The Korean Movie, Two Weddings And A Funeral

Thanks to the Facebook group, Community Korea, for giving away free tickets!

I haven't seen a Korean movie in a long time. So, when I saw that they were giving away tickets for the screening of an independent film, which had English subtitles, I immediately signed up! But too bad, I must have signed up late. They ran out of tickets so fast. So, what I did was to contact the Korea Film Council (KOFIC) itself!  And thanks to Mi-Hui of KOFIC, I had something to do in this very hot Tuesday night.

'Two Weddings and a Funeral' is  funny movie with a very serious theme: homosexuality in Korea. The director, Kimjo Gwang-soo, successfully narrated, through a couple who arranged to get married so that the 'wife' could adopt a child, how Korean gays live (in Korea). 

I thought at first that the movie was inspired by Hugh Grant's Four Weddings and a Funeral, but it was not. As to why there are two weddings and a funeral, you have to watch the movie.

I said the movie was fun to watch: the characters, the plots and the dialogue. Even on the first wedding scene, it already got the audience to laugh at the funny twist during the ceremonial bouquet throwing. And much so on the second scene, when the couple stopped on the flyover near Dongbinggo-dong in Yongsan-gu! I immediately recognized that place because I pass by that highway everyday on my way to work riding the green bus (or a taxi when I'm late! Ha-ha-ha!).

The movie was an eye-opener for most of the audience members. And what made it even more interesting was the question-and-answer session with the director and one of the actors after the movie. They sat down with the audience and tried to explain and provide answers to satisfy the curiosity of the movie-goers from different countries on topics about homosexuality in Korea and how the Korean society sees and treats gays.

The director even said that the Q&A session made him feel that he was in an international film festival because of the different nationalities of the audience members, although, he was bringing this film to an international film festival in Hawaii.

The movie was about two hours long, and the Q&A? More than an hour! That's how interesting and lively the Q&A was!  As I said, the theme movie was serious, and you can just imagine the questions that were thrown in during the discussion! 

For me, the movie provided entertainment on this hot summer Tuesday night. But the Q&A, even more than the movie, provided me some education on another aspect of the Korean society and way of life.  

(The director, Mr. Kimjo Gwang-soo wearing a white cap with one of his actors in pink shirt. The lady on the black shirt was the interpreter who did a very good job at translating the very lively discussion.)

You can still catch the film at Indieplus Theater at the Broadway Cinema Building, which is a few meters from Exit 1 of Sinsa Station (Line 3).