Paul Dale talks to writer and director JI WOON KIM about the Korean new wave and his remarkable new horror film, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS.
've walked past the (‘harlotte Street Ilotel in London three times already but the thick. smoggy air and a certain amount of panic is not allowing me to see the entry sign. I‘m late to meet a Korean filmmaker I know nothing about but I do know that I loved his new film A 'liile of Two Sisters — a slab of sunshine- bleached horror divined through the writings of MR James and the scary modernity of both (ieorge Sluizer’s 'l'lie Vanishng (IQXX) and Hideo Nagata‘s Dark Water. When I‘m eventually led into an overly plush chamber room replete with a (‘hesterfields and Lord Irvine-style fiock wallpaper. Kim looks exactly as I imagined him: 4()ish. waiflike. angular. serious — an immaculately clean grey blue short sleeve shirt billowing off his skinny fratne. hands constantly hovering over a packet of Midi Seven cigarettes. His translator. however. throws tne. He looks like an embassy guy: all spiky hair. suit and copious flesh. Slightly unsettled (l was hoping to spend a seedy afternoon in some old man‘s boozer talking about Dario Argento. Jess Franco and Mario Bava movies) I accept a coffee and start to try and wiggle my way into this odd situation. Initially taciturn at my questions. Kim becomes loquacious when I ask him about the genesis of his new film. ‘There was this scene in iii/m: by Alfred
Hitchcock that I saw as a child. there was a murder
scene shot with a high camera angle — as the woman fell down the skirt stretched out like a flower petal. I thought this is supposed to be a scary thing but why is it so peaceful? And I thought to myself: when I grow up I would like to make a horror film that is beautiful and sad. But more than that I wanted to make a horror film that distinguished itself from other existing Korean horror films.~
Ji Woon-kim belongs to a new wave group of Korean filmmakers that include Kim Ki-duk (Bad Guy. The Isle). Park Chan-wook (Old Boy) and Bong Jun-ho (Memories of Murder) who seem to be carrying on the brilliant work started by the first new wave of South Korean filmmakers (Chun Ji-young. Park Kwang-su. Lee Jang-ho and Jang Sun-woo) back in the early I‘Nlls after the end of militarist rule and the election of the first civilian president.
‘We all read each others‘ scripts and exchange ideas and visit each others locations.‘ Kim confides. almost breaking into a smile. It is Kim. however.
10 THE LIST 12—19 Aug BOO-1
‘I THOUGHT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SCARY THING BUT WHY IS IT SO PEACEFUL?’
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Koreaism
who may have the first liuropcan box office hit on his hands. .-I Tale (if~ 'liru Sisters made {3.3111 in South Korea (population 48th) which is a much better return than any of the films of his contempiiraries. Kim is bashful about accepting praise for the success of his film in Asia. preferring instead to heap praise on his crew and cast. especially the two young actresses l.im Su-jeong. .\Iun (ieun-yeong. who are so central to the film. ‘I
wanted to reinforce the element of
mystery by using preyiously unknown actresses. I cast the older sister by audition and the girl who plays the younger sister was an upcoming actress from a television show. Then I cast Yum .lung—ah. a famous Korean actress. as the stepmother. l deliberately cast her against type. her previous image had been pretty lightweight and it worked ama/ingly' well. I really just wanted to make a film that made people think they hay e seen a horror film only to be haunted by its beauty and sadness a long time after they have seen it.‘
A Tale of Two Sisters is on selected release from Fri 13 Aug. See review, page 12.
WE GET EM AND WE GIVE 'em to you people. The List has got a shed load of 2 for 1 tickets for the new film Love Me If You Dare (Jeux D’Enfants) in Glasgow and Edinburgh from Monday 23 August - check out the offers (page 5) for your free voucher. This romantic fantasy will open in UGC Films UK on 20 August. Love Me If You Dare is the directorial debut by Yann Samuell and was a major hit at the French box office. It stars Guillaume Canet (The Beach) and Marion Cotillard (Big Fish). The film has been compared to Amelie but actually tells a darker tale of young lovers who take a childhood game of dare to extremes in their adult life. Look out next issue in these pages for an interview with Cotillard and Samuell. 'lAlKINC} ()l Aft/ii /_// It's showing at (3iasgows (}l l. as part of Clllfflllil Artois. Stolla Arfois' summer selection of (ZOIlilllOlliEll mowcs. l or tickets and info (:all (il l on (ii-ll 31%? 8178. l'he lineup of films (ions sortietliinti like this: Ame/m Sat ill Aug, r1:l:')i)m; /’()f / tick Still if) Aug). (5:30pm: /l./7(1(/(1/7i(3[)() Sun li),8;«15>pui. The (Si l (,‘Elit; '.Vlll also l)(3 SUN/flit} a special Cinema /\rfois menu ‘.‘.’lill (LOlillllUllIEil (Llé SSSICSS
FANCY ESCAPING THOSE filthy unwashed Fringe and Film Festival crowds? You couldn’t do much better than watching that pseudo piece of sub Bollywood trash Moulin Rouge (2001), in the beautiful surroundings of the Scotsman Hotel Screening Room in Edinburgh. It begins on Sun 22 Aug at 6pm with a welcome cocktail, followed by two-course meal at Vermilion, and the film starts at 8pm. It costs £8.50 for the film only or £38 for the dinner and film. Call 0131 622 2999 or go to www.scotsmanscreenings.com for more information.
Love Me If You Dare