The Cinema on the Road: A Personal Essay on Cinema in Korea (Jang Sun-woo, 1995)

Part 1

Produced as part of the BFI’s series of films commemorating the centennial of cinema, The Cinema on the Road is an extraordinarily unique look at the place of cinema and filmmaking in Korean society. Jang travels the length and breadth of Korea, interviewing both well-known film personalities and random individuals he meets in his travels. He finally ends up on Jindo Island, where a shaman, Kim Dae-rye, performs a traditional exorcism. Beginning with the Japanese occupation, moving through Korean military dictatorships, and now facing furious competition from Hollywood, Korean cinema has indeed, Jang implies, been plagued by a number of powerful demons. It’s time, the film says, to put them to rest.

The rest of the film can be seen below:

Part 2

 Part 3

Part 4

Part 5