HomeForever the Moment
Forever the Moment
우리 생애 최고의 순간(Woo-ri Saeng-ae Choi-go-e Soon-gan)
WEB SITE : http://www.foreverthemoment.co.kr/
124min 35mm | Genre : Drama , | Release date in South Korea : Jan 10, 2008Cinema Bridges Korea, Vietnam
Actresses Lee Young-ah, left, and Nhu Quynh reunite at the opening ceremony May 8 of the 2008 Korean Film Festival, which was held through May 10 in Hanoi. The Korean starlet starred as the daughter of the Vietnamese veteran actress in “Golden Bride,” a Korean TV series about an international marriage. In celebration of the 16th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Vietnam, the Second Korean Film Festival took place May 8-10 in Hanoi, drawing hordes of local fans. The pop culture exchange is expected to thrive even more with a possible joint project to build a huge studio in Vietnam as well as the establishment of a major Korean multiplex movie theater's first Vietnamese branch. The three-day film festival featured five popular Korean movies: ``Forever the Moment,'' based on the dramatic women's handball game at the 2004 Athens Olympics; ``Marathon,'' a tearjerker about a disabled man championing marathons; ``Hwang Jin Yi'' starring hallyu star Song Hye-kyo as a ravishing Joseon (1392-1910)-era entertainer and artist; ``Over the Rainbow,'' a melodrama starring top actors Lee Jung-jae and Jang Jin-young; and ``Cube.'' Some 40,000 tickets for the screenings were sold before the inauguration, according to Seoul Daily Newspaper, one of the sponsors of the event along with the Korean Embassy and Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam and the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The grand opening ceremony was attended by top Korean stars, including director Lim Soon-rye, whose film ``Forever the Moment'' opened the festival. Lim pointed out how Vietnamese cinema is being introduced to the Korean audience as well, like through the special section in the recently held Jeonju International Film Festival. The lush cultural and geographical landscape of Vietnam also appeared in domestic productions like ``Muoi,'' a ``beautiful'' horror story featuring up and coming Korean actresses. Special guests of the festival were actresses Lee Young-ah and Nhu Quynh. The former played the daughter of the latter in a popular Korean TV series, ``Golden Bride.'' The Korean starlet learned Vietnamese for her role as a foreign bride in Korea. The drama was noted for tackling not only the issue of international marriage but also that of Lai Tai Han, children fathered ― and usually abandoned ― by Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War. Reuniting with her ``mother,'' Vietnam's veteran actress, Lee said that she's still asked by people if she's Vietnamese. Bada, former lead vocalist of pop trio S.E.S and honorary ambassador for Seoul City, took to the stage for the opening event. In addition to performing her hit songs, Bada expressed her fondness of Vietnam and how she always ate pho or Vietnamese rice noodles at least once a week. Popular boy band Paran also wooed the crowd and video footage of the festival showed local female fans holding up signs and posters to cheer the singers. Also onstage were their Vietnamese counterparts, pop stars Ho Quynh Huong and Ngo Thanh Van. Huong, known as the ``Lee Hyo-lee of Vietnam,'' will be representing Vietnam at the Beijing Summer Olympics opening ceremony. The 28-year-old was quoted as saying in an interview with Seoul Daily that it was ``a great honor'' to be compared to Lee, a Korean pop diva, and expressed her big dreams of one day debuting in Korea. Hoang Tuan Anh, Vietnamese minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was quoted as telling reporters during the festival that the event showcased the advancement of the Korean film industry and that it strengthened the positive impression the Vietnamese people have of Korea and Koreans. The minister also spoke about a possible joint-project with the Korean Film Council. The Vietnamese government is drawing up a 450-million-dollar budget to build a large film studio in Vietnam that will be six to seven times the size of Korea's Namyangju studio. It will go into construction later this year, to be completed by 2012, and talks with Korean partners are in progress. ``It's a natural phenomenon that two countries sharing common attitudes toward history, culture and lifestyle influence each other,'' he was quoted as saying by the local press. ``As much as we understand Koreans' deep love for their traditions, there can be no criticism about hallyu (the Korean wave),'' he said. Meanwhile, Lotte Cinema, a major domestic movie theater chain and distributor, announced last Wednesday its plans to open its first Vietnamese branch in Ho Chi Minh City. It is the first Korean theater to reach Vietnam, even though CGV and Megabox have theaters in China. Lotte Cinema bought multiplex theaters run by DMC, a Korean company, and will convert two three-screen theaters in Ho Chi Minh and Danang. This signals the implementation of Korea's savoir-faire in multiplex movie experiences. The theater in Ho Chi Minh also marks the opening of Lotte Mart to provide a ``one stop entertainment'' of movies and shopping.
Kim Jung-eun to Narrate 'Wednesday Special' on KBS 1TV
Actress Kim Jung-eun, who recently starred in 'Forever the Moment,' a film about the heartbreaking real life story of Korea's national women's handball team, will narrate the moving story of China's young Olympic athletes in a special documentary. Kim will narrate the upcoming Wednesday special documentary on KBS 1TV entitled 'Reaching for the Gold Medal - The Young Athletes of China.' The documentary will air on February 20 at 11:30 p.m. The program is about the story of young athletes in China working hard to win medals at the upcoming summer Olympics in Beijing. For the poor young children of socialist China, winning an Olympic medal is one of the only ways to bring honor and wealth to their family. Medalists receive a house as well as a high-level government post from the state. Viewers can get a glimpse of the harsh realities of the Chinese athletes, who endure difficult training sessions without proper gym clothes and get through long days with just a single bowl of porridge to ease their hunger.
Handball ‘Sleeper’ Tops Box Office for Third Week
“Forever the Moment” tops box office figures for a third consecutive week. MK Pictures, the film’s producer, said Tuesday that the film has drawn 2.64 million viewers since its release on Jan. 10. It is based on the real story of the Korean women’s handball team, which won the silver medal in the Athens Olympics in 2004 after a neck-and-neck game with the world’s no. 1 Denmark that ran for 128 minutes including double overtime and a shoot-out. Directed by Lim Soon-rye, who also made “Waikiki Brothers” (2001), “Forever the Moment” stars Moon So-ri, Kim Jung-eun, Kim Ji-young, and Cho Eun-ji as players and Uhm Tae-woong as the coach. A sports movie on the surface, it is actually a human drama dealing with the life of people on the fringe of society. Few people expected the success of a film dealing with an unpopular sport and including no stars in its cast. In fact, producers had such difficulties attracting investors that they were unable to raise the entire budget until preview. With a preliminary re-match in women’s handball for the Beijing Olympics in Japan after the International Handball Federation found that Korea was victimized by an unfair referee’s decision in Asian preliminaries earlier in August, the movie was shown in Japan by the Korean Culture Center in Tokyo for local Korean residents and students. Kim Jung-eun attended the event to encourage Korean players.
[Review]Handball is a hit for a brief ‘Moment’
![[Review]Handball is a hit for a brief ‘Moment’](/kmovie_news/thumbnail/080116_forever[2]_thumb.jpg)
There is no Rambo. There is no Conan the Barbarian. And there certainly isn’t a Mad Max. Yet any fan of any genre is going to like “Forever the Moment.” Based on a true story, the movie is essentially a feel-good story about a bunch of female handball players. Despite poor conditions and an uncertain future, they manage to clinch the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. Director Lim Son-rye took a gamble when she opted to shift into the sports genre, which almost never succeeds at the box office here. Sports movies are generally one territory that the Korean movie industry has shied away from, except for recent flicks such as “Mr. Gam’s Victory” (2004), which met moderate success. Add to the risk factor the fact that the audience already knows the ending of the movie, and Forever the Moment seems doomed from the start. But Lim conveys the story in such a way that the audience can immediately identify with the movie. The game scenes look remarkably real to the untrained eye, thanks to the actresses’ in-depth training and Lim’s direction. A three-month crash course did the trick, transforming actresses who are usually known for their slim physique. Here, the women hit high jump shots and re-enact the typical rough play that goes on at the goalpost in a handball match. Realistic game scenes are especially important in sports movies. The acting, to be sure, is average. But this is forgiveable because of the real-life impact of the story. Lim weaves the components of the film to stir the heart. We can identify with what the players go through: job insecurity, mounting debt, family problems. There’s something for everyone. Despite their struggles, the team’s run in the Olympics is like a treasure box that is opened for the audience’s benefit. The movie doesn’t just hint at our memories of the past. As the credits roll, so does a real interview with Im Yong-cheol, who was head coach of the team. The interview takes place right after the final games at the Olympics and reminds us of the sad reality of a sport that rarely makes the spotlight. Being a champion in a sport like handball or curling, for example, can often be unrewarding. Like the heroines of Forever the Moment, these athletes end up with laurels, but little fame or wealth. The strict translation of the title is “The Greatest Moment in our Lives.” It’s a story to share ― and it appears the word is out. As of Monday, the movie had drawn 1.7 million viewers in 11 days. Even a die-hard action fan like me has to admit Forever the Moment is a pleasant ride. Sometimes sports stories from real life, such as “Hoosiers” and “Rudy,” make great movie material. Forever the Moment Drama, Sports / Korean 124 min. Now playing
Korea's Olympic Handball Players Gets Big Boost through Movie
Korea’s Olympic handball players got a big boost this week when they attended a screening of a popular movie based on the performance of a 2004 Athens Olympic women’s squad, amid encouraging remarks by top actors who starred in it. Korean men’s and women’s teams were deeply demoralized and frustrated last year when they failed to win berths to the Beijing Olympics during the Asian qualifying rounds that were tainted by biased officiating. The Asian Handball Federation-organized qualifiers were declared invalid in December by the higher International Handball Federation, which last week rescheduled the matches for Jan. 25-31 in Japan. Tuesday’s complimentary screening of "Forever the Moment," sponsored by South Korea’s sports governing body, was attended by scores of handball players and other Olympic athletes at a theater in Seoul. "This was a great time to heal our wounds and step up our resolve ahead of the rematches," said Kang Il-gu, 31, captain of the men’s team. "The movie was touching and exciting." The flick revolves around Korea’s 2004 Athens Olympic women’s team, which came short of beating Denmark and winning a gold medal despite a grueling series of overtime plays. The squad -- made of many formerly retired players in their 30s -- finished second, but their dramatic and unrelenting performance moved the hearts of many sports fans around the world, prompting media to hail the match as one of the most exciting Olympic moments in the year. Released last week and rated for a general audience, the rare handball movie sold more than 520,000 tickets as of Saturday, topping the box office and easily rolling over Hollywood competitors. "Starring in the movie was a great opportunity for me to understand the challenges facing handball athletes and develop tremendous respect for them," said Moon So-ry, who plays a comeback Olympic gold medalist in the film. "You have taught us so much," the 34-year-old actress told the players before the movie started. "Our handball players have touched the hearts of not only Koreans but the world," said Uhm Tae-woong, who plays a male coach in the two-hour flick. "Now, go win their hearts again at the Beijing Olympics." Players expressed their gratitude by applauding the actors and the movie. "They really helped us gain more confidence, and I have a good feeling that we’ll claim our Olympic berths in next week’s rematches," said Yoon Kyung-min, a 29-year-old male player. Despite the growing support for the Olympic squads, handball experts say South Korea’s domestic handball league continues to suffer from low popularity. The country’s largest nationwide competition began Tuesday in the city of Andong, Gyeongsang Province, but reportedly attracted only about 200 spectators despite free admission and a host of prizes. "I had high hopes because our pain and efforts during the Asian qualifiers were largely publicized. But our popularity at home appears the same," said Chung Hyung-kyun, a senior official at the Korea Handball Federation. "I’m not disappointed yet. Who would’ve thought a movie about us would be made?" said Jeong Su-young, a 24-year-old handball athlete. "We’ll play harder in the Olympics, and we’ll eventually win support at home."
[MOVIE REVIEW]Handball flick headed to achieve 1 million mark
"Forever the Moment," directed by Lim Soon-rye, has rolled to victory at the box office, striking a positive note for Korean films ahead of the crucial lunar New Year holiday season. The film, based on the true story of the Korean women's handball team which competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics, is gaining momentum in ticket sales, reflecting its appeal to local moviegoers as a rare sports drama. Released on Jan. 10, "Forever the Moment" has sold 854,000 tickets as of Monday, according to its production house, MK Pictures. If the current trend continues, the film is expected to break the 1 million mark as early as today. The sports film's strong performance comes amid lingering skepticism about the Korean film industry's declining competitiveness. Latest statistics show that the overall number of moviegoers declined, local filmmakers lost ground and Hollywood blockbusters flexed stronger muscles last year. The movie's strength comes from Lee, an award-winning female director known for her sophisticated storytelling, as well as from a star-studded cast including Moon So-ri and Kim Jung-eun. Notably, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is pitching in to promote the film. On Friday, Culture Minister Kim Jong-min, and other ranking officials attended a special screening of the film at a theater in Myeongdong, downtown Seoul, along with other sports-related figures including Kim Jong-ha, president of the Korea Sports Council, and Jung Hyung-kyun, vice president of the Korea Handball Federation. The film features the Korean squad which grabbed the silver medal in Athens, overcoming all obstacles, including public indifference to handball. The team eventually lost to Denmark in the final game but they did not go down easily. They held on for 80 minutes until the final game, with two periods of extra time. The Korean team lost in a penalty shootout following a 34-34 tie, a heartbreaking loss, but loudly and passionately applauded by spectators, reflecting the competitors' unwavering spirit and teamwork. "Forever the Moment" depicts the dramatic moments realistically, with celebrity actresses showing a decent level of handball skill honed during an intensive three-month training period. In a country where handball is regarded as an unpopular sport, the Korean women players have been putting in enormous amounts of time and energy to practice, and the film is said to steer some public attention to the poor conditions facing Korean handball players. Meanwhile, a host of Korean films are expected to be released in the following weeks, ahead of the lunar New Year season, which is widely recognized as the crucial period for local filmmakers to secure revenues in an increasingly intensifying battle against Hollywood blockbusters. By Yang Sung-jin
