The Korean Film Archive presents the second installment of the remarkable historical film collection The Past Unearthed with The Second Encounter Collection of Chosun Films in the 1930s. Offering an invaluable insight into the early days of filmmaking in colonial Korea during the thirties, this hefty 3-disc box set features three recently discovered films obtained through China Film Archive in 2004 & 2005, Sweet Dream (a.k.a. Mimong) (1936), Military Train (1938), & Fishermans Fire (a.k.a. Eohwa) (1939).
Sweet Dream (a.k.a. Mimong) (dir. Yang Ju Nam, 1936)
The oldest Korean film to be preserved as of 2008, Sweet Dream was deemed shocking & revelatory for its time. Set during the colonial period when Korea was teetering on the cusp of western-influenced modernization, first-time director Yang tells a story about a modern woman who rebels against the patriarchal Korean society. The film also shows the burgeoning city of Kyungsung (now Seoul) en route to metropolitan modernization, & stars Mun Ye Bong, the most in-demand actress during colonial times, who later went on to become a top actress in North Korea. Interestingly, Sweet Dream is Koreas first traffic safety film
- an attempt to heighten awareness of the dangers of road vehicles during a a time when few cars existed on the streets.
Tired of being caged all her life, housewife Ae Sun (Mun Ye Bong) neglects her young daughter & indulges herself in luxurious fashion items. She eventually abandons her husband & her child & lives in a hotel with her lover. But her newfound freedom brings misfortunes when she finds out that her lover isnt the rich man she knew him to be, but a low-life thief. Infuriated, Ae Sun calls the police & offers them tips about his whereabouts. Just then, she gets in a cab & asks the driver to speed to the train station, but the driver ends up hitting a girl. Whats worse is that the girl turns out to be none other than Ae Suns own daughter.
Military Train (dir. Seo Gwang Je, 1938)
Won Jin (Dok Eun Gi) wants to marry his fianc Yeong Shim, who happens to be his housemate Jeom Yongs younger sister. But there is one big problem: Yeong Shim currently works as a geisha & needs 2000 won to buy her freedom. As luck would have it, Won Jin is approached by a mysterious spy who offers him 2000 won in exchange for some highly confidential information on a new military train. Though fully aware of the consequences, Won Jin accepts the offer for the sake of his lover. But stopped by his conscience, he confesses to his friend Jeom Yong who then reports everything to the police.
Fishermans Fire (a.k.a. Eohwa) (dir. Ahn Chul Yeong, 1939)
Fisherman Choon Sam (Yoon Buk Yang) is in a deep financial rut. Unable to pay off the debt he owes to Mr. Jang, Choon Sam makes the difficult choice to hand over his daughter In Soon to Mr. Ja