JIFFEST-profile-Lee Chang Dong

JIFFEST-profile-Lee Chang Dong

JP/19/LEE

(Queries in bold being checked)

Lee Chang Dong: The man behind Korean cinema development

John Badalu
Contributor/Jakarta

Lee Chang Dong has been one of the most important figures in
Korean cinema recently.

His cultural policies as Minister of Culture turned Pusan
International Film Festival in Korea into one of the most
prestigious on the world film festival circuit..

Lee Chang Dong is here at JiFFest to share his knowledge on
new Korean cinema as well as how to popularize local films in
their own country.

The Jakarta Post was lucky to be able to interview Lee Chang
Dong. Below is an excerpt of the interview:

Question: What was your first involvement in the film
industry?

Lee Chang Dong: I went to Gyungbuk National University in
Daegu, one of the most conservative cities in Korea, to major in
Korean literature in language.

After I graduated I became a teacher in a high school for six
years. Then I started to write and became a novelist, or let's
say, a professional writer, in 1983.

My first involvement in film was when I wrote the script and
acted as an assistant director for Park Kwangsu's To The Starry
Island.

Then I directed my first film, Green Fish in 1997, which has
won numerous awards in Korea and also the Tiger Award at the
Vancouver International Film Festival.

You were the Minister of Culture last year, tell us about it!

It was an opportunity that I took. I knew that I wouldn't be
there for a long time. Becoming a minister can become a boring
job -- too much protocol and official events.

I don't like that too much. I quit 5 months ago after serving
as minister for one year and 4 months.

As I knew I didn't want to be a minister for a long time, I
started to do a framework, a kind of direction in cultural
policy.

What triggered the development of Korean films and when was it
starting?

The first opportunity for a change was in 1988. The government
suddenly allowed direct distribution. It was the first crisis of
the Korean film industry.

Four years later, the industry went bankrupt. Most of the big
distribution companies entered in 1993. It was the worst year.

The Korean cinema was below 15% of the film market. From that
time, people in the film industry made an effort to regain the
market.

It was in 1998 that it started to show some changes. It was
also in 1998 that the Pusan International Film Festival kicked
off. It was an important year as the Korean cinema also started
to gain an international reputation.

The audience had a wider choice of films to see.

What is the trend in recent Korean films?

I think it is more toward diversity filmmaking. There are now
big commercial blockbuster films but there are also art and
independent films.

Every director wants to make a blockbuster. The recent hits
Taegukgi and Shilmido reached more than 10 million people.

Nowadays, Korean films dominate the film share by reaching up
to 60% of the total share. It is very important to keep the art
and independent films alive as they stimulate the blockbuster
films. It is like fresh blood to keep the creativity.

What factors do you think have made Pusan International Film
Festival become one of the prestigious film festivals in the
world?

What makes Pusan International Film Festival special is the
big Asian film section. As Asian films are increasing in their
worldwide interest, the festival is making a specific section to
showcase the "New Current" competition that is opened to first-
or second-time Asian directors.

This section usually comprises 15 films from all over Asia.
You can find any Asian films in any film festival but it is very
rare that you can find good Asian films like in Pusan.