Cannes Film Festival 13 - 24 May 2008
It was a quieter year for Korean films this year, or at least it seemed to be following the success of Secret Sunshine last year, The Host the year before and Oldboy in 2004. Nevertheless, an award went to Korean animation Short and there were 3 Korean films, plus a short by Bong Joon-ho, which formed as a part to the film Tokyo!
The only award of the festival went to Park Jae-ok who won the 3rd Prize Cinefondaton Ex-aequo, which is no easy task, so a big well done to Mr. Park. It is a 6 minute animation feature about Yongseok who is on his way to the hospital with his mother. He turns the wheel to avoid a truck driving on the wrong side, but the world stops at that moment... What is happening? (Synopsis from Cannes Website). With 16 other films in the competition, he has done very well, but his success has seemed to be overlooked by the other big films on show.
Stop directed by Park Jae-ok
The world premiere of The Good, The Bad and The Wierd was arguably the most exciting event of the festival with guests including Kim Ji-woon, Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Jung Soo-sung. Reviews seem to be scarce, though the trade journal, Variety have reviewed it and Derek Elley seems to be quite complentary, but as with most Variety reviews, it is a little vague. Elley sites the opening sequence as a 'jawbreaker' and calls it '100% Korean', which is interesting. He does note, however that the 'script would have benefited from more social and political backgrounding (fraught Japanese-Korean relations are only briefly referenced)'. No doubt when it is released in Korea, there will be more reviews to choose from. It is still worth mentioning that Kim Ji-woon, is still making minor changes, so the version released in Korea may be a little different. I did hear that it Kim intends to make some changes that will adhere more to the Korean taste, but I can't clarify this, but according to the Variety review, it is actually very Korean. Who knows....
Lee Byong-hyeon turns Bad (top) and Song Kang-ho (bottom) goes Weird in The Good, The Bad and The Weird
Most importantly, it has been sold to Icon Entertainment International, so a UK release will be imminent. Hopefully, given the cost of purchasing the rights to this film (French company ARP Productions apparently paid a 6 figure sum for the rights); assuming Icon paid a similar amont, I would imagine it would see a theatrical release sometime later on the year or early next year. Tartan initially held the pre-rights, but these rights have been cancelled.
The other film on show was domestic hit, The Chaser. Screen International have said whilst it looks good - it is techncally very sophisticated, it has significant weaknesses in the plot, which is very dry compared to the likes of Memories of Murder - comparisons have been made due to its content that focusses on a kidnapping. Arguably, one of the reasons it was so popular was because recently there have been some tragic kidnapping's that have left 2 children killed in Korea and therefore this is an issue that lies close to the hearts of the public. Anyway, despite its shortcomings, it was caught in a fierce bidding war and in the end the film went to UK distributor Metrodome. Assuming it again was sold for a large sum, it should see a theatrical release, but we will have to wait and see. So very good news for those interested in Korean film in the UK!
It's a race against time in The Chaser
The other feature film on show was the classic film, The Housemaid (Hanyo) directed by Kim Ki-hyoung. It has been digitally re-mastered and was introduced by Martin Scorssee. Apparently, he is a big fan of Kim Ki-young's work who has aspired many film directors, including the likes of Park Chan-wook. No doubt, it wlil be available on DVD at some point in the near future, so if you have a region-free DVD player, you will be in luck! It may also play at some film festivals like Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) or even some ones near to home like the London Film Festival. Watch this space!
Kim Ki-young's Masterpiece, The Housemaid has been re-mastered.
Bong Joon-ho returned to Cannes following his recording breaking hit, The Host. Tokyo! is a compilation of 3 films directed by French filmmakers Michel Gondry and Leos Carax as well Bong himself. The three short films explore the Tokyo metropolis and more specifically Bong's short feature 'Shaking Tokyo' looks at a hikikomori, who is a social outcast in Japan, but when an earthquake strikes, a pizza deliver girl faints and he falls in love. But will he take the leap and help her and leave his appartment. Not your everyday situation, but looks very compelling and it will be interesting to see what Bong has been up to following his hit and also how he compares to his French colleagues. Wild Bunch own the International Rights, so I imagine it will see a UK release at some point even if it is only on a very small number of screens. I hope it doesn't go straight to a DVD release.
Bong Joon-ho with his French colleagues in Cannes - they look so serious! Michel Gondry is on the left, Leos Carax in the centre and obviously Bong Joon-ho is on the right.
Sources: Cannes Website
Screen International
Variety
Hancinema
Berlin Film Festival 8th -18th February 2007
There was record numbers of visitors this year – some 430,000 with 200,000 tickets sold, 19,000 accredited visitors from 127 countries, 4,000 journalists, 1,190 screenings and 373 films shown. So, technally speaking it was a very successful festival – how did Korean films fare?
Korean films met a mix reaction this year, but this was largely down to the disappointing feedback from Park Chan-wook’s I’m a Cyborg, but that’s OK. Although it won the Alfred Bauer Prize, critics sided with the Korean public and thus gave it a poor reception. Lee Marshall says it was the ‘biggest disappointment’ and “the attempt is charming, but the real lack of any real dramatic plot string other than obsessive behaviour becomes wearing in the long run”. But, that said, few films pleased the critics. The average critical score was 1.9 compared to the average of 2.0.
As for the award, obviously he was delighted with the award and commically said, "When I get home, I hope she will tell our friends, 'My husband is a director but that's OK." Berlin is a special place for him - it was his 4th visit. JSA (Joint Security Area) (2001) and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2003) (by the way, I have just written a review for this film, which will be up with the rest of the Vengeance trilogy very soon) were also sceened in Berlin. He also was part of a lecture in 2006,
I'm a cyborg, but that's OK (싸이보그지만 괜찮아) directed by Park Chan-Wook (Right recieving the award at Berlin (박찬욱)
At the end of the day, people are not likely to remember the critical negativity; rather that it won an award at Berlin, which is becoming an increasingly influential festival in the film market. However, there was some concern about the festival being crammed in before Cannes. Therefore, some buyers were holding on to their chequebooks until May. There is also the problem of Sundance, which happened in January and the Pusan and Rome festivals, which both took place in October. Consequently, Berlin is fighting for a window, however its political and social emphasis encourages filmmakers to come to Berlin and therefore Korean film’s, which are hardly immune to this, are always a topical subject in Berlin and to the relevant buyers.
On this note, whilst Lee Marshall slated I’m a Cyborg, but that’s OK, he complimented the gay drama, No Regret as one of the strong sidebar showings. Quite often, the most anticipated will be the most disappointing whereas the film with the least expectation pleasantly surprises its audience.
Desert dream, which achieved a relatively low score of 1.63 by the Screen International jury, has stunning scenery but it has problems with the ‘comings and goings of characters’. Dan Fareau, argues these character introductions and exits are often arbitrary. It sounds like the French linguistic Saussure directed the film. Meanwhile the language problems between the Mongolians and Koreans are not dealt with satisfactory. The film follows a Korean mother and her son escaping from North Korea through China and then into Mongolia.
Korean Films sold
As for the other films, there is little mention, unfortunately, however Berlin is all about selling films, well not entirely, but for the most part. Therefore, it is essential I highlight to you what has been sold. A lot of these films were not part of the festival, but evidently this didn’t restrain buyers. Unfortunately, none have been sold to the UK, but since we have a global audience here at koreanfilm.org.uk, I will let you know what film has been sold and where.
First and foremost, I’m a Cyborg, but that’s OK has been sold to Tokyo Theatres in Japan. C.J Entertainment also sold Like a Virgin, which was also in the festival to Amuse for Japan. This is quite significant because Korean films are declining in Japan – they equate to 60 % of Korean film exports, so this will be a relief, not only to CJ, but also to the Korean film industry in general. CJ Entertainment also pre-sold Soo directed by Choi Yang-il to Splendid in Germany.
It is also worth noting that I’m a Cyborg, but that’s OK is to open the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) on March 19th 2007. The festival runs from March 20th –April 11th.
Voice of a Murderer has also been sold by CJ Entertainment to Encore for Singapore and Malaysia. Hot for Teacher has also been sold to Encore for Singapore and J-Bics for Thailand.
Voice of A Murderer (그놈 목소리) written & directed by Park Jin-pyo (박진표)
Hwang Jin Yi, which is a costume drama based on the famous poetess courtesan’s life has also “been pre-sold on the basis of a one-sheet to Festive for Singapore and Malaysia.”
iHQ has sold Daisy starring My Sassy Girl’s actress, Jeon Ji-Hyun to Splendid Film for Germany. The film is directed by Hong Kong star, Andy Lau, who is heavily investing in the Korean film industry. The film is also seeing a U.S remake by Gold Circle.
North Korean documentary, Crossing the Line, which featured in Pusan last year about the last US defector to Korea has been sold to Madman in Australia and Kino in the U.S. The film is directed by Dan Gordon – he has made other North Korean documentaries such as The Game of Their Lives and State of Mind. Christian Slater narrates the film. Paul Yi, who is handling sales is also producing a non-documentary version of the film. David Franzoni (Gladiator) is writing the script – he is also writing and directing the remake of JSA (Joint Security Area). Crossing the Line had previously been sold for Pretty Pictures for France, Dongsoong Art Centre for Korea and Cinequanon for Japan.
Crossing the Line, directed by Dan Gordon
Golem for Spain has bought Kim Ki-duk’s yet-to-be released Breath starring Chang Chen (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon).
Cineclick Asia has sold older titles such The Host to Barnhill group for CIS territories and A Tale of Two Sisters to Babilia Cine for Argentina.
Finally the last studio that has managed to do quite well in Berlin is Studio 2.0. They have sold Aachi & Ssipak to Studio Canal in France. Many of you will know, Studio Canal is not exactly a small distribution company. The film had also been pre-sold to Italy’s AB film, Russia’s Alpha Motion, and Israel’s Dream Entertainment. The film flopped in Korea, but its content, which is focussed on a futuristic world powered by human faeces, obviously appeals to a wide international audience. The film was shown in Rotterdam (see below) last month.
Aachi & Ssipak. Directed by Joe Bum-Jin
Like Cineclick Asia, the studio has sold some of its less recent titles: 2009 Lost Memories, Tube, and Natural City to Kino Domowe for Poland.
All in all, although Korean films seemed to have failed to please critics for the most part, it has not only made some money for Korean distribution companies, but more importantly it gives the opportunity for people across the globe to have a look at Korean films in their home country and in some cases in their local cinema. Unfortunately for UK audiences, there have been no sales to Tartan, Optimum, Contender and so on and so forth, but Cannes is not far away and hopefully there will be some Korean films heading to the UK before long.
For festival overview, click here.
Sources: Screen Daily, Screen International (Issue 1585), hancinema, KOFIC, festival site & Chosun News (English).
Rotterdam Film Festival 24th January - 4th February 2007.
Rotterdam has always been an influential event in the festival calendar, not least because it the first in the year. It also leads on well to Berlin, which is now taking place (8th -18th February). Its focus is on the new filmmakers and ‘independent innovative and experimental cinema and visual arts' (link). Therefore, it is arguably less commercial than Berlin or Cannes, though it does screen more commercially viable films, like the Host, which surprisingly didn’t do very well. In some ways it is like Pusan, which has a similar way of thinking - a great deal of the festival’s funding and exposure is to reveal up-and-coming filmmakers across Asia, especially Korea. In fact, like Pusan it has a separate body called Cinemart (in Pusan it is called the PPP Pusan Production Plan), which financially supports 45 projects a year.
Rotterdam, whilst not a major buying field like Berlin and Cannes, it does serve as a platform for Korean films and indeed other international titles into the European market, including the U.K. The first commercial Korean film to be released in the U.K was Take Care of My Cat released in December 2002. Rotterdam was the launching pad for this release. Therefore one could argue Rotterdam has contributed to the growth of Korean cinema in the UK. Mind you, compared to other festivals, it is often overlooked, but its importance should never be underestimated.
As for this year it had 11 Korean films in the programme. These included the following:
Aachi & Ssipak. Directed by Joe Bum-Jin
And Thereafter II, directed by Lee Hosup
A Dirty Carnival, directed by Yoo Ha
Driving with My Wife’s Lover, directed by Kim Tai-Sik
Faceless Things, directed by Kim Kyung-Mook
The Forty-Nine-Day Meetings (Short Film), directed by Moon Jeong-Yun
The Host, directed by Bong Joon-ho
The Last Dining Table, directed by Roh Gyeong-Tae
Monologue 1 (Short Film) directed by Kim Jong-Kwan
No Mercy for the Rude, directed by Park Chul-Hee
Son’s (Short Film), directed by Su Jin Lee
Unfortunately none of which managed to win any of the competitions. The most significant critical awards were the VPRO Tiger awards and Tiger Awards for Short Film. Although no Korean film was included in the first competition, Monologue 1 was included in the latter competition as is a collaboration between the Netherlands, Korea and Japan called Yoyogi Park. The final awards went to Video Game (India 2006), Hinterland (France 2007) and Bayrak (2007). As for the feature length awards, it went to Love Conquers (Malaysia, 2006) and The Unpolished (Germany, 2007).
Arguably the most significant award of the comepetition, which is one of the festivals highlights is the KPN Audience Award, which is voted by the audience. The real test of any film is not how it stands with the critics, but with the public as they ultimately decide whether a film will succeed. This has more promising results, but nothing spectacular, I am afraid. To provide you with a quick low down, the highest score wins – the highest being, I believe is 5.
A German film, Das Leben der Anderen, achieved the highest rating of 4.82. The highest rating for a Korean film was No Mercy for The Rude, which scored 4.27 at 16th place out of 190. Aachi and Ssipak, which indecently is doing very well with the buyers in Berlin – more news on Monday – followed closely with a score of 4.22 in 20th place. A Dirty Carnival soon followed obtaining a score of 4.14 in 26th place. The Host came in a very disappointing 50th place with a depressing score of 3.99 despite 1,033 respondants. Driving my Wife’s Lover came in at 78th with a score of 3.75. Faceless things arrived in 174th position with a poor score of 2.84 while The Last Dining Table fell to 175th place with a rather lame score of 2.83
So what does this say? Well, if you look at No Mercy for the Rude, the audience tend to side with action, comedy and moral standards (by the conclusion), though this does run against the grain with Aachi & Ssipak, which is an animation feature focussed on a government who is determined to monopolise a society powered by human faeces. This was a box office bomb last year, but even before its release it was pre-sold to various countries. Does this tell us more about Western society than it does about Korean film? A Dirty Carnival on the other hand, which performed very well last year when the Hollywood tsunami hit the Korean box office last summer, has done relatively well in 20th place. This is more of a ‘Korean film’ western audiences are more familiar with through its gangster narrative, though I think it’s a very bad thing that Korean films are becoming generalised as such. The Host was a big shock – perhaps it has received too much hipe (1,033 recpeicants is a lot – considerably more than any other Korean film) - whatever the reason, it does suggest as does the poor UK performance, it is not a universally successful film, which is a real shame.
As for the latter films, Driving my Wife’s lover follows a husband who discovers his wife is having an affair with a taxi driver, so he decides to catch a cab. As for Faceless Things, this is a film that hits the bone when they are talking about innovation. First of all, it is comprised of 3 shots – a beginning, middle and an end. Second of all, it is essentially a porn film, as far as I can tell - director Kim Kyung-Mook animates very controversial images. He also challenges the homosexual taboo, which is becoming more popular in Korean film in films such as The King and the Clown and No Regret. But the score of 2.84 indiactes innovation wasn’t enough to sway audiences. Finally, The Last Dining Table was highly praised in the American trade journal, variety as being “a superbly composed tableau of forgotten and discarded people living on the outskirts of Seoul” (link) obviously didn’t go well with the public. With multiple story lines, it explores the distance between people and society. Very mixed reactions – it also was screened at sundance last year. With little dialogue, perhaps audiences felt it was a little dull.
It is also worth mentioning that a Korean, In-Soo Radstake who was adopted by Dutch parents made a documentary, Made in Korea: A One Way Ticket Seoul - Amsterdam. Although it only had 177 respondants, it came in 6th with a score of 4.37 - they must of been impressed - a delicate mix of Dutch and Korean heritage. Strictly speaking it is a Dutch film, but it does explore the whole issue of Korean adoption by non-Korean parents and the child's subsequent issue with racial identity and desire to meet biological parents.
In all, the films on show were a very promising mix of Korean films released in the last 12 months. Although they haven’t done extremely well, Rotterdam clearly shows Korean films are the agenda for sometime to come. There were no sales as such, but Berlin is more than compensating for this and no doubt Cannes will have buyers handing out pens for signatures. On the whole it seems to be well organised, but the website needs to be easier to navigate – it is difficult to find out which films are included in what award, which is very frustrating. There is also little mention of this festival in the press (both British and Korean) whereas Berlin is very different, but that is where all the money is and as it happens all the stars. Nevertheless, this is a very good turn out of Korean films and is a clear illustration Korean cinema is moving forward in the European market.
Sources: Festival website (English version), variety, screendaily, hancinema & KOFIC