Ариран: Корея киносының тарихындағы тұңғыш ұлттық фильм

1926 Korean film by Na Woon gyu

Arirang (hangul=아리랑) is a 1926 Korean silent film directed by Na Woon gyu, who is also one of the main cast. It is regarded as one of the most influential films in Korean cinema history, as well as the first Korean nationalist film and a critique of the Japanese rule of Korea. It is named after the traditional song "Arirang," which audiences were said to sing at the conclusion of the film. Arirang is considered a lost film, but a written record of the plot still exists.

Arirang premiered at the Dansungsa cinema in Seoul on 1 October 1926, and quickly became a national sensation and a commercial success, screening at cinemas throughout the country. The film was a departure from the standard melodramas popular at the time because of its metaphorical resistance to Japanese colonial rule. It is considered to be Korea's first nationalist film. Today, the location where Arirang was filmed in Donam dong, Seoul, is known as Arirang Movie Street. The street is home to Na Woon gyu Park, the Arirang Cine Center movie theater, and the Arirang Information Library. Gyeongi Arirang, a variety of the song Arirang is thought to be originated from the song Na Woon gyu made for the film.

Na Woon gyu made two sequels to Arirang: a silent film called A Story of the Day after Arirang (1930) and a sound film called Arirang 3 (1936). Several directors have remade Arirang, including Lee Gang chon in 1954, Kim So dong in 1957, Yu Hyun mok in 1968, and Lee Doo yong in 2003. Lee Doo yong's version was the first South Korean film to be publicly screened in North Korea.

Along with almost all Korean films of this era, Na Woon gyu's Arirang is considered to be a lost film. The original nine reels of the film are believed to have been lost during the Korean War. However, a copy of the film was rumored to be in the possession of Japanese collector, Yoshishige Abe, who died in February 2005. His collection of approximately 50,000 films reverted to the Japanese government after his death, but no news has yet come forth as to whether Arirang was found in the collection.