Harmony Korine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harmony Korine
Korine in 2024
Born	(1973-01-04) January 4, 1973 (age 52) Bolinas, California, U.S.
Occupation	Film director, film producer, screenwriter, actor, photographer, artist, author
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Rachel Korine ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	3

Harmony Korine (born January 4, 1973) is an American filmmaker, actor, photographer, artist, and author. He is known for his unique and experimental style in movies. His films often explore different kinds of stories and use creative techniques. He also works in art, music, fashion, and advertising.

Korine started his career by writing the movie Kids (1995). After that, he directed his first film, Gummo (1997). Some of his other well-known films include Mister Lonely (2007), Spring Breakers (2012), and The Beach Bum (2019). In 2023, Korine started a company called EDGLRD. His film Aggro Dr1ft (2023) was one of the first projects from this new company.

Early Life and Inspirations

Harmony Korine was born in Bolinas, California. His father, Sol Korine, was a tap dancer and made documentaries for PBS. He taught Harmony how to use a camera and took him to fun places like carnivals and circuses. Harmony watched many movies with his father, including films by Buster Keaton and Werner Herzog. He realized that movies could be very powerful and poetic.

Harmony spent his early childhood living with his family in a special community in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the 1980s, his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee. As a teenager, he spent summers in San Francisco, skateboarding and exploring. He became very interested in movies and started watching films by famous directors like John Cassavetes and Jean-Luc Godard. He briefly studied writing at New York University before focusing on his career.

Filmmaking Career Highlights

Starting with Kids and Gummo (1994–1998)

Harmony Korine met photographer Larry Clark while skateboarding. Clark asked him to write a script about skateboarders. Korine wrote the screenplay for Kids in just three weeks. The movie came out in 1995 and became a very popular cult film. It helped start the careers of actors like Chloë Sevigny and Rosario Dawson.

After Kids, Korine wrote and directed his own film, Gummo, in 1997. This movie was set in Xenia, Ohio, a town that had been hit by a tornado. Gummo is known for its unusual style, which doesn't follow a typical story. Many people in the film were not experienced actors. The movie has a unique soundtrack with different types of music. Famous director Werner Herzog praised Gummo for its creativity. While some critics found it confusing, it won awards at the Venice Film Festival.

In 1998, Korine released The Diary of Anne Frank Pt II, a shorter film that used some ideas and footage from Gummo. This film further showed his experimental style.

Unique Films: Julien Donkey-Boy and Ken Park (1999–2003)

In 1999, Korine directed Julien Donkey-Boy. This film followed some rules from a filmmaking movement called Dogme 95, which focused on simple, realistic filmmaking. The story is told from the point of view of a young man trying to understand his world. Famous director Werner Herzog also acted in this film. Like Gummo and Kids, Julien Donkey-Boy became a cult classic for its unique approach to cinema.

In 2002, Larry Clark made Ken Park, based on a script Korine had written earlier. Korine was not involved in making this film. In 2003, Korine made a TV documentary called Above the Below about his friend, the magician David Blaine. This documentary showed Blaine's amazing 44-day stunt in a clear box over the River Thames in London.

Mister Lonely and Trash Humpers (2007–2009)

Korine's third feature film, Mister Lonely, came out in 2008. It was co-written with his brother, Avi Korine. The movie tells the story of a young American man in Paris who works as a Michael Jackson look-alike. He meets a Marilyn Monroe impersonator and follows her to a commune where other famous impersonators live. They try to build a stage for performances.

In 2007, Korine also appeared in the documentary Beautiful Losers, where he talked about his artistic motivations. In 2009, his film Trash Humpers premiered. This experimental film won an award at a documentary festival, even though it was a work of fiction. In 2011, Korine released short films like Umshini Wam and Snowballs.

Spring Breakers and The Beach Bum (2012–2019)

Korine's film Spring Breakers was released in 2012. It starred James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Korine's wife, Rachel Korine. The movie was filmed in Florida and competed at the 69th Venice International Film Festival. It was released to the public in 2013.

In 2019, Korine's film The Beach Bum was released. It starred Matthew McConaughey as Moondog, Isla Fisher, Martin Lawrence, and Snoop Dogg.

EDGLRD Projects (2023-Present)

In 2023, Harmony Korine started a new creative and technology company called EDGLRD, based in Miami, Florida. His film Aggro Dr1ft, starring Jordi Mollà and Travis Scott, premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival and was produced by EDGLRD. Korine's next film with EDGLRD is called Baby Invasion, which is filmed from a first-person perspective, like a video game.

Other Creative Work

Books and Writing

Harmony Korine has published several books. In 1998, he released A Crack Up at the Race Riots, an experimental book. The screenplay for Kids was also published. Later, a collection of his screenplays for Gummo, Julien Donkey-Boy, and an unfinished script called Jokes were released in Collected Screenplays. He also published The Collected Fanzines with skateboarder Mark Gonzales.

Art and Photography

Korine has created many photographic collections and held art exhibitions. In 1998, he published The Bad Son, which featured photoshoots with Macaulay Culkin. In 2009, he released Pigxote, a collection of photographs that showed his interest in creating "experiential moments" rather than traditional stories. His art has been shown in galleries around the world, including the Gagosian gallery. In 2019, his "Young Twitchy" exhibition featured photographs he took and then painted over. In 2023, he created "Wormburner," a collection of portraits of U.S. Presidents playing golf.

Commercials and Music Videos

Korine has also directed commercials for big brands like Dior and Gucci. In 2021, he directed a popular commercial for 7-Eleven. He has directed music videos for artists such as Sonic Youth, Cat Power, the Black Keys, and Rihanna. He also co-wrote lyrics for songs by Björk and Lana Del Rey. In 2024, he directed a music video for Bladee featuring Yung Lean.

Personal Life

Harmony Korine is married to actress Rachel Korine. They have three children together.

Filmography

Feature films

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Unfinished and Unreleased Projects

• Untitled hidden camera film (1997)
• Fight Harm (1999)
• Untitled tap dance film (1999)
• Jokes (anthology film, 2000) with Gus Van Sant
• The Grace of Blackface (2000)
• Mitch Poppins (short film, early 2000s) with Chris Cunningham
• What Makes Pistachio Nuts (2000s)
• The Diaper of Big Baby Jesus (novel, 2007)
• Below the Waist, Above the Ankles (2008)
• Twinkle Twinkle (2010) starring Marlon Wayans
• The Trap (2015–17) starring Idris Elba, Benicio Del Toro, Robert Pattinson, Al Pacino and James Franco
• Untitled Scarecrow-esque screenplay (2016)
• A film adaptation of Alissa Nutting's novel Tampa (2016)
• Untitled Beach Bum spin-off (2019)
• Potential remakes of Porky's, Smokey and the Bandit, Police Academy 2 and Cocoon (2019)
• Untitled Terrence Malick screenplay (2023)

Miscellaneous Credits

• The Devil, the Sinner, and His Journey (1998, short)
• The Diary of Anne Frank Pt II (1998, exhibition)
• Korine Tap (2000, short)
• Above the Below (2003, TV documentary)
• Mac and Plac (2010, short)
• Blood of Havana (2010, short)
• Act Da Fool (2010, short)
• 42 One Dream Rush (2010, anthology film, segment "Crutchnap")
• Curb Dance (2011, short)
• Umshini Wam (2011, short)
• Rebel (2011, exhibition, segment "Caput")
• Snowballs (2011, short)
• The Fourth Dimension (2012, anthology film, segment "Lotus Community Workshop")
• Alone in the Woods: The Legend of Cambo (2015, short)
• Circus Maximus (2023, music-video film, segment "Pompeii")

Acting Credits

• Kids (1995) – Fidget
• Good Will Hunting (1997) – Jerve
• Gummo (1997) – Boy on Couch
• Last Days (2005) – Guy in Club
• Trash Humpers (2009) – Hervé
• Stoker (2013) – Mr. Feldman
• Manglehorn (2014) – Gary
• The Girlfriend Experience (2nd season, 2017) - Paul
• Mid90s (2018) – Todd
• Waves (2019) – Mr. Stanley

Self

• Fight Harm (unfinished, 1999)
• The Name of This Film Is Dogme95 (2000)
• Beautiful Losers (2008)
• Until the Light Takes Us (2008)
• Durch die Nacht mit... (translation, Into the Night with... 2010)
• Sleepless Night Stories (2011)
• The Advocate for Fagdom (2011)

See also

• "Harmony Korine" (song)