Yu Hyun-mok (; July 2, 1925 – June 28, 2009) was a South Korean film director. Born in

Sariwon Sariwŏn (; ) is a city in North Korea. It is the capital and largest city of North Hwanghae Province. Population The city's population as of 2008 is 307,764. Administrative divisions Sariwŏn is divided into 31 '' tong'' (neighbourhoods) and ...

Korea, Empire of Japan From 1910 to 1945, Korea was ruled by the Empire of Japan under the name Chōsen (), the Japanese reading of "Joseon". Japan first took Korea into its sphere of influence during the late 1800s. Both Korea (Joseon) and Japan had been under polic ...

(now in North Korea), he made his film debut in 1956 with ''Gyocharo'' (''Crossroads''). According to the website koreanfilm.org, his 1961 film '' Obaltan'' "has repeatedly been voted the best Korean film of all time in local critics' polls." Yu attended the

San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and vid ...

in 1963, where ''

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'' called ''Obaltan'' a "remarkable film", and praised Yu's " illiantly detailed camera" and the film's "probing sympathy and rich characterizations." His dedication to the intellectual side of film and interest in using film to deal with social and political issues led him to have difficulties both with box-office-oriented producers, and with Korea's military government during the 1960s and 1970s. Korean critics have said his directing style is "in the tradition of the Italian Neorealists," yet "the terms 'modernist' or 'expressionistic' rejust as applicable to his works." Besides his directing activities, he has taught film, and made a significant contribution to Korean animation by producing Kim Cheong-gi's 1976 animated film, '' Robot Taekwon V''. A retrospective of Yu's career was held at the 4th

Pusan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held from ...

in 1999. Yu died from a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

on June 28, 2009.Yu, pioneering filmmaker, passes away
''

The Korea Herald ''The Korea Herald'' () is a South Korean English-language daily newspaper founded in August 1953 and published in Seoul. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from i ...

'' Retrieved on 2009-06-29.

Filmography

Awards

*Blue Dragon Film Awards **Best Picture/Best Director (''Descendant of Cain'') (1968) *

Grand Bell Awards The Grand Bell Awards (), also known as the Daejong Film Awards, is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards retains prestige as the oldest co ...

**Best Director (''To Give Freely'') (1962) **Best Director (''Martyr'') (1965) **Best Director (''Bun-Rye's Story'') (1971) **Best Picture (''Flame'') (1975) **Honorary Director Award (1995) * Korean Film Critics Awards **Best Director (''Son of Man'') (1980) * Order of Cultural Merit, Korean government - Geumgwan (Gold Crown), 1st Class (2009) *

**Award for Artistic Contribution (2003)

References

* * *

External links

*
The Yu Hyun-mok Page
at koreanfilm.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Yu, Hyun Mok 1925 births 2009 deaths South Korean film directors Recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit (South Korea) People from Sariwon Academic staff of Dongguk University South Korean people of North Korean origin