(Answering the question 'Some films are very close to your original stories, others build upon them. Any remarks?': 'Books are triggers. Authors and readers create their own images in their own heads. It's very stimulating to see each and every one of these very diverse and gifted creators add their own creative layers of fiction and reality'. With CHE Heesuk, YOU On, and KIM Yong-ho during the VIP presentation in CGV Apgujeong (photos Pulse9)

ABOUT 'SEOUL URBAN LEGENDS':

'Get out of your comfort zone, and dive into a fictional Seoul '
an omnibus movie featuring 4 short films by 6 Korean filmmakers:

'Sweat Dream' (directed by CHE Heesuk)
'Black Snow' (directed by YOU On)
'Guisin-dong' (directed by CHOI Jong Wook, KIM Ye Jin, WON Chang Sung)
'de Vermis Seoulis' (directed by KIM Yong-ho)

adapted from Stephane MOT's 'Seoul Villages', a collection of short stories about a fictional Seoul
produced by Pulse9, sponsored by Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA)
independent cinema with a touch of A.I.

ABOUT THE SHORT FILMS AND THEIR DIRECTORS:

'SWEAT DREAM'
(DIRECTED BY CHE HEESUK):

'Yes, this heat is inhumane, but is there even any humanity left in a world controlled by A.I.?'
From experimental film to music videos, CHE keeps exploring humanity and technology

'BLACK SNOW'
(DIRECTED BY YOU ON):

Mi-hyun finds a boy lying on the street; her city and her life itself start feeling more intense.
An expert in short format contents, 'On Oppa' is also a TikTok phenomenon with over 21M followers.

'GUISIN-DONG'
(DIRECTED BY CHOI JONG WOOK, KIM YE JIN, WON CHANG SUNG):

If Seoul's most mysterious neighborhood claims you, don't even think about escaping it'
Glamour or underground? CHOI, KIM,, and WON track all vibes across Seoul and beyond.

'DE VERMIS SEOULIS'
(DIRECTED BY KIM YONG-HO):

Life is a masquerade, worms roam Seoul, and acclaimed photographer KIM Yong-ho invites you to a surreal experience.
Iconic fashion photographer turned artist, KIM Yong-ho brings a new light to the fabric of reality.

FOUR VERY DIFFERENT CREATIVE APPROACHES:

They're all visual creators expert in their field, they're all making their first movie
Four radically different creations (around 20 mn each):

CHE Heesuk added new dimensions to the protagonist's struggles by transposing the original short story, set in early 90s Seoul, into a dystopian future.
YOU On opted for a vertical format to focus on the characters.
CHOI, KIM, and WON built a ghost story on top of the original one, with a resolutely indie / underground touch.
KIM Yong-ho created a highly artistic experimental film based on still pictures and quotes from the book

Like the book combines multiple fictions about a shapeshifting city, the film combines multiple approaches of these fictions. 'This might be the very definition of a city: a work of fiction, utterly real, but always eluding its authors'.

(Answering the question 'Your fiction is timeless, but your background also includes startups. What did you think when you learned that A.I. virtual characters would appear in the adaptations?') 'These virtual characters belong to what's known as the 'uncanny valley', and 'Uncanny Valley could be the name of one of my fictional Seoul villages. This particular technology opens new possibilities for all kind of visual creators, actors, and performers, and it's significant to see Korea's independent cinema explore it."

We'll keep you posted about the distribution of the movie and the next steps.

The happy few (well actually enough to fill twice the theater) who attended the VIP presentation of Seoul Urban Legends could watch the teasers and the filmmakers' interviews before a Q and A session. KIM Yong-ho's 'de Vermis Seoulis' was then screened twice so that everyone who came could watch. The whole team thanks those who could make it that day as well as everyone who supported this project that only started a few months ago.

'Seoul Urban Legends' in Tokyo for TIFFCOM 2023 (with YOU On, CHOI Jong Wook, CHE Heesuk)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

If you haven't read 'Seoul Villages' yet, download the free ebook:

Seoul Village 2023
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Download 'Seoul VillageS', the free ebook.