Kim Ki-duk
Encyclopedia
Kim Ki-duk is a South Korean filmmaker noted for his idiosyncratic "art-house" 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. He has given scripts to several of his former assistant directors including Jeon Jae-hong (Beautiful
) and Jang Hun
(Rough Cut
).
. 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. 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).
delayed the release of Kim Ki-duk's The Isle
(2000) 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."
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."
Yonggary
Yonggary or Yongary , also known as Yongary, Monster from the Deep, is a 1967 South Korean Kaiju film directed by prominent genre-film director Kim Ki-duk...
in the 1960s. He has given scripts to several of his former assistant directors including Jeon Jae-hong (Beautiful
Beautiful (2008 film)
Beautiful is a 2008 South Korean film, and the debut feature of director Juhn Jai-hong. The film is based on an original story by Kim Ki-duk.- Plot :...
) and Jang Hun
Jang Hun (director)
Jang Hun is a South Korean film director. He has worked primarily with director Kim Ki-duk first with the production department, then as an assistant director, to getting a script from Mr. Kim; Rough Cut. In 2010 he directed Secret Reunion selling over 5,000,000 tickets making it the second...
(Rough Cut
Rough Cut (2008 film)
Rough Cut is a 2008 South Korean film, and the debut feature of director Jang Hun. The film is based on an original story by Kim Ki-duk.- Synopsis :...
).
Biography
Kim Ki-duk was born on December 20, 1960 in Bonghwa in Kyongsang province, South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. 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. In the following year, Kim made his debut as a director with a low budget movie titled Crocodile
Crocodile (1996 film)
Crocodile is a 1996 South Korean film. It was the directorial debut of Ki-duk Kim and stars Cho Jae-hyun as "Crocodile".The film tells the story of a man living at the edge of the Han River in Seoul, who saves a woman trying to commit suicide. He then proceeds to rape and abuse her until an odd...
(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
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
, he was awarded for Samaritan Girl
Samaritan Girl
Samaritan Girl is a 2004 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk.-Synopsis:Yeo-jin and Jae-yeong are two teenage girls who are trying to earn money for a trip to Europe. To reach this end, Jae-yeong is prostituting herself while Yeo-jin acts as her pimp, setting her up with the...
(2004), and at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
he won for 3-Iron
3-Iron
3-Iron is a 2004 Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk. The plot revolves around the relationship between a young drifter and an abused housewife...
(also 2004).
Controversy
The British Board of Film ClassificationBritish Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
delayed the release of Kim Ki-duk's The Isle
The Isle
The Isle is a 2000 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk. The film was the fifth film made by Kim, and the first to receive wider international acclaim for his recognizable style...
(2000) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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."
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."
Filmography
| Year | English title | Korean title | Transliterated title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Crocodile Crocodile (1996 film) Crocodile is a 1996 South Korean film. It was the directorial debut of Ki-duk Kim and stars Cho Jae-hyun as "Crocodile".The film tells the story of a man living at the edge of the Han River in Seoul, who saves a woman trying to commit suicide. He then proceeds to rape and abuse her until an odd... |
악어 | Ageo |
| Wild Animals Wild Animals Wild Animals is Korean director Kim Ki-duk's second film, released in 1996. It is a crime-drama film set in Paris, and stars Cho Jae-hyun, Dong-jik Jang and Ryun Jang.- Cast :... |
야생동물 보호구역 | Yasaeng dongmul bohoguyeog | |
| 1998 | Birdcage Inn Birdcage Inn Birdcage Inn , Blue Gate, is South Korean director Ki-duk Kim's third film, released in 1998. The drama stars Ji-eun Lee, Hae-eun Lee and Jae-mo Ahn. It was released domestically in October 1998, and screened at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 1999.-Plot:A prostitute works at a... |
파란 대문 | Paran daemun |
| 2000 | The Isle The Isle The Isle is a 2000 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk. The film was the fifth film made by Kim, and the first to receive wider international acclaim for his recognizable style... |
섬 | Seom |
| Real Fiction Real Fiction Real Fiction is a 2000 crime/drama film from South Korean director Kim Ki-duk. It stars Ju Jin-mo, Kim Jin-ah and Son Min-seok. It was shot entirely in real-time, with no retakes, on a mixture of low quality video and purposefully "dirtied" film... |
실제 상황 | Shilje sanghwang | |
| 2001 | Address Unknown Address Unknown (2001 film) Address Unknown is a 2001 South Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk. It was the opening movie of the 2001 Venice Film Festival.-Overview:... |
수취인 불명 | Suchwiin bulmyeong |
| Bad Guy Bad Guy (film) Bad Guy is a South Korean film by director Kim Ki-duk about a man who traps a woman into prostitution, then becomes protective of her. The film was controversial for its frank portrayal of gangsters, prostitution, and sexual slavery, but also was a minor box office hit as its release coincided with... |
나쁜 남자 | Nabbeun namja | |
| 2002 | The Coast Guard | 해안선 | Haeanseon |
| 2003 | Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring is a 2003 South Korean film about a Buddhist monastery that floats on a lake in a pristine forest. The story is about the life of a Buddhist monk as he passes through the seasons of his life, from childhood to old age.The movie was directed by Kim Ki-duk,... |
봄, 여름, 가을, 겨울 그리고 봄 | Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom |
| 2004 | Samaritan Girl Samaritan Girl Samaritan Girl is a 2004 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk.-Synopsis:Yeo-jin and Jae-yeong are two teenage girls who are trying to earn money for a trip to Europe. To reach this end, Jae-yeong is prostituting herself while Yeo-jin acts as her pimp, setting her up with the... |
사마리아 | Samaria |
| 3-Iron 3-Iron 3-Iron is a 2004 Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk. The plot revolves around the relationship between a young drifter and an abused housewife... |
빈 집 | Bin-jip | |
| 2005 | The Bow | 활 | Hwal |
| 2006 | Time | 시간 | Shi gan |
| 2007 | Breath | 숨 | Soom |
| 2008 | Dream Dream (film) Dream is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk.It is the fifteenth feature film by the director.- Plot :Jin awakes from a dream where he causes a traffic accident to find that the accident actually took place. The police suspect a woman, Ran, though she denies any involvement as she was... |
비몽 | Bimong |
| 2011 | Arirang Arirang (2011 film) Arirang is a 2011 South Korean documentary film by Kim Ki-duk. The film addresses a personal crisis Kim went through, sparked by an incident during the filming of his previous film, Dream, where the lead actress nearly died by hanging. The titles comes from a Korean folk song with the same title... |
아리랑 | Arirang |
| Amen Amen (2011 film) Amen is a 2011 South Korean drama film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk, starring Kim Ye-na. Shot in Europe, it follows a Korean girl on a mysterious journey... |
Additional credits
- BeautifulBeautiful (2008 film)Beautiful is a 2008 South Korean film, and the debut feature of director Juhn Jai-hong. The film is based on an original story by Kim Ki-duk.- Plot :...
(2008, writer/producer) - Rough CutRough Cut (2008 film)Rough Cut is a 2008 South Korean film, and the debut feature of director Jang Hun. The film is based on an original story by Kim Ki-duk.- Synopsis :...
(2008, writer/producer) - Secret Reunion (2010, writer - uncredited)
Awards
- Best Director for Samaritan GirlSamaritan GirlSamaritan Girl is a 2004 South Korean film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk.-Synopsis:Yeo-jin and Jae-yeong are two teenage girls who are trying to earn money for a trip to Europe. To reach this end, Jae-yeong is prostituting herself while Yeo-jin acts as her pimp, setting her up with the...
, Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
(2004) - Best Director for 3-Iron3-Iron3-Iron is a 2004 Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk. The plot revolves around the relationship between a young drifter and an abused housewife...
, Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
(2004)
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of Korean film directors
- Korean cinema
- Contemporary culture of South KoreaContemporary culture of South KoreaThe contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...
- Kim Ki-duk (born 1934)Kim Ki-duk (born 1934)Kim Ki-duk is a South Korean film director and professor. Best-known outside of Korea for his 1967 giant-monster film, Yonggary, Kim Ki-duk directed 66 movies in total from his directorial debut in 1961 until his retirement from the film industry in 1977...
External links
- Kim Ki-Duk: the past, the persistent problems and the near future About Kim Ki-Duk's 2006 controversial declarations
- Kim Ki-Duk's Two Trilogies
- Review of Kim Ki-duk's Time
- Working Biography