Busan Hidden Gem: ‘Time of Cinema’ Reminds Us Why Moviegoing Still Matters

Among the joys found when making Time of Cinema for director Lee Jong-pil was the opportunity to share the passion he has for the very simple and shared experience of just sitting in the dark and watching a movie.

“For the generation that consumes countless forms of content through various digital platforms, I wish to convey that the act of watching a film in the cinema is not merely another form of content consumption, but rather a special experience that stays with you as a memory,” explains Lee. “Ultimately, what I am trying to show is that, despite the changes of the times, the essential value of ‘going to the cinema’ never changes.”

Time of Cinema — screening at the Busan International Film Festival as part of the Korean Cinema Today section — comes in two parts: First, there is Lee’s short, Chimpanzee, which finds three people bonding after watching a…