This past weekend can be summed up in two words: Artsy- Fartsy...and yes, I loved it :)
Busan hosted their 15th Annual "Pusan International Film Festival" (PIFF) this weekend, and we were lucky enough to score tickets to 3 really interesting (and bizzare) films. This was my first film festival (I suck at attending SXSW things...), and I loved the vibe and diversity of all the movie-goers. It was also nice because we can't read the movie titles or theaters online because we dont know Korean, so we have not been able to go to a movie since we've been here. Apparently this film festival is getting to be a big deal around the globe, and Busan had a lot of celebs here this weekend...but we did not see any (that we know of). Im gonna pretend to be a film critic for a hot second and give yall a low down of the 3 movies...heres goes nothin!
"Oranges and Sunshine"
Hands down our favorite movie of the weekend. This is an incredibly powerful true story set in England during the 1980's. The main character is a social worker (played by Emily Watson) that uncovers a horrific scandal involving a mass deportation of orphans out of the UK between 1950-1970. I don't want to give too much away, but its a 'must-see' when it comes out in the states, and don't forget the kleenex. Seriously.
"Here Comes the Bride"
The main highlight of this film was that we were able to view it at this awesome outdoor theater set up for PIFF at the Busan Yacht Club. The screen was massive, and there were probably 1000 people there to watch it. The setting really added to the excitement of PIFF, and distracted from the actual movie...which was really lame. "Here Comes the Bride" is a Filipino comedy about how the lives of 5 individuals get switched during a bizarre solar eclipse event. I think comedy is a tricky subject to try and connect with through other countries/cultures. I think the main thing that stood out was the over-exaggeration of every single expression. Now, this is the only Filipino comedy I have seen...so I could be wrong, but, it reminded me of some other Mexican and South Korean's comedies as well. It was still a fun night...but I wouldn't recommend this one. At all.
"El Extranjero Viajo" ("The Strange Trip")
Our final film of the weekend was actually an old B&W Spanish movie from the 1960's. It takes place in a sleepy Spanish towns and unfolds a mini-mystery involving a eerie looking old woman and her cuckoo brother and sister. It felt good to hear some Spanish (and recognize about 1 out of every 20 words), and B&W movies are always charming. If it ever comes up on Netflix for free, you should check it out.
Eating and drinking are communal things here in Korea. People go to get ice cream and get a large with 2 spoons...they order 1-2 dishes to share at the dinner table...and they even have multiple straw holes in the movie beverages so that you can share your sodas. Its all very romantic if you ask me. Genius Korea, genius.
In addition to some fun movies, Bryan and I went with our buddy Matt to check out the Busan Biennale at the Busan Museum of Modern Art. The theme this year was "Living in Evolution". We were lucky to be here during a year that Busan was having it. I was so impressed and inspired by the amount of creativity in this one building. Here are some of my favs:
And, last but not least: TACOS! I know we have mentioned a few times on here before when we have stumbled across tortilla chips and/or salsa in this new land far from avocados and cilantro...but those were just teasers. We found (almost) the real deal. And, the fact that these tacos are located in a tiny little hidden restaurant nook covered with post-it notes talking about how much people love mexican food makes it that much better. While these tacos were no "Maria's", they still had cilantro, jalapenos, and guac...which is all I can ask for at this point. If you come to Busan to visit us, I will take you to this lil bit of heaven...and yes, thats a bribe. I am bribing my people of Texas to travel 7000 miles for a Korean taco. Any takers?
Hi Amy! My husband, two small children (10 months & 2 years), and I will be moving to Busan in the next couple months for my husband's job. We live in Houston, so when I came across your blog, I was so excited in hopes that I'd find some great facts and ideas of places to visit and eat. We're a pretty picky bunch and don't like Asian food much, so I was hoping you could offer any advice on places to eat that have decent/good American food. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteKristi