"Im Kwon-taek: The Living Legend of Korean
Cinema, from Seopyeonje to Present"
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Presented by Director Kim Hong-Joon
Organized by Asian Arts Publication Lab & Arts East-West
Venue space provided by Goethe-Institut Montreal
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On Thursday, September 17, 2026, Arts East-West and AAPLab welcomed a full house of guests interested in discovering the iconic world of Korean cinema at the first event in our new Masterclass Series. More than 30 engaged participants came to attend “Im Kwon-taek: The Living Legend of Korean Cinema, from Seopyeonje to Present,” staying until the very end of the lecture for over four hours.
Renowned director and researcher KIM Hong-Joon, who served as Assistant Director on the set of Seopyeonje and is the Former Director of the Korean Film Archive, delivered a one-of-a-kind presentation about the works of Im Kwon-taek. Drawing on his own personal experience, Director Kim painted a vivid picture of this legend of Korean cinema by sharing anecdotes and stories of their time working together.
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Audiences were completely captivated by both the screening of Seopyeonje as well as the lecture and discussion that followed afterwards. The film touched the hearts of every guest with its bittersweet storyline and the soulful Pansori singing, allowing Montreal audiences to experience a uniquely Korean musical film and expand their horizons. All guests listened attentively to Director Kim’s lecture, eager to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of the film and discover this previously unknown world of Korean cinema.
Janet Lumb, a long-time participant in Arts East-West events, attended the event and shared her thoughts after seeing Seopyeonje: “The film’s storytelling through song was heartfelt and touching, and I especially loved the play between the past, present, future, and imaginary. The singers were extraordinary and truly soulful. I found the characters, especially Songhwa, lifelike and inspiring – the actress [Oh Jung-Hae’s] talent in singing and acting was profound. Congratulations to Arts East-West for presenting such a striking film and lecture.”
After the lecture, Artistic Director Mi-Jeong Lee moderated an Art-Talks discussion with Director Kim to further discuss the themes and motivations behind the film. Participants were eager to ask questions and spend time deeply engaging with Kim Hong-Joon’s presentation. Even after wrapping up the discussion, ten participants joined Director Kim and the Arts East-West team for dinner at a nearby restaurant – continuing the event with a warm and casual atmosphere long into the night, giving everyone a chance to interact with Director Kim one-on-one.
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We are deeply grateful to everyone who took the time out of their busy days to attend our event and express a deep interest and appreciation for the world of Korean cinema. The success of this event is a testament to the importance of continuing to amplify and platform Asian arts for Montreal audiences, which we will continue to do with our future programming.
KIM HONG-JOON
KIM Hong-Joon is an award-winning Korean director and screenwriter of films including Jungle Story and La Vie En Rose, as well as the author of I, a Filmmaker: Kim Hong-Joon's Film Notes and Two or Three Things You Want to Know About Movies. He served as Assistant Director on 4 of Im Kwon-taek's films, including Seopyeonje in 1993. He has decades of expertise in the Korean film industry as Former Director of the Korean Film Archive and Professor Emeritus at Korea National University of Arts.
