| Poongsan | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 풍산개 |
| RR | Poongsangae |
| MR | P‘ungsangae |
| Directed by | Juhn Jai-hong |
| Produced by | Kim Ki-duk |
| Written by | Kim Ki-duk |
| Starring | Yoon Kye-sang Kim Gyu-ri |
| Music by | Park Ji-woong |
| Cinematography | Lee Jung-in |
| Distributed by | Next Entertainment World |
| Release date(s) | June 23, 2011 |
| Running time | 121 min. |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
Poongsan (풍산개) is a 2011 South Korean film starring Yoon Kye-sang and Kim Gyu-ri.
Part love story, part postwar tragedy, with a dose of comedy thrown in, the low-budget film Poongsan depicts the sad reality of the division between the two Koreas.
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Poongsan, whose real name is never revealed, is a mysterious messenger who crosses the demarcation line between the two Koreas, delivering letters and cherished heirlooms between separated families in Seoul and Pyongyang.
One day he is commissioned by South Korean government agents with the task of smuggling in In-ok, the beautiful lover of a high-ranking North Korean defector, into the South. Yet things take an unexpected turn when the deliveryman falls for the young woman, but their romance is put in jeopardy by the obstacles they encounter.
Written and co-produced by Kim Ki-duk, and directed by his protege Juhn Jai-hong, the 200 million-won ($185,580) film was shot over 25 takes in just 30 days, while the entire cast and crew took part in the project with no guarantee. "I wanted to show that it is possible to make a film with passion rather than money," Juhn told reporters at a press preview.[1]
Kim handed Juhn the story idea for Poongsan in fall 2010, saying he wanted a young director to bring a fresh perspective to inter-Korean issues. Juhn, known as an "artsy" filmmaker (his directorial debut Beautiful premiered at Berlin), wanted to make a fun, edgy film that was first and foremost popcorn entertainment. Juhn had to fight to cast Yoon in the lead role, having been impressed by his piercing gaze in The Moonlight of Seoul. Juhn said, "Yoon is only two years younger than I am and we were both trying to challenge stereotypes. Kim Gyu-ri is also our age and it was amazing collaborating with such talented actors."[2]
Juhn, a former opera singer, featured his own voice for Schumann's Die Lotosblume, and Tim Starnes, whose credits include The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and the second and third of the Lord of the Rings franchise, edited the soundtrack.[2]