‘678’ sheds light on everyday crime shrouded in silenceThe big screen shows a man eyeing a middle-aged woman on a jam-packed bus and sliding up quietly behind her. Even before his hands reach for her hips, the young women watching in the darkened theater squirm in their seats. They know the offending move all too well.In overcrowded, male-dominated Cairo, four out of five Egyptian women say they’v

Film Jan. 21, 2011

Illustrious Iraqi familyLate for Tea at the Deer Palace: The Lost Dreams of My Iraqi FamilyBy Tamara Chalabi(Harper, $27.99)In this sweeping, enchanting memoir, Tamara Chalabi pieces together her illustrious family’s history and exile from Iraq in an attempt to uncover her own, fractured identity.The author’s father, Ahmad Chalabi, is the character readers may be most curious to learn about; a key

Books Jan. 21, 2011

In exile and wanderingDeep Blue NightBy Choe In-hoTranslated by Bruce and Ju-chan Fulton(Jimoondang, 5,000 won)Disillusioned by every aspect of his life, the protagonist, once a renowned writer, leaves Korea for Los Angeles. There, he runs into Jun-ho, a popular singer who escaped from Korea after being accused of smoking marijuana. The protagonist thinks Jun-ho is pathetic for not being able to s

Books Jan. 21, 2011

He’s written more than 30 books, including the popular Easy Rawlins mysteries, science fiction, literary fiction and a novel for young adults. He’s been translated into 21 languages and won a host of honors, among them PEN America’s lifetime achievement award. He’s the author of essays, political monographs and several plays, one of which, “The Fall of Heaven,” is wowing audiences at the Repertory

Books Jan. 21, 2011

For many, wine is nothing more than just a drink. But for actor Kam Wu-seong, it is the only alcoholic beverage he is allowed to drink, the main source of his literary inspiration, and special paint he uses for his art. Kam’s unique travelogue about Bordeaux, a historical French city famous for its wine and vineyards, has been published this month.The book, “Kam Wu-seong’s Little Note on Wine,” co

Books Jan. 21, 2011

A woman, who has been married for five years, one day tells her husband she wants to leave him for another man. The husband, an introvert who rarely speaks his mind, does not ask her why. On the day she moves out, he makes coffee and wraps her favorite teacup so she can take it with her.Starring Hyun Bin and Im Soo-jeong, director Lee Yoon-ki’s new film, “Come Rain, Come Shine,“ tells the story of

Film Jan. 20, 2011

 A total of nine Korean films, including “Night Fishing,” a short film by director Park Chan-wook shot entirely with an iPhone, and “Love, or Not,” a feature-length film starring Hyun-Bin and Im Soo-jeong, have been invited to next month’s Berlin International Film Festival.Of the nine, three films have been invited to the competition section: “Night Fishing,” “Love, or Not,” and “Broken Night.”Pa

Film Jan. 19, 2011

Gondry prefers to use computer-generated images to enhance the narrativeJames Cameron’s 2009 film “Avatar” may be seen as legendary by many, but for French director Michel Gondry, director of the newly-released superhero flick “The Green Hornet,” the 3-D technology of “Avatar” just does not appeal.“I personally don’t like using CGI technology when shooting the characters’ faces,” Gondry told repor

Film Jan. 19, 2011

Prominent Chinese-born actresses Gong Li and Tang Wei are to visit Korea in promotion of their upcoming films.Gong, who last year finished shooting her latest film “Shanghai,” a mystery thriller co-starring American actor John Cusack, will make her very first visit to Seoul on Jan. 23. Chinese-born actress Gong Li’s latest film is “Shanghai,” a mystery-thriller co-starring John Cusack and Chow Yun

Film Jan. 17, 2011

What’s the buzz on “The Green Hornet”? Enough to make Michel Gondry as mad as one. After the director of the new action-comedy about a masked crime fighter, a cool car and a high-kicking sidekick saw fans stampeding out of the movie’s Q&A panel at Comic-Con International this summer, Gondry lit into them with a vengeance not unlike that of the hero himself.“Their values are Fascistic,” he seethed

Film Jan. 14, 2011

I Am Love (Italy)Opening Jan. 20Drama. Directed by Luca Guadagnino. The polished rooms of a Milanese villa ignite with anxious activity as a wealthy industrial family, the Recchis, prepare to celebrate the birthday of their patriarch. It is an occasion designed to ensconce family traditions -- the handsome grandson, Edoardo, introduces his new girlfriend; his sister presents another piece of her a

Film Jan. 14, 2011

Peter Yates, the British director of “Breaking Away,” “The Dresser” and “Bullitt,” the 1968 Steve McQueen movie whose landmark car chase sequence over the hilly streets of San Francisco was a career-defining moment for both director and star, has died. He was 81.Yates died Sunday in London after an illness, his agent, Judy Daish, said in a statement reported by the Associated Press.In a career tha

Film Jan. 14, 2011

Strict Chinese parentingBattle Hymn of the Tiger MotherBy Amy Chua(The Penguin Press, $25.95)Amy Chua is an American-born daughter of Chinese immigrants from the Philippines. She’s a professor of law at Yale, married to another law professor at Yale who comes from an Orthodox Jewish family. So it’s no surprise that her first two books dealt with minorities and governments.Her third book, “Battle H

Books Jan. 14, 2011