USC Korean Film Festival: Notes from Q&A with Director Kang Je Gyu

Last Saturday, January 19, 2008, the sixth USC Korean Film Festival honored Director Kang Je Gyu with a reception and the screenings of his international blockbuster, Shiri (1999), and the epic tale of human conflict, Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004).

Dr. David James, professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, first introduced Shiri, calling it a watershed that now divides Korean cinema into films “before Shiri” and “after Shiri.” The second film screened, Tae Guk Gi, should be required viewing for the world in that it so powerfully and effectively depicts war as a conflict between brothers, blinded to their underlying relationship and love.

Both films were amazing; however, the highlight of the evening was the great Q&A with Director Kang and Dr. James, moderated by Dr. Kyung Moon Hwang, Director of the Korean Studies Institute. At ease and articulate, Director Kang told of his experiences making the two films and commented on Korean cinema, sharing some of his philosophy. Assured by my friend, Young Summers, that the translator was really very good, I took copious notes, a summary of which follows:

Director Kang Je Gyu’s comments on the making of Shiri:
The largest budget for a Korean film had been one million US dollars until Kang presented SamSung with a budget of 2.3 million dollars for Shiri.

The topics of North and South Korea and terrorism were sensitive matters – taboo for that period of time. Also, there was the question of whether the film would be seen as propaganda. At that time, technical skill was not as advanced as today, so that was a worry. Also, there was the worry about presenting North Korea with a degree of positiveness and sympathy for the terrorists. However, it ended up that there was not much of a controversy.

Kang wanted two outcomes: (1) a well-made commercial film that dealt with the North and South, and (2) to transform ideology into a product that sold well. Thus, he blended genres – action, comic, romantic, melodrama - to create broad-based audience appeal. This blending of genres was a conscious act because he wanted to attract a huge audience due to the size of the budget.

What projects are you working on currently?
Kang is now working in Hollywood, preparing for a sci fi project, which he had envisioned before he started working on Tae Guk Gi. He set aside preparations for that sci fi project and started working on Tae Guk Gi after seeing a documentary on the Korean War. Now the sci fi project is again on hold due to the writers' strike.

There’s no kung fu in Shiri. Why didn’t you put kung fu in Shiri to guarantee box office success in Asia?
The audience appreciated Kang’s remark that Korea doesn’t have kung fu – although there is tae kwon do. He stated that he felt a responsibility to clear up some of the prejudices that the US has and that he wanted to appeal to audiences in the West.

What are the differences in tastes in commercial cinema between American and Korean audiences?
Korean audiences are very difficult to please. They expect a lot and expect to take a lot from a film. Even a horror film must still touch them and have a message that they will take with them. They are difficult to satisfy. American audiences enjoy different cultures and are always ready to enjoy a well-made genre film. However, there’s also a bit of a difference in ideas about censorship and the ratings system.

You’re a bright, young man with a vision and a future! How old are you?
He was born in 1962.

What is your view on human nature: Are people born good, born bad, or is that determined by the environment? What was your view of humanity when you made Shiri?
Kang commented that the view of humanity in Shiri is not a matter of good and evil but of ideology. He didn’t want to get into who caused the war and who’s right and who’s wrong. He emphasized that people in the North are still our family. "We share the same blood and are from the same country." He added that he wants to believe that people are born good.

What about the casting of Shiri? Many of the stars have gone on to become famous.
Kang humbly said that that is purely coincidence. When casting, he only thought about who would be the right choice for the characters. He commented that the actors in Shiri are, indeed, doing very good work now.

Which film makers have inspired you?
There was no big inspiration. When he was young he couldn’t go to films until he was in middle school. Then, when he saw Dr. Zhivago, he couldn’t sleep for a few days. He was impressed that human beings could make that. He thought if he could do that, that would be great!

He commented on the difficulty of becoming a film maker in Korea, then added that he’s a very positive person. He believes that if he works hard and does his best, he’ll have a positive outcome.

What about filming the stadium scene in Shiri? How was that done?
At that time, CG was not that well developed. About three to four months before filming really started, there was going to be a World Cup qualifying match, and Kang hoped to get audience shots then. He asked the Football Association, but they wouldn’t give him permission. So, he shot the scenes without permission. They pretended they were a TV crew. They had the actor, Han Suk Kyu, hide in the restroom, then brought him out and filmed until people started to recognize him, disrupting the filming. Then they hid him again!

They didn’t have storyboards prepared at that time. They had some chopper shots, but couldn’t use them.

What keeps you motivated? What’s your goal: entertainment or the message?
As a film maker, you know I don’t make many movies. By making a film, I like to change things. Making Shiri, I did change things. I change myself through making movies. I feel good about it, and that drives me to make my next film.

Why do people create a war?
Human beings do not accept that we are one. We think we are different, but we are all the same – and equal.

Regarding translation and subtitles, don’t the subtleties of what is lost in translation affect the success of Korean films abroad?
The Korean film industry is still developing although we have developed a lot so far. It is a matter of marketing. For example, I’m dependent on the translator here with me this evening, but how good is he actually?!? (The audience laughed - the translator just kept going!)

Kang stated that people in the Korean government and film industry recognize the importance of translation/subtitles and want to develop that. Kang thought that translation/subtitles would get better soon.

In Shiri, was the blue tone of scenes splattered with red blood symbolic?
Kang commented that before his generation, the ability to apply technology to make lighting or color corrections in post-production was very limited. Until the 80s, colors would come out a different way from when they were shot. Since Shiri, it has become easier to reflect those kinds of things to bring out the emotions of the actor, etc.

What motivated you to make Shiri despite the sensitivity of the North and South Korea situation?
Kang said he wrote his first movie, Gingko Bed, in Beijing in 1993. He went there because he wanted to do a melodrama with a global feel to it. While he was there, he spent time with about 20 North Korean students. They would eat, drink, and play ping pong together. Over a period of three months, he got to know them and realized how real the situation is and what it means that Korea has been separated for 50 years.

He added that he intentionally made Shiri an action movie to try to attract a younger audience, thinking that young Koreans, people in their 20s, might not be interested in the realities of the situation. However, bringing them in to see an action film would still expose them to the ideological issues and the reality of the situation.

In the opening sequence of Shiri, you have the North Koreans training to kill by practicing killing real people. Did you just think that up yourself or did you hear of it happening somewhere?

Other than two or three small shots that he thought up, it was a re-creation of real data that they received.

Dr. James invited Director Kang to make a few comments to introduce Tae Guk Gi:

Shiri had a budget of 2.3 million dollars. Since then, the Korean film industry has boomed. Tae Guk Gi had a budget of 13.6 million dollars and did very well at the box office.

He added that the guns in Shiri were rented from L.A., and that one bullet cost $1. He would give each actor 3 to 5 bullets. He learned how to manage the budget carefully and believes that he had the luxury of a 13+ million dollar budget for Tae Guk Gi because of the success of Shiri – and what he’d learned.

As you can see, it was a great discussion! Kudos and thanks to the many programs and departments at USC that co-sponsored this event, especially the School of Cinematic Arts and the Korean Studies Institute. Dr. James specifically acknowledged the tremendous contributions of Dr. Elaine Kim, Associate Director of the Korean Studies Institute. Also, thanks for the delicious Korean buffet, provided by Nak Won Catering (323-465-3409). I'm sure all who attended look forward to the seventh USC Korean Film Festival next year!