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The Gwangju Bibim Film Fest Coming Soon Written by Chloe Chan
From many foreigners’ perspectives, South Korea’s cultural image is always associated with monocultural conservatism and a culturally homogenous “woori” (우리, “us”) culture. Even though South Korea’s cultural policy is sometimes criticized for its insufficiency in accommodating an ethnoculturally diverse community, the cultural organizations in Gwangju are currently putting a lot of effort into reaching a breakthrough, in an attempt to change the “culturally conservative” label. For instance, the Global Community Support Project run by the Gwangju International Center (GIC) and the Gwangju Cultural Foundation (GCF) focus on cultural diversity projects that are designed to foster community culture through sponsoring local Gwangju and international citizens to take part in cooperating over cultural activities.
Because this year is the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, the event organizers have selected “Human Rights” as the main theme. The
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Ten Years (Hong Kong, 2015): An anthology film comprised of five short vignettes that imagine what Hong Kong will look like in the year 2025 under dictatorial political control. In one of the vignettes, “Dialect,” the story depicts a taxi driver who is unable to find customers due to government legislation that displaces Cantonese as Hong Kong’s official language. To make a comparison relevant to South Korea, critics suggest that certain dialects are misused by the media to negatively portray rural, lower-class people, with one result being that the Jeju dialect has been named an endangered language by UNESCO. Regardless of whether a dialect is dying out due to the authorities’ prohibition or because of the growing value of urbanization, this story of change ▼ Hong Kong film Ten Years (2015).
October 2020
The Gwangju Bibim Film Fest aims to offer an opportunity for the public to experience various cultures from a multinational perspective. The “Bibim” Film Fest is named after the Korean dish bibimbap (비빔밥, rice dish with vegetables etc.) in the hopes that various cultures can co-exist, just as the assorted ingredients that are perfectly mixed in bibimbap do.
Below is a brief introduction of the highlighted screenings.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Last year, a group of youths from different national backgrounds launched an outdoor film festival on the Chonnam National University campus with sponsorship from the GIC. This year, the film fest has evolved into a higher-quality, annual event with funding support from the GCF.
catchphrase “Alright? All-Right!” is a play on words that has been adopted to question whether our rights (allright) are safeguarded (alright). In line with globalization, the two-day film festival will feature screenings that correspond to global human rights, with dual Korean and English subtitles. Independent filmmakers and citizens will be able to enjoy the films at an artistic outdoor space, and so far, the venue is set to be held in the open area of Art Street’s Miro Center.
ARTS & CULTURE
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wangju, designated a “Hub City of Asian Culture” by Roh Moo-hyun in 2002, is widely known for its cultural vibrancy.
9/23/2020 11:05:16 AM
