Korean film fest starts Sept 30
THE Korean Film Festival is set for the Palace Cineplex in St Andrew, on September 30 to October 3 and the Palace Multiplex in St James on the October 7-8.
According to Ambassador Kimo Lim, the festival aims to share the Korean culture with Jamaica.
“It’s about enhancing the friendship and understanding between Jamaica and Korea,” Lim told the Jamaica Observer.
The ambassador was speaking at a dinner reception held at the recently opening Arirang Restaurant, St Andrew, last Monday. The embassy played host to Jamaican beneficiaries of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Alumni programme, as well as fans of the local culture refered to as “K-Lovers”.
The two Korean movies to be shown are A Barefoot Dream and Woochi the Demon Slayer.
Meanwhile, the reception saw Gary Barrow, KOICA alumni president and senior vice-president of customer operations and support services at Jamaica Public Service, addressing the guests.
“Both countries [Korea and Jamaica] have enjoyed diplomatic relations from 1962, and this event provides a continuation of that opportunity to share,” Barrow said.
Guests were treated to choice Korean cuisine. However, the centre of the event was a Korean karaoke contest in which all were encouraged to participate.
At the evening’s end, it was a tight decision for the judges between Dipti Shadadpuri and Rochelle Dacres. Shadadpuri won out with a performance worthy of any K-pop star singing Wonder Girls’ Tell Me in its native language. She took home a Samsung Galaxy PC.
“I actually speak better Japanese than I do Korean,” she told The Observer, surprised at her victory.
Dacres’ religious musical stylings got her second and a digital camera. Third was a duet in Korean from Chanae Phipps and Michelle Keane. Zari-Jane Coleman won most popular for another authentic Korean rendition of the K-pop song My Love, My Love.
To date, more than 100 Jamaicans have participated in the KOICA training programme including, the 12 persons of last year who participated in the renewable energy training course.
