South Korean films are very popular in Hong Kong. So, if you are a movie fan, you've probably watched quite a few and have your own favourites. Let me tell you about some of mine, and see if you agree. 1. Bichunmoo [Kim Young-jim] is a Korean version of a Hong Kong martial arts film. It is based on a popular series of comic books and is full of dazzling sword fights and battles. Jinha is learning bichunmoo sportsmanship during the Yuan dynasty. He falls in love with the daughter of a Mongol general. Their love has to face many difficulties and misunderstandings. 2. Joint Security Area (JSA) [Park Chan-wook] takes place on the tense and dangerous border between the two Koreas. An officer is investigating some deaths there. We hear and see different versions of what happened, but the investigator is not satisfied and will not give up until she uncovers the sad truth. There's plenty of action and human drama here. 3. Il Mare [Lee Hyun-seung] is a romantic film involving love across time by means of a magic letterbox, and a strangely beautiful home by the sea. The film plays with some of the fascinating contradictions created by the idea of time travel and tells a good love story. Of course, you can find faults with such a plot, but it works well as a fantasy. 4. Love Bakery [Park Hun-soo] is a complicated story about a baker who adores his wife. She is a moody woman who enjoys the visits of a weird writer to their shop. However, the writer's wife objects to the visits. She is eventually conquered by cakes. Frankly, the main attraction of the film is all the wonderful bread, buns, cakes and other baked goods - mouth-watering! 5. Musa [Kim Sung-soo] is a historical epic set in 14th century China. Zhang Ziyi plays a Ming princess who needs the help of a group of Koreans trying to get home. The hero is a slave who can do miracles with a spear. The main feature of the film is its fight scenes - so if you don't enjoy battles, this film isn't for you. 6. My Sassy Girl [Kwak Jae-yong] was a big hit in Hong Kong - especially with girls - as the heroine does whatever she wants. Her boyfriend, Kyun-woo, is very busy keeping up with her moods. With the formula having been so successful, it was recently repeated in the very similar and equally popular Windstruck. 7. And now a change from romance with some tense drama under the sea in Phantom the Submarine [Min Byung-chun]. South Korea has obtained a nuclear-armed submarine from Russia. Only the captain knows what its mission is, but he is shot by his deputy, who seems determined to start a world war. But the brave sailor is equally determined to stop him. Very exciting. 8. Scent of Love [Lee Jeong-wook] may be a bit 'soppy' for some people - it clearly aims at bringing tears to your eyes, and it cannot claim much originality, but if you like lots of sentimentality, you'll enjoy it. A university freshman falls in love with an older student, but she's not interested. Later he works for a radio station and expresses his feelings on air, and she's very ill, and ... (Well, I did warn you.) In which film would you most expect to see: 1. the hero and heroine fighting one another with ancient weapons? 2. croissants and pastries? 3. a bridge heavily guarded with machine guns? 4. royalty being carried? 5. letters? 6. a man running along a hospital corridor beside a woman being rushed to a doctor? 7. torpedoes? 8. a young man looking after an unconscious girl on a train? Find words in the passage meaning: Paragraph 1 9. Exciting, good to watch 10. Leading soldier Paragraph 2 11. Looking into, trying to find the truth Paragraph 3 12. Interesting 13. Storyline Paragraph 4 14. Hard to follow or understand 15. Emotionally difficult 16. Very strange Paragraph 5 17. Grand story with heroes etc. 18. Person who is not free Paragraph 6 19. Recipe Paragraph 7 20. Special task 21. Assistant Paragraph 8 22. Too emotional, 'wet' 23. First-year student at university Oral activity Talk about Korean films you like. Do you think you would enjoy the films mentioned here? Answers: 1. Bichunmoo; 2. Love Bakery; 3. Joint Security Area; 4. Musa; 5. Il Mare; 6. Scent of Love; 7. Phantom the Submarine; 8. My Sassy Girl; 9. dazzling; 10. general; 11. investigating; 12. fascinating; 13. plot; 14. complicated; 15. moody; 16. weird; 17. epic; 18. slave; 19. formula; 20. mission; 21. deputy; 22. soppy; 23. freshman