Im Kwon-taek
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| Im Kwon-taek | |
|---|---|
| Hangul: | 임권택 |
| Hanja: | 林權澤 |
| Revised Romanization: | Im Gwon-taek |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Im Kwǒnt'aek |
Im Kwon-taek (born May 2, 1936) is one of South Korea's most renowned film directors. In an active and prolific career, his films have won many domestic and international film festival awards as well as considerable box-office success, and helped bring international attention to the Korean film industry.
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[edit] Early life
Im Kwon-taek was born in Jangseong, Jeollanam-do and grew up in Gwangju. After the Korean War, he moved to Busan in search of work. He then moved to Seoul in 1956, where director of Five Fingers of Death (1972), Jeong Chang-hwa offered him room and board for work as a production assistant. Jeong recommended him for directing in 1961.
[edit] Career
Im's directorial premier was with the 1962 film, Farewell to the Duman River (Dumanganga jal itgeola).
Before 1980 he was known primarily as a commercial filmmaker who could efficiently direct as many as eight genre pictures a year, helping to fulfill the quota for domestic pictures set by the government[1]. His desire to make more artistically satisfying films began to show itself with his 1978 film Jokbo (Genealogy or The Family Tree), but the turning point of his career came with the 1981 film Mandala. From this point his films have been regarded as art-house cinema, and have been regularly shown at international film festivals, and have won numerous awards.
He has continued to explore themes from Korea's past while also focusing on the Korean cultural identity in modern times.
Among Im's most notable recent films are Sopyonje (1993) and Chunhyang (2000), both of which concentrate on the traditional Korean musical art of pansori. The latter film was also based on a traditional Korean legend. Apart from being a critical success, Sopyonje was also a success at the box office, becoming the first domestic film to draw over a million viewers in Seoul alone. Chihwaseon (2002) was also a critical success. Im Kwon-taek was awarded an honorary Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival in 2005.
Im Kwon-taek's status, brought on by the critical success of his films, overlapped with a period of the film movement called "New Korean Cinema" or "Korean New Wave". Along with other directors, such as Park Gwang-su and Jang Seon-u, Im is recognized as one of the founding figures of the movement, which gained international critical recognition and acclaim for Korean Cinema.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] 1960s
- Dumanganga jal itgeola (1962) (Farewell to the Duman River)
- Jeonjaenggwa noin (1962) (Old Man in the Combat Zone)
- Danjang lok (1963) (The Prince's Revolt)
- Namjaneun anpallyeo (1963) (Actors Disguised as Women)
- Mangbuseog (1963) (A Wife Turned to Stone)
- Shinmungo (1963) (The Throne Memorial Drum)
- Yogmangui gyeolsan (1964) (The End of Desire)
- Shibjamae seonsaeng (1964) (Father of Ten Daughters)
- Dangol jikaksaeng (1964) (The Latecomer)
- Shibnyeon sedo (1964) (The Ten-Year Rule)
- Yeonghwa mama (1964) (Queen Yongwha's Avenger)
- Bitsoke jida (1965) (Death of an Informer)
- Wanggwa sangno (1965) (A Bogus Nobleman)
- Jeonjaenggwa yeogyosa (1966) (Schoolmistress on the Battlefield)
- Beobchangeul ullin oki (1966) (Miss Ok and the Divided Court)
- Naneum wang-ida (1966) (I Am a King)
- Nilniri (1966) (A Triangle in Noble Families)
- Cheongsa choryong (1967) (The Feudal Tenant)
- Pungunui geomgaek (1967) (Swordsmen)
- Manghyang cheonri (1967) (A Wife Retrieved)
- Yohwa Jang Huibin (1968) (Concubine Jang Hui-bin)
- Baramgateun sanai (1968) (A Man Called the Wind)
- Mongnyeo (1968) (The Waking Woman)
- Dolaon winsonjabi (1968) (Return from the Sea/(Return of the Left-Handed Man)
- Sanai samdae (1969) (Three Generations of Men)
- Binaerineun gomoryeong (1969) (Best Friends and Their Wives/Rain on Gomo Bridge)
- Shanghai talchul (1969) (Escape from Shanghai)
- Shiboya (1969) (Night of the Full Moon)
- Roegeom (1969) (Thunder Sword)
- Hwangyaui doksori (1969) (Eagle of the Plains)
- Shinse jom jijaguyo (1969) (Would You Help Me?)
[edit] 1970s
- Wolhaui geom (1970) (Swords Under the Moon
- Aeggunun park (1970) (One-Eyed Mr. Park)
- Iseulmajeun baekilhong (1970) (Unmarried Mother
- Binaerineun seonchangga (1970) (A Vagabond's Story
- Geu yeojareul jjochara (1970) (A Woman Pursued)
- Bamcharo on sanai (1970) (Man on the Night Train)
- Bigeom (1970) (The Flying Sword
- Soknunseobi kin yeoja (1970) (A Snapshot and a Murder
- Wonhanui geori nuni naerinda (1971) (Snowing on Grudge Street)
- 30 nyeonmanui daegyeol (1971) (The 30-Year Showdown)
- Weonhan ui tu kkobchu (1971) (Revenge of Two Sons)
- Nareul deoisang goerobhiji mara (1971) (In Search of the Secret Agent)
- Yogeom (1971) (Swordswoman)
- Duljjae eomeoni (1972) (A Stepmother's Heartache)
- Myeongdong samgukji (1972) (Gangsters of Myongdong)
- Myeongdong janhoksa (1972) (Cruelty on the Streets of Myongdong)
- Dolaon jawa ddeonaya hal ja (1972) (Arrivals and Departures/(One Returns and the Other Leaves)
- Samguk daehyeob (1972) (Seize the Precious Sword
- Janganmyeonggi obaekwa (1973) (Five Hostesses for the Resistance)
- Daechugyeok (1973) (Pursuit of the Bandits)
- Jabcho (1973) (The Deserted Widow)
- Jeungeon (1974) (The Testimony)
- Anaedeului haengjin (1974) (Wives on Parade)
- Ulji aneuri (1974) (I'll Never Cry Again)
- Yeonhwa (1974) (The Hidden Princess)
- Yeonhwa 2 (1975) (The Hidden Princess, Part 2)
- Wae guraetdeonga (1975) (Who and Why?)
- Eoje, oneul, geurigo naeil (1975) (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow)
- Wangshibri (1976) (A Byegone Romance)
- Maenbalui nunkil (1976) (Overcome by Misfortunes)
- Nakdongkaneun heureuneunga (1976) (Commando on the Nakdong River)
- Anae (1976) (The Industrious Wife)
- Okryegi (1977) (The Virtuous Woman)
- Imjinrangwa gyewolhyang (1977) (Madame Kye in the Imjin War)
- Sangroksu (1978) (The Evergreen Tree)
- Gaggabgodo meon kil (1978) (Near Yet Far Away)
- Naeil ddo naeil (1979) (Again Tomorrow)
- Jokbo (1979) (Genealogy)
- Jeo padowie eoma eolguli (1979) (The Little Adventurer)
- Shingung (1979) (The Divine Bow)
[edit] 1980s
- Bokbuin (1980) (The Wealthy Woman)
- Gitbaleobtneun gisu (1980) (The Hidden Hero)
- Jagko (1980) (Pursuit of Death)
- Mandala (1981)
- Abenko gongsu gundan (1982) (Abenko Green Berets)
- Woosangui nunmul (1982) (High School Tears)
- Oyeomdoen jashikdeul (1982) (The Polluted One)
- Angae maeul (1983) (Village in the Mist)
- Nabipumeseo uleotda (1983) (In the Bosom of a Butterfly)
- Bului dal (1983) (Daughter of the Flames)
- Gilsoddeum (1986) (Gilsodom)
- Heureuneun gangmuleul eojji makeorya (1986) (The Eternal Flow)
- Ticket (1986)
- Adada (1987)
- Sibaji (1987) (The Surrogate Woman)
- Yeonsan ilgi (1988) (Diary of King Yonsan)
- Aje aje bara aje (1989) (Come Come Come Upward
[edit] 1990s
- Janggunui adeul (1990) (Son of the General
- Janggunui adeul II (1991) (Son of a General II)
- Gaebyeok (1991) (Fly High Run Far)
- Janggunui adeul III (1992) (Son of a General III)
- Seopyeonje (1993)
- Taebaek sanmaek (1994) (Taebak Mountains)
- Chukje (1996) (Festival)
- Chang (1997)
[edit] 2000s
- Chunhyang (2000)
- Chihwaseon (2002) (Painted Fire)
- Haryu insaeng (2004) (Low Life)
[edit] Awards
- Asia Pacific Film Festival
- Special Jury Award Chunhyang (2000)
- Best Director and Best Film Sibaji (1987)
- Berlin International Film Festival
- Honorary Golden Berlin Bear (2005)
- Cannes Film Festival
- Best Director Chihwaseon (2002)
- Grand Bell Awards (Korea), Best Director
- Testimony (Jungon) (1974)
- Jokbo (Genealogy/Family Tree) (1979)
- Mandala (1981)
- Ticket (1986)
- Yeonsan ilgi (Diary of King Yonsan) (1988)
- Hankuk Play and Film Arts Awards (Korea), Best Director
- Wangshibri (A Byegone Romance) (1976)
- Nakdongkaneun heureuneunga (Commando on the Nakdong River) (1976)
- Angae maeul (Village in the Mist) (1983)
- Hawaii International Film Festival
- Best Feature Film Chunhyang (2000)
- Korean Film Critics Awards, Best Director
- Gilsoddeum (Gilsodom) (1986)
- Ticket (1986)
- Pusan International Film Festival
- Netpac Award Chunhyang (2000)
- San Francisco International Film Festival
- Akira Kurosawa Award (1998)
- Shanghai International Film Festival
- Golden Goblet - Best Director Seopyeonje (1993)
- Singapore International Film Festival
- 2001 Silver Screen Award - Best Asian Director Chunhyang (2000)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links and references
- Page about the Korean New Wave at asianinfo.org
- Biography and interview at cinekorea.com
- Im Kwon-taek at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview: Reflection In A Mirror at asianfilms.org
- Lee, Young-il (1988). The History of Korean Cinema. Motion Picture Promotion Corporation. ISBN 89-88095-12-X., p.342-343.
