Write two 500 to 600-word essays answering each set of questions below. You need to construct your essays drawing on the relevant readings, films that we watched, lectures, student presentations, class discussions, and your own critical observations and responses.

New Korean Cinema

What is New Korean Cinema and how is it distinguished from earlier South Korean cinema? What are the major factors that contributed to the transformation of South Korean cinema into what is termed New Korean Cinema? Consider both the domestic and external forces as the context for the rise of New Korean Cinema. How did the film policy and regulation change in the 1990s and what are major changes in the film community and the practices of the film industry in the 1990s?

How are such changes manifested in film content and style? How do you evaluate the current status of South Korean cinema? Consider both the accomplishments and problems/challenges. Base your evaluation on the class materials (readings, lectures, presentations, and discussions) as well as your own observations and insights. Also in describing the major characteristics of the films of New Korean Cinema, discuss in some detail at least three films that we watched in class. (500-600 words)

Transnational Korean Cinema

How has South Korean cinema become distinctively transnational since the late 1990s in terms of textual and industrial practices? How do recent South Korean films actively adopt and appropriate foreign cultural influences and models? How does the South Korean film industry try to expand its market beyond the Korean border? What factors have contributed to the transnational circulation and consumption of South Korean films?

Modes of Transnational Practices

What are the prominent modes of transnational practices and interactions that South Korean cinema has adopted in recent years? How do you evaluate the growing transnational practices in the production and distribution of South Korean films?

Also consider the effect of these transnational interactions on the “cultural identity” of South Korean cinema. Do transnational cultural flows and interactions result in the homogenization of culture? In discussing the transnationalization of South Korean cinema, discuss in some detail at least three films that we watched in class. (500-600 words)