Kim Ki-duk

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This is a Korean name; the family name is Kim.
Kim Ki-duk
Hangul 김기덕
Hanja 金基德
Revised Romanization Gim Gi-deok
McCune-Reischauer Kim Ki-dŏk

Kim Ki-duk is a Korean film director noted for his idiosyncratic "arthouse" cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit. He is not related to the Kim Ki-duk who directed Yonggary in the 1960s.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Kim Ki-duk was born on December 20, 1960 in Bonghwa in Kyongsang province, South Korea. He studied fine arts in Paris from 1990 to 1993. After returning to South Korea, Kim began his career as a screenwriter and won the first prize in a scenario contest held by Korean Film Council in 1995.[1] In the following year, Kim made his debut as a director with a low budget movie titled Crocodile (1996). The movie received sensational reviews from movie critics in South Korea.

In 2004, he received Best Director awards at two different film festivals, for two different films. At the Berlin International Film Festival, he was awarded for Samaritan Girl (2004), and at the Venice Film Festival he won for 3-Iron (also 2004).

[edit] Controversy

The British Board of Film Classification delayed the release of Kim Ki-duk's The Isle (2001) in the United Kingdom because of instances of animal cruelty in the film. Concerning scenes in which a frog is skinned alive and fish are mutilated, the director stated, "We cooked all the fish we used in the film and ate them, expressing our appreciation. I've done a lot of cruelty on animals in my films. And I will have a guilty conscience for the rest of my life."[2]

To a U.S. interviewer who suggested that scenes such as these are "very disturbing and [seem] to place an obstacle to the films reception, or... distribution, to other countries," Kim said, "Yes, I did worry about that fact. But the way I see it, the food that we eat today is no different. In America you eat beef, pork, and kill all these animals. And the people who eat these animals are not concerned with their slaughter. Animals are part of this cycle of consumption. It looks more cruel onscreen, but I don't see the difference. And yes, there's a cultural difference, and maybe Americans will have a problem with it - but if they can just be more sensitive to what is acceptable in different countries I'd hope they wouldn't have too many issues with what's shown on-screen."[3]

[edit] Filmography

Year English title Korean title Transliterated title
1996 Crocodile 악어 Ag-o
Wild Animals 야생 동물 Yasaeng dongmul bohoguyeog
1998 Birdcage Inn 파란 대문 Paran daemun
2000 Real Fiction 실제 상황 Shilje sanghwang
The Isle 섬 Seom
2001 Address Unknown 수취인불명 Suchwiin bulmyeong
Bad Guy 나쁜 남자 Nabbeun namja
2002 The Coast Guard 해안선 Haeanseon
2003 Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring 봄, 여름, 가을, 겨울 그리고 봄 Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom
2004 Samaritan Girl 사마리아 Samaria
3-Iron 빈집 Bin-jip
2005 The Bow 활 Hwal
2006 Time 시간 Shi gan
2007 Breath 숨 Soom
2008 Sad Dream 비몽 Bimong

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Profile of Kim Ki-deok (Korean). Cine21, The Hankyoreh. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
  2. ^ Rose, Steve. 'I've done a lot of cruelty to animals' (English). Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
  3. ^ McKeague, Andy (2005-05-11). An Interview with Kim Ki-Duk and Suh Jung on The Isle (English). Monsters and Critics. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.

[edit] External links

[edit] Bibliography

  • Seveon, Julian (2003). "An Interview with Korean Director Kim Ki-duk". Asian Cult Cinema 38 (1st Quarter): pp.49-61. 
v • d • e
Films directed by Kim Ki-duk
Crocodile (1996)  · Wild Animals (1996)  · Birdcage Inn (1998)  · Real Fiction (2000)  · The Isle (2000)  · Address Unknown (2001)  · Bad Guy (2002)  · The Coast Guard (2002)  · Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)  · Samaritan Girl (2004)  · 3-Iron (2004)  · The Bow (2005)  · Time (2006)  · Breath (2007)  · Sad Dream (2008)