CULTURAL INSIGHT

[Anchor Lead]

Today's TADA Korea is all about the success of domestic films. The Korean independent film, "House of Hummingbird", which is also director Kim Bora's debut film has won a whopping number of 25 film awards worldwide. This and more on today's cultural news.

[Pkg]

The Korean independent film, "House of Hummingbird" has won 25 film awards worldwide. "House of Hummingbird" won the Best First Feature Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival that closed last Sunday. It was the film's 25th award worldwide. Director Kim Bora's feature debut is about the inner turmoil of middle school student Eun-hee in 1994, when the Seongsu Bridge collapsed. The film made its maiden screening at the latest Busan International Film Festival. Its engaging narrative and deep emotional resonance helped the low-budget movie win several awards at renowned film festivals around the globe, including the Berlin International Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival. "House of Hummingbird" will come to local theaters on August 29th. An action comedy about a man attempting to save his family from a mysterious white gas is saving the now sluggish Korean film industry. The surprisingly entertaining "Exit" became the first Korean movie to exceed the break-even point among the Korean films released this summer. The film has yet to relinquish its top place at the box office since its release on August 31st. This 13-billion-won production already broke even by selling 3.5 million tickets just seven days after its release. An increasing number of Korean blockbusters costing more than 10 billion won to produce have come to local theaters in recent years. But fewer and fewer of them end up making profits as critics and moviegoers pan them for not living up to expectations. "Exit," which has been drawing between 300 and 400 thousand people even on weekdays, has energized the struggling Korean film industry and is expected to help boost the ticket sales of other releases.