Lee Han | |
---|---|
Born | 1970 (age 53–54) |
Alma mater | Hanyang University |
Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
Years active | 1996–present |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 이한 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | I Han |
McCune–Reischauer | I Han |
Lee Han (born 1970) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He is best known for the coming-of-age film Punch , which became one of the biggest hits on the South Korean box office in 2011.
Lee Han graduated from Hanyang University's theater and film program. He first worked as an assistant director on two films for veteran filmmaker Bae Chang-ho: Love Story (1996) and My Heart (1999). In 2002, he wrote and directed his first feature, Lovers' Concerto , a melodrama about three friends caught in a love triangle which starred Cha Tae-hyun, Lee Eun-ju and Son Ye-jin. He then wrote the screenplay for Garden of Heaven (2003), a tearjerker about a hospice doctor who falls for a terminally ill patient, played by Ahn Jae-wook and Lee Eun-joo. Lee was also part of the writing staff of Bodyguard , a 2003 action-comedy television series starring Cha Seung-won. [1]
With his succeeding films, Lee further solidified his reputation as a filmmaker with a keen insight into modern romance. Almost Love (also known as Youth Comic) is a 2006 romantic comedy starring Kwon Sang-woo and Kim Ha-neul about a stuntman and an actress with stage fright. [1] [2] My Love (also known as Love, First) is a 2007 Christmas movie which featured an ensemble cast playing multiple couples, namely Kam Woo-sung, Choi Kang-hee, Ryu Seung-ryong, Im Jung-eun, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yeon-hee and Uhm Tae-woong. [3]
But Lee's breakthrough film would be his fourth feature, Punch (2011). Based on Kim Ryeo-ryeong's 2008 bestseller Wandeuk, the film seriously highlighted the issue of multicultural families in a coming-of-age comedy-drama about a poor and rebellious teenage boy (the titular Wandeuk, played by Yoo Ah-in), whose idiosyncratic homeroom teacher and next-door neighbor (Kim Yoon-seok) encourages him to learn more about his Filipino immigrant mother, and their teacher-student relationship helps him mature into a young man. [4] [5] After gaining strong word of mouth for its interesting story and charismatic performances, Punch became a surprise box office hit, drawing 5.3 million viewers. [6] It was also invited to the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival; it screened in Generation 14Plus, a competition section of Berlinale devoted to films for teens. [7] [8] [9] [10] Commenting on the film's positive reception, Lee told Yonhap News that the seemingly eclectic ensemble of characters who appear in Punch, though they rarely receive the limelight, are present and active as members of Korean society. He also believed that the warmth and honesty with which he tried to portray these characters and introduce their daily lives was what resonated with viewers. [11]
In 2014, Lee adapted another bestselling novel by Kim Ryeo-ryeong, Elegant Lies (published in 2009). [12] When quizzed about adapting another work by the same author, Lee said that he chose to do so because "the story was interesting as well as meaningful. In fact I turned down the original story at first because it seemed too difficult. However, it captivated and wouldn't let go. I finally made up my mind to deliver this story to show people who thought it couldn't be done. This film was made for the readers who think this family's story is as special as I do." [13] Thread of Lies explores the aftermath of a 14-year-old girl's suicide, as her mother and older sister belatedly learn after her death that she had been an outcast in middle school and a victim of bullying. Kim Hee-ae played the mother, in her first film in 21 years after focusing on television work, opposite a teenage cast composed of Go Ah-sung, Kim Yoo-jung and Kim Hyang-gi. [14]
Year | Title | Credited as | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
English | Korean | Director | Writer | Producer | ||
2002 | Lovers' Concerto | 연애소설 | Yes | Yes | No | [15] |
2003 | Garden of Heaven | 하늘정원 | No | Yes | No | [16] |
2006 | Almost Love | 청춘만화 | Yes | Yes | No | [17] |
2007 | My Love | 내 사랑 | Yes | Adaptation | No | [18] |
2011 | Punch | 완득이 | Yes | Adaptation | No | [19] |
2014 | Thread of Lies | 우아한 거짓말 | Yes | Adaptation | No | [20] |
2015 | Love Forecast | 오늘의 연애 | No | Adaptation | No | |
The Piper | 손님 | No | No | Yes | [21] | |
2016 | A Melody to Remember | 오빠생각 | Yes | Adaptation | No | [22] |
2019 | Innocent Witness | 증인 | Yes | Adaptation | No | [23] |
2023 | Honey Sweet | 달짝지근해: 7510 | Yes | Adaptation | No | [24] |
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Korean Institute of Film Application | Healing Movie of the Year | Punch | Won | |
2012 | 62nd Berlin International Film Festival | Crystal Bear for Best Film | Nominated | [25] | |
48th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Film | Nominated | |||
Best Director | Nominated | ||||
14th Far East Film Festival | Black Dragon Award | 3rd place | |||
21st Buil Film Awards | Best Director | Won | |||
59th Film Festival Zlín | Ecumenical Jury Award | Won | |||
16th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | Just Film Grand Prix for Best Film | Nominated | |||
2015 | 45th Giffoni Film Festival | Cinecircoli Giovanili Socioculturali Award | Thread of Lies | Won | [26] |
2019 | 55th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Screenplay [lower-alpha 1] | Innocent Witness | Nominated | [27] |
2019 | 56th Grand Bell Awards | Best Screenplay [lower-alpha 1] | Nominated | [28] | |
2023 | 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Director | Honey Sweet | Nominated | |
The Scarlet Letter is a 2004 South Korean erotic thriller film about a police detective who investigates a murder case while struggling to hang onto his relationships with his wife and mistress. The film's title is taken from the 1850 novel of the same name. It is the second film by La Femis-graduate and academic Byun Hyuk after the Dogme 95 film Interview (2000), and starred Han Suk-kyu, Lee Eun-ju, Sung Hyun-ah and Uhm Ji-won. The film debuted as the closing film of the Pusan International Film Festival in 2004. The film is based on novelist Kim Young-ha's short stories A Meditation On Mirror and Photo Shop Murder.
Ad-lib Night is the third film by South Korean director Lee Yoon-ki. A group of boys from the country who have come to Seoul to find the runaway daughter of a dying man to be with him on his death bed. The film, based on a short story by Japanese writer Azuko Taira, debuted at the 11th annual Pusan International Film Festival as well as 57th Berlin International Film Festival.
Han Eun-jung also known as Han Da-Gam is a South Korean actress. She is known for Successful Story of a Bright Girl (2002), Full House (2004) and Two Guys (2004).
Lee Seo-jin is a South Korean actor. He is best known for the reality shows Three Meals a Day and Grandpa Over Flowers. As an actor, he came to prominence with his leading roles in television series Damo (2003), Phoenix (2004), Lovers (2006), Yi San (2007) and Marriage Contract (2016).
Diary of King Yeonsan is a 1988 South Korean film directed by Im Kwon-taek. It was chosen as Best Film at the Grand Bell Awards.
Kim Hee-ae is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in Korean dramas such as Sons and Daughters (1992), Perfect Love (2003), My Husband's Woman (2007), How Long I've Kissed (2012), Secret Affair (2014), and The World of the Married (2020). She has received multiple acting awards including two Daesang and four Best Actress Awards for Television at the Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2020, she was selected as Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year.
Choi Jae-Sung is a South Korean actor. Choi debuted with KBS TV drama series, Diary of a High School Student in 1984. Choi entered stardom through The Tree Blooming with Love and Lee Jang-ho's Baseball Team.
Bae Jong-ok is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a TV actress after she was recruited by KBS, and has since been active in theater, film and television.
Punch is a 2011 South Korean coming-of-age film directed by Lee Han about the budding mentor-mentee relationship forged between a rebellious high school student from a poor household and his meddlesome homeroom teacher who moves in next door.
Park Sung-woong is a South Korean actor. Following his acting debut in No. 3 in 1997, Park has starred in several movies and television series, notably as a gangster in New World (2013) and a serial killer in The Deal (2015).
Friend: The Great Legacy is a 2013 South Korean neo-noir action film about three generations of gangsters, starring Yu Oh-seong, Joo Jin-mo, and Kim Woo-bin. It is the sequel to the 2001 box-office hit Friend, also directed by Kwak Kyung-taek. Friend: The Great Legacy was released in theaters on 14 November 2013.
Venus Talk is a 2014 South Korean film about the sex and love lives of three women in their forties, played by Uhm Jung-hwa, Moon So-ri and Jo Min-su. The romantic dramedy is directed by Kwon Chil-in. The screenplay by Lee Soo-ah won the Grand Prize at the 1st Lotte Entertainment Script Contest. It was released in theaters on February 13, 2014.
Secret Affair is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Kim Hee-ae and Yoo Ah-in. It aired on cable channel JTBC from March 17 to May 13, 2014 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:50 (KST) for 16 episodes.
Thread of Lies is a 2014 South Korean mystery thriller film based on the 2009 bestselling novel Elegant Lies by Kim Ryeo-ryeong. Directed by Lee Han, it starred Kim Hee-ae, Go Ah-sung, Kim Yoo-jung and Kim Hyang-gi.
Lee Kyu-han is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in 1998, but first drew viewers' attention in 2005 as the heroine's ex-boyfriend in romantic comedy My Lovely Sam Soon, later going on to more high-profile supporting roles in Que Sera, Sera (2007), Smile, You (2009), and More Charming by the Day (2010). Lee has since played leading roles in the television dramas The Wedding Scheme (2012), The Birth of a Family (2012), and Only Love (2014). Appearances on variety-reality shows such as the second season of Real Men in 2015 further boosted his popularity. And he was further known for his role as Baek Seok in a 2015–2016 drama series I Have a Lover.
Lee Joo-seung is a South Korean actor. He is best known for starring in independent films, notably Shuttlecock (2014), and drama series such as Pinocchio (2014), The Producers (2015) and Happiness (2021). He is a cast member of the variety show I Live Alone since 2021.
Lee Byeong-heon is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his 2015 film Twenty and 2019 film Extreme Job, the latter of which broke the record for the highest-grossing South Korean film.
Kim Jun-han is a South Korean actor, film director, screenwriter, and former musician. Kim embarked on his acting journey with director Jang Kwon-ho's film Navigation (2014). He fully committed himself to an acting career in 2017 where he starred in several movies as supporting roles, including in Kim Seong-hun's Confidential Assignment (2017), Lee Joon-ik's film Anarchist from Colony (2017), Ryoo Seung-wan's historical film The Battleship Island (2017), Min Kyu-dong's Her Story (2018), Lee Joon-ik's Sunset in My Hometown (2018), and Woo Min-ho's The Drug King (2018).
Ghastly is a 2011 Korean horror movie starring Han Eun-jung, Park Hyo-min and Lee Hyung-suk. The film tells the story of Seo-Ni who raises her orphan nephew Bin. Seo-Ni then becomes involved in a horrifying mystery and discovers a shocking secret about her family. This is singer Hyomin's big screen debut and Ko Seok-jin's directorial debut. The movie featured cameos from singers T-ara, Hahm Eun-jung, and No Min-woo. The movie hit the theatres on August 4, 2011. The film became Asia's first horror/thriller movie released in 3D with 3D specialist company KDC Information & Communication.
Syd Lim, also credited in eastern name order as Im Seung-yong, is a South Korean film actor, planner, and producer.