[2011 Top 10 stories] Spotlight on indie films

The Korean film industry was more diverse than ever before. Amid an array of high-budget blockbuster films, a couple of Korean independent films achieved the10,000-audience mark, a figure compared to 1 million viewers for commercial films.
The rise of independent films started with "Re-encounter" in February. The title literally reflects the plot, as it centers on a young couple and their Re-encounter. In high school, a boy and girl fall in love, but the boy leaves her after the girl becomes pregnant.
Five years later, they meet again and look for their child who they believe has been adopted. Another coming-of-age film, "Bleak Night", in March also received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. The film stayed at the box office for about three months in a world where even blockbusters screen less than a month.
The film tells the story of three high school boys, attracting more than 20,000 viewers. "The Journals of Musan" joined the winning spree in April.
By spotlighting lives of North Korean defectors in the South, the film brought more than seven awards to newbie director Park Jung-bum in and outside of Korea. Other than these, the gay film "Miracle on Jongno Street", musical film "Play" and adult animation "King of Pigs" deserve to be dubbed indie films of this year. If you haven't seen them, just pick one. It will surely please you.
By Sung So-young

Source : koreajoongangdaily.jo... ( English Korean )