Arirang (Korean: 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.
1957 film poster
1957 remake film poster
Na Woon-gyu was a Korean actor, screenwriter and director. He is widely considered the most important filmmaker in early Korean cinema, and possibly Korea's first true movie star. Since he often wrote, directed and acted in his films, he has even been said to have started the auteur film-making tradition in Korea.
Na Woon-gyu photography
The re-vamped poster of Arirang from 1957
Na Woon-gyu (left) in the film Imjaeobtneun naleutbae.