St Petersburg University to give lectures at the Days of Korean Cinema in St Petersburg

The first meeting of the cycle presented a film "The Daughters of Pharmacist Kim" (1963). It is based on the novel by Pak Kyongni. The lecture was delivered by Inna Tsoy, Associate Professor in the Department of Korean Studies at St Petersburg University. The next meeting is scheduled for 20 November 2022 and will present a film ‘Our Twisted Hero’ (1992). The lecture will be delivered by Anastasiia Gureva, Associate Professor at the University, an expert in Korean studies and translator.

The Days of Korean Cinema in St Petersburg will be held weekly from 13 November to 1 December 2022 at the National Library of Russia at 165 Moskovsky Prospect. The full programme is available here.

Vladimir Gronsky, Director General of the National Library of Russia, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. Nowadays, Western countries are pursuing a cancel culture policy in relation to Russian cultural heritage, he said. ‘The cancel culture phenomenon in Russia is unacceptable because we are always ready and happy to learn about cultures of other peoples and countries,’ said Vladimir Gronsky. ‘We welcome any art from any country that corresponds to globally recognised human values.’ He added that the organisation of St Petersburg University’s lectures before the screenings was very important to enable us to understand Korean culture and cinema.

Park Joohyun, Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea in St Petersburg and a graduate of St Petersburg University, said that the library reading rooms were far from being unknown to her. She had worked a lot on her thesis in the library during her studies at the University. ‘During my work in St Petersburg, I am always surprised by how much Russians are interested in Korean culture and art. I have met many young people who have discovered Korea through music, art, cinema and drama, and then become interested in the language, history, and traditions of Korea. Korean citizens associate Russia primarily with rich culture and art. Koreans adore Russian literature, ballet, theatre, and music,’ said Ms Park, expressing her gratitude to the organisers and lecturers of the festival.

Getting to know each other’s culture means learning to understand each other better. I’m sure our friendship is getting even stronger. I believe that the events of the Days of Korean Cinema in St Petersburg are a great opportunity to learn about Korean cinema of the past and present.

Park Joohyun, Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea in St Petersburg

Anastasia Yarmosh, Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and Partnership at St Petersburg University, also mentioned the importance of learning cultures through various types of art. ‘Today, looking into each other’s eyes, we are opening a live, face-to-face Korean film festival, where our compatriots who share an interest in another culture will learn about new life circumstances, destinies, and character traits of the heroes of Korean culture,’ said Anastasia Yarmosh, congratulating the audience on the opening of the film cycle. ‘You will learn about destinies in cinematography from the 1960s to the present and hear subtle, tactful expert opinions. They will guide us into the world of Korean cinema. Sometimes, we do not understand the specifics, features, details. A mediator who is a University expert will help reveal a special artistic imagery,’ she added.

In total, the film lecture hall will feature five film screenings. They are scheduled for 13 November, 20 November, 24 November, 27 November, and 1 December 2022. Apart from the 20th century films "The Daughters of Pharmacist Kim" and "Our Twisted Hero", three present-day films will be presented and discussed by researchers. Among them are: "A Taxi Driver"; "Burning"; and "Parasite".

Inna Tsoy, an expert in Korean studies and Associate Professor at St Petersburg University, delivered a lecture about Pak Kyongni and one of her best-known novels "The Daughters of Pharmacist Kim". Pak Kyongni had a difficult life, yet she never stopped writing. Her twenty-volume epic novel "Toji" ("The Land") is a masterpiece. The concept of the land is the essence of existence for Pak Kyongni. For her, life and literature are unified.

Inna Tsoy said that the film "The Daughters of Pharmacist Kim" by the cult Korean film director Yu Hyun-mok was based on the novel by Pak Kyongni. It portraits a story of one family from the seaside town of Tongyeong, which is the hometown to Pak Kyongni. The plot is about the life of a family during the period of great changes for Korea, i.e. the replacement of the old traditional way of life with modernisation. Each of Kim’s five daughters is different in character and attitude. Each of them has her own destiny and responds in her own way to irreversible changes. The expert also noted that the film, which was shown at the festival in the original with Russian subtitles, presents a very colourful, lively Korean language, filled with dialectal words. The director Yu Hyun-mok demonstrates an innovative approach to film editing.