See this film series: Park Kwang-su and the Origins of the Korean New Wave @ the HFA

Korean cinema has always possessed kinetic pizzazz, but Park Kwang-su, little known in the West, helped it develop its poetry, profundity, and political impact. The Harvard Film Archive series Park Kwang-su and the Origins of the Korean New Wave, which runs through February 27, will present a retrospective of the director's films, beginning with A Single Spark (1995), an adaptation of the true story of a factory worker who immolated himself in 1971 protesting unconscionable working conditions. To add an additional layer of resonance Park includes in the film the parallel tale of an activist who, five years later, attempts to write a biography of the self-sacrificing laborer. Park will appear in person to present the film and discuss it. The Archive is in the Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St, Cambridge | Friday, February 17 @ 7 pm | $9; $7 students, seniors | 617.495.4700 or hcl.harvard.edu/hfa.