‘THE FAKE’, FILM REVIEW. UK PREMIERE. 9TH LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL 2014

by Adnan Kundi
November 14, 2014
in KOREA, LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL
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An animated feature from South Korea was something very new to me. Having heard the fame of the previous animated feature ‘The King of Pigs’, I had to try this out. To my surprise, The Fake was directed by the same director who had previously directed ‘The King of Pigs’, Director Yeon Sangho. Shown in the K-Animation section of the 9^th London Korean Film Festival 2014, it had its UK Premiere in London.

The Fake brought forward awareness towards the use of religion. Religion is something that is the most dangerous weapon to be used. It can very easily lure people towards itself and make them believe and do things that are out of the ordinary. Director Yeong Sangho brought to light the complexities within the use of religion. The people who are very easily lured into it are the poor people, and those who are suffering from within. They become victims of the people who act as someone who are very religious and will take them on a right path towards salvation. No matter how fake they may be, they still look as if they are genuine, and thus people start following them blindly. The story of ‘The Fake’ brings forward the question of who is good and who is evil? A person very near to God may not be good, and a person who is a criminal, and is shunned by the society because of his evil practice may not be evil in reality.

‘The Fake’ tells the story of a returning convict Min-chul who is a drunk and a violent man hated by his people, and a town elder Mr. Choi who wants to build a church for reverend Sung and through that intends to get the compensation money. Min-chul unexpectedly finds out that Mr. Choi is a conman. He tries to convince the people of his village, but no one is ready to listen to him. Thus a battle between good and evil ensues.

The film won three awards: Best Animation Feature Film in 46^th Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival 2013, Best Screenplay in Fantasporto 2014 and 34^th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2014.