A PHANTOM WITHOUT A BODY CAN POSSESS ANY BODY: Notes on the Censorship-Effect of Film Festivals and K-movie Phenomenon

‹文章, 텍스트들, Texte, Texts› is a zine series that serves as a vibrant conduit for cultural dialogue between Asia and Europe. Through a diverse array of texts spanning languages, genres, and perspectives, the series aims to facilitate a dynamic dialogue, fostering understanding, connection, and mutual appreciation between these two rich and diverse regions.

A text by South Korean film critic Un-Seong discusses the subtle but powerful censorship effects generated by the work-function system of major International Film Festivals, especially in relation to Asian cinema. It provides examples of Japanese and Filipino films, the K-movie phenomenon, and the role of the work-function system in the landscape of Asian co-production and collaboration.

"Korean cinema has finally become a genre unto itself. In other words, a phantom name has finally become a genre unto itself. But a phantom has no body." (page 35)

"Furthermore, the system in which BIFF exercises a censorship-effect and divides/ allocates work-functions is not autonomous and reproduces the problematic systems of other major film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. In other words, while BIFF claims to be a platform for cultural exchange among Asian films and filmmakers, in reality, it tends to select and showcase Korean films that can be accepted at major Western film festivals, and mainly promote Asian films that have already been approved and assigned a work-function at those festivals." (page 39)