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 the Pusan International Film Festival in Korea into one of the most prestigious on the world film festival circuit.
Lee 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 interviewed Lee. Below is an excerpt:
Question: What was your first involvement in the film industry?
Lee: I went to Gyungbuk National University in Daegu, one of the most conservative cities in Korea, to major in Korean literature and 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 became the Minister of Culture last year, please 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 didn'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 created a framework, a kind of direction in cultural policy.
What triggered the development of Korean films and when did this start?
The first opportunity for change was in 1988. The government suddenly allowed the direct distribution of films. It was the first crisis of the Korean film industry.
Four years later, the industry went bankrupt. Most of the big distribution companies had only entered the market in 1993. It was the worst year.
Korean cinema accounted for less than 15 percent of the total film market. From that time, people in the film industry made an effort to regain that market share.
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 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 percent of the total share. It is very important to keep the art and independent films alive as they stimulate the production of blockbuster films. It is like fresh blood to keep the creative heart going.
What factors do you think have made the Pusan International Film Festival become one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world?
What makes the Pusan International Film Festival special is the big Asian film section. As Asian films are increasing in their worldwide reach, the Pusan 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 Asian films in any film festival but it is rare that you can find the range and quality of Asian films that are at Pusan.