Bamseom Pirates Seoul Inferno

Both a fiendishly intelligent tale of troubled times in Korea and a playful, intimate portrait of two anti-conformists, Jung Yoonsuk’s documentary takes us on a wild ride with “Mastermind” drummer Kwon Yong-man and “Minion/informant” bassist Jang Sung-geon who formed the band Bamseom Pirates in 2010, with the admirable intention of giving Korean society the music it deserves. The result? Some indescribably loud music that falls somewhere between grindcore punk, black metal, free jazz, low-budget Rammstein, and performance art. At a legendary first gig, the troublemaking duo performs 100 songs in ten minutes to an ecstatic audience. The pair earns fame with their savagely satirical lyrics and a growing reputation for being the most controversial band in Korea.  But soon friend and producer Park Jung-geun is arrested for violating the National Security Law. Hilarity does not ensue. Audiences at the Rotterdam Film Festival gave the film a 4.5 out of 5. North American Premiere.