Geumgangsan Returns After 90 Years... Film Archive Opens Excavation and Restoration Exhibition

Twenty-Six Films Including the Complete Versions of "Shiri" and "The Frozen Point"

Footage of Geumgangsan, estimated to have been filmed in the 1920s and 1930s, will be screened for the first time in 90 years.

A still cut of "Geumgangsan, the stunning scenery of North Korea's Korean Peninsula."

The Korean Film Archive will hold "Excavation and Restoration Exhibition PART 1" at Cinematheque KOFA until July 8, where it will premiere the archival footage "Geumgangsan, the Scenic Beauty of North Korea," which was discovered last year at the National Film Archive of Japan. The eight-minute film captures the breathtaking views of Geumgangsan—including Naegeumgang Myeonggyeongdae, Guryong Falls, and Chongseokjeong—places that are no longer freely accessible today.

In the "Reversal and Peace, Scars and Memory" section, five restored films dealing with war and division will be screened: "Demilitarized Zone" (1965), "The Partisans of South Korea" (1990), "Shiri" (1999), "That Winter Was Warm" (1984), and "R-Point" (2004). Most of these will be shown in their 4K restored versions for the first time.

The "Spirit of the Times, Defiant Perspectives" section will introduce five short films, including actor Choi Min-sik's screen debut "At the Threshold of Winter" (1989) and director Bong Joon-ho's graduation project from Korean Academy of Film Arts, "Incoherence" (1994).

Still cut of the work in the 'Reversal and Peace, Scars and Memory' section.

In the "Completing the Puzzle" section, "The Frozen Point" (1967)—which previously existed only as a 12-minute fragment—will be shown in its entirety for the first time, thanks to the digitalization of a 16mm film held by KBS. Also screening is "There Is No Despair" (1968), directed by Jeon Jo-myeong, who passed away this year. Lead actress Kim Ji-mi has also passed away, allowing audiences to reflect on the work of these two artists together.

In the international restoration section, ten films and one documentary restored by film archives from around the world will be screened, including John Ford's "Three Bad Men" (1926), which marks its 100th anniversary this year, and Sidney Lumet's "Network" (1976), celebrating its 50th anniversary.

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