In a man’s world, director Shin Su-won has created a distinct voice for herself within the Korean film industry, and by all accounts her latest movie, Madonna, should further establish her name as a considerable talent on a global level. Madonna was chosen to premiere in Australia as part of the 2015 Korean Film Festival, and Su-won, with producer Lim Chung-geun, flew in to attend the screening.

This year isn’t the first time the pair have attended the festival, as in 2013 they also made the trip down under to premiere both her 2nd full length feature, Pluto, and her short film, Circle Line. Back then, through a series of random events (it’s all covered here) I’d ended up knocking back pints of Guinness in an Irish pub with Su-won and Chung-geun, along with the actress from Pluto, Kim Kko-bbi, so it was good to see them return a couple of years on.

“Passerby #3” Korean Theatrical Poster

Su-won took an unusual path into the world of film, having begun her working life as a school teacher, which she remained as for 10 years. After writing a couple of books, she decided to change her career and become a novelist, enrolling at the Korea National University of Arts. Instead of becoming a novelist though, while studying she gradually fell in love with the medium of film, and changed her major to screenwriting.

At the age of 34 she quit her teaching position, and decided to become a film director. No easy feat in such a competitive industry. Using ₩25 million from her own pension, in 2007 she set upon working on her feature length debut, which came to fruition in 2010 with the release of Passerby #3, the story of a thirty-something woman trying to break into the film industry, derived from her own experiences.

Interestingly, just like director Kim Sung-ho (read my interview with him) who was also in attendance at this years festival, Su-won was approached by the Korean government to direct a segment for the 2012 omnibus movie Fighting! Family. The government commissioned production was created to draw the population’s attention to Korea’s low birthrate, with the end goal of encouraging people to, well, reproduce more. Su-won wrote and directed Circle Line, the rather dark tale of a recently laid off man who aimlessly travels the city train loop, and upon submitting her piece it was flatly refused to be included. Undeterred, Su-won took the short to Cannes, where it won the Canal+ Prize for best short film, and ultimately was included as part of the omnibus feature Modern Family.

Su-won is certainly no stranger to the festival scene. Her debut Passerby #3 won the JJ-Star Award at the 11th Jeonju International Film Festival, and the Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film award at the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival. Her sophomore feature Pluto premiered at the 17th Busan International Film Festival, and Shin received a special mention at the Generation 14plus Section of the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. And now her latest, Madonna, was invited to screen in the Un Certain Regard section of the 68th Cannes Film Festival. For a director with only 3 full length features under her belt, that’s a lot of attention from the global circuit, and it’s rightly deserved.

Seo Young-Hee in “Madonna”

Madonna tells the tale of a nurse assistant, played by Seo Yeong-hee, working in an exclusive hospital for the wealthy. When the son of an elderly comatose patient, who happens to be one of the hospitals benefactors, discovers that his father needs a new heart, he becomes determined to use a brain dead Jane Doe for the transplant, and approaches Yeong-hee to find her family. As Yeong-hee begins delving into the past of the mysterious patient, played by newcomer Kwon So-hyeon and nicknamed Madonna, she unfurls a tragic tale of a struggling young woman, and the many difficulties that she faced in life.

Su-won was in serious demand during her brief visit to Sydney, but I was lucky enough to sit down with her for 20 minutes before the screening of the movie, to catch up and do my own delving into her career so far.

Paul Bramhall: Director Shin, welcome back to Sydney. I’ll get the most important question out of the way first, do you remember when you were here a couple of years ago and we ended up drinking together after the movie forum?

Shin Su-won: Ah yes, I remember you! We drank together with producer Lim and Kim Kko-bbi, it’s good to see you again.

PB: Likewise, now I wanted to ask you about your movies so far.  Passerby #3 focused on a struggling mother, Pluto focused on a struggling student, and Madonna focuses on a struggling young woman. Are the struggles of the less fortunate in Korean society something you find particularly interesting to create stories from?

David Park, Shin Su-won and author, Paul Bramhall.

SSW: Well I guess there are two types of filmmakers, there are the filmmakers who like to focus on the positive side of life and work with happy characters, but for me I find it more interesting to focus on those who are less fortunate and have somewhat troubled lives, as these types of character allow me to create more meaningful films.

PB: I see, and with the title of Madonna it obviously brings to mind the image of Mary with the baby Jesus. Of course in 2012 Kim Ki-duk made Pieta, which likewise brings to mind the image of Mary, but she’s with the dead body of Jesus. Is this comparative religious aspect of your movie something you thought people would read into?

SSW: Yes, now that you bring it up it is interesting. I remember the ending of Pieta was very good, and director Kim Ki-duk constructed a very masterful scene, but I would say my movie definitely has a different theme to Pieta. For me the biggest difference with Madonna is that it focuses on the relationship between two women, and I think people will realize this when they watch it.

In my film it’s about an assistant nurse, the main character, who is trying to uncover the past of the comatose patient, Madonna. Then through this journey it begins her healing process, even though she’s a character who’s clearly in the lowest tier of society, what she discovers allows her to find her own meaning in life. In that sense it’s very different to Pieta, as even though the son is also trying to discover his mothers past and where she’s been, the focus on the son and mother dynamic makes it very different from the relationship in my film.

“Madonna” Theatrical Poster

PB: Madonna stars Seo Young-hee, who is no stranger to playing female leads and had a memorable role in Bedevilled, but Kwon So-hyeon on the other hand has never acted before. Was it tricky to find the balance between such an experienced actress, and someone who has had no experience at all?

SSW: Hmm, Seo Young-hee was obviously very experienced, but in films she’s starred in such as The Chaser and Bedevilled, her roles required her to really overact and be very dramatic, whereas in my film she had to express herself in a very realistic and emotional way, with many subtle expressions. So in that sense she had a difficult time trying to adjust to this new form of acting that was required of the character. In a way it was also like Seo Young-hee was a first time actor, due to the nature of the role.

On the other hand Kwon So-hyeon was in a role that required some very dramatic and intense acting, kind of like how Seo Young-hee was in Bedevilled. So there were some very hard scenes for her, as an example there’s the scene were she is sexually assaulted, and we filmed it in one single take. But she had a real passion about her role, and was very passionate about her acting, so with it being her very first time she really tried harder than I believe many other actresses would. I worked with her for one month before we started shooting, to make sure she was well prepared for the role.

In the film both actresses don’t really meet as such, so this allowed me to find that balance when I was working with each actress individually.

PB: Now it’s often said that the Korean film industry is very male dominated, and that it’s difficult for female directors to make the movies they want to. However recently we’ve seen some strong female talent coming out of Korea, of course yourself, and we also had director Jeong Joo-ri who made A Girl at my Door with Bae Doo-na and Kim Sae-ron. Do you think it’s becoming easier for women in the industry to make their voice heard?

“Pluto” Korean Theatrical Poster

SSW: I still believe there’s a long way to go in the Korean film industry until men and women are treated the same, but I feel like this problem isn’t just limited to the Korean film industry, it’s an issue in many film industries worldwide. There are a lower number of female directors comparative to male, because of that perception that it’s a very male orientated field of work. I find a lot of the women working in the film industry are there in supportive roles, rather than that of someone who makes important decisions in the creative process, so it still seems very much to be a mans world.

That being said, I do feel that Korea has become much better than it was before, there are many more positions and avenues now for women to express themselves than there were even just a few years ago. So even though the image of the industry is still a very macho one, it’s an image which is gradually fading, which is allowing more female directors to shine and show their talent. While we’re still not where we want to be, things have gotten better.

PB: I saw that in the year your debut movie was released, Passerby #3, you also adapted the story for director Lee Hyeon-seung’s Hindsight which starred Song Kang-ho. As a gangster thriller, this movie is quite different to the type of material you normally work with, so how did you get involved?

SSW: So for Hindsight it was only an adaptation, it wasn’t a movie that I was also going to direct. I guess like I mentioned earlier, my role in this movie was more of a supportive one, and before I wrote Passerby #3, I’d already had some experience of writing various action and comedy films, so it wasn’t new territory for me to be involved in this type of production. The key point here for me is that it really was just a supportive role, I wasn’t heavily involved in the making of the movie itself. It was mainly in the capacity of providing ideas and attending meetings, so even though it wasn’t really my style, for me this was ok because I knew I wasn’t going to be directing it.

“Hindsight” Korean Theatrical Poster

PB: Now I know you have a potential new movie lined up, Blue Sunset, which would be a co-production between Korea, Australia, and France. I read that the majority of this story would be filmed right here in Sydney, so can you tell us a little about how you’re progressing with this feature?

SSW: Wow, where did you hear about this!?

PB: It was listed in the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Film Market, and I read that it won the KOCCA Award (this is a funding prize to gain money for production).

SSW: Oh, I see! Well, at the moment I still haven’t received enough funding to go ahead with the film, however the script is almost finished, and I’d like to cast some high profile actors before proceeding with the more technical details. If I can get a good cast together, then I’m confident that we’ll be able to shoot, but if this turns out to not be possible, it’ll take longer to get the production off the ground.

PB: Well I hope with the success of Madonna you’ll be able to make it a reality, and thank you very much for your time.

SSW: You’re welcome, and please enjoy the movie.

A big thanks to David Park for arranging and acting as a translator during the interview.

The Korean Film Festival of Australia runs from August 12th – September 27th spanning six cities, so if you’re down under, make sure you get to one of the many screenings being shown this year. For more details, visit koffia.com.au.

To read more of our interviews, please click here.

In many ways 2003 could be considered as the pivotal year for the Korean film industry. With the advent of the DVD format, Korean movies had already begun filtering through to the western market, with titles such as Shiri, Nowhere to Hide, and Tell Me Something becoming a familiar sight on high street shelves. However in 2003 it seemed the country could do no wrong when it came to movies – Park Chan-wook made the seminal OldBoy, Bong Joon-ho directed the classic Memories of Murder, Kim Jee-woon adapted the horror A Tale of Two Sisters, and a director by the name of Kim Sung-ho made his debut with Into the Mirror.

“Into the Mirror” Korean Theatrical Poster

As the first decade of the millennium progressed on, Hollywood developed an unhealthy obsession with re-making practically any Asian horror movie they could get their hands on, and Into the Mirror was no exception. In 2008 the re-make hit cinema screens under the title Mirrors, directed by Alexandre Aja and starring Kiefer Sutherland, and even spawned a sequel.

Sung-ho himself could be said to have taken an unexpected career path, which saw him move away from full length features to focus on directing a number of short films, which could usually be found released as a part of omnibus movies. From most recently directing a segment in Horror Stories 2, to helming a segment in 2012’s Fighting! Family, a movie commissioned by the Korean government with the sole purpose of encouraging the population to reproduce, due to the countries low birth rate. Yes you read that right.

This year Sung-ho releases his third full length movie, which as with his previous two he also wrote, in the form of How to Steal a Dog. Far from being a remake of Bong Joon-ho’s debut Barking Dogs Never Bite, it’s a family friendly tale adapted from a novel by US writer Barbara O’Connor. The movie was selected to be screened on the opening night of the Korean Film Festival of Australia 2015, and Sung-ho flew in to attend the screening. Before being whisked into the depths of Sydney’s main cinema, the director was graceful enough to give me 30 minutes to have a one on one discussion on his time working in the film industry.

With a laid back style and moppish hair, Sung-ho has a softly spoken manner which was easy to listen to, and was genuinely surprised that a non-Korean would know so much about his movies. Armed with a black coffee, we took a seat in a café on the main road in Sydney city, and got down to business.

“How to Steal a Dog” Korean Theatrical Poster

Paul Bramhall: Director Kim, welcome to Sydney, and thank you for taking the time out to do an interview!

Kim Sung-ho: Thank you, it’s a beautiful city!

PB: Now your new movie, How to Steal a Dog, is based on a novel by the American writer Barbara O’Connor. It’s quite unusual to see a Korean movie adapted from a US novel, so what was it that appealed to you about the story?

KSH: In South Korea children’s movies are very rare, especially in the last 10 years, so in the beginning I thought that I should make a children’s movie. But as time passed my thought developed to a point that I wanted to make a family movie, rather than one which is just targeted at kids. So I felt determined that I should direct this film, because in Korea now there are a lot of films that use really dramatic and heavy scenes to promote themselves, but this movie doesn’t have those types of scenes, it’s a very heartwarming piece. I feel that in South Korea these types of movie rarely get invested in, and are not produced very often, so I felt a duty that I have to make this film.

PB: I see, so were there any difficulties in transferring a story which is obviously rooted in U.S. culture, and then transferring those themes and concepts to a story which would fit in with Korean culture?

KSH: Yes, there were many difficulties, however I’d say the one biggest difference from a cultural perspective was that of the Mum and the children living out of the car. In the U.S. perhaps it’s not that rare or unusual for people to accept characters who live in a car, but in South Korea such a situation is unthinkable. So I needed to kind of Korean-ize this part of the story, and present it in such a way that it would be acceptable and feasible to a Korean audience. It was a big challenge, and it took me a year to figure out how I could make it sound like a believable story.

The inviting information desk of the Korean Film Festival of Australia 2015.

PB: How to Steal a Dog features Choi Min-soo, now many readers of COF will be familiar with this actor from his gritty action roles in the likes of The Terrorist and Holiday, and of course the TV drama Sandglass. What was it like to work with him?

KSH: Choi Min-soo obviously came with the reputation of being a tough guy to work with in the Korean film industry, so it’s true that many directors tried to avoid working with him. Because of this he’s rarely appeared in Korean movies for close to 10 years now, and then of course you have the rumors of him beating up crew members. Perhaps because of these reasons, for me this image that he has made him the perfect fit for the role of the homeless character in the movie.

When I gave him the script, even though the other people who were going to be a part of the production were asking me to not make them work with him, Mr Choi really loved it and was very enthusiastic to participate, even willing to forsake being paid. So actually it became easy to collaborate with him, and one of the things I quickly found out about Mr Choi, is that he likes to give opinions on how to direct certain scenes. For me as a director, I like to listen to the opinions from others, and I found his input very helpful, so it turned out to be a good combination for the movie.

PB: In the past you’ve worked a lot in the short film format, which are usually released as a segment in larger omnibus movies. Is there something in particular that appeals to you about working in the short film format over full length features?

One of the first Korean movies to get widespread distribution in the west was “Into the Mirror”

KSH: The first feature film that I directed was Into the Mirror, and it was just after my graduation. I felt like I really needed to prove myself, but at the same time I knew there was a big room for improvement. For me it was especially in the area of being able to direct actors and actresses, and conveying the way they should act. Short films really provided me with the experience of being able to direct actors and actresses, so I find the short film format is perfect for me. You don’t need a lot of investment, and you don’t have to worry about being too sensitive regarding the content of the film, so they gave me a lot of opportunities to experiment with different directing styles. Based on the experiences I gained working on those short films, I felt it gave me the skills to be able to confidently direct actors and actresses in feature films.

PB: Speaking of Into the Mirror, this movie was really one of the first Korean movies to get widespread distribution in the west. How does it feel to know you were in that first wave of Korean directors to have their movies distributed and gain exposure overseas?

KSH: 2003 was a very significant year for the Korean film industry. It was an important year, and so many great films were released during it, for example Memories of Murder, Save the Green Planet!, and OldBoy. It could almost be interpreted as an internationalization of Korean film, with the huge variety of movies that became successful.

I feel very lucky that I directed a film in that specific year due to its significance, and I really believe that there was an atmosphere within the industry that people would invest in and produce a movie, as long as it had a good script and idea. I feel that’s really important in the film industry, however today this has become impossible. It’s sad, because I think it was that belief which made the films successful, with the knowledge that the investment and production would be there based on the strength of the script and idea.

in 2008, “Into the Mirror” was re-made as “Mirrors” with Kiefer Sutherland.

PB: In the 00’s so many Asian horror movies were re-made by Hollywood, and of course in 2008 Into the Mirror was re-made as Mirrors with Kiefer Sutherland. How did it feel for you, having written and directed the original, knowing it was being re-made into an English language version, and what’s your general feeling of Asian movies being re-made by Hollywood?

KSH: When I first heard the news that my film was going to be remade, I was very surprised. For me personally, I find the idea of Asian movies being re-made by Hollywood to be a good idea, because it means the story doesn’t just remain within Asia, but it’s transferred to America as well. When I watched Mirrors, obviously there were some points that I liked, and there were some points that I didn’t like, but my main impression from watching it was of how much budget Hollywood movies are able to get behind them.

Watching Alexandre Aja’s version, I realized that he presented some ideas that even I didn’t think about when making my version! So I’d say overall, my opinion on Asian movies being re-made by Hollywood is that they take the idea of the film, the core idea, and then they Americanize it to make a U.S. version, which I find really interesting.

PB: That’s a great answer. Well I’ll pose the question to you, if you could re-make any movie, which one would you choose?

KSH: Actually there are many movies which I’d like to re-make, but how many of them are feasible is a difficult question, as they’re usually decided by the producers. One of the films I’d really like to re-make is a French film called The Apartment, and also the Hollywood movie Dead Again. I think the scenarios in these movies would transfer really well into a Korean film.

PB: You’re one of the credited screenwriters on 2007’s Black House, which was directed by Sin Tae-ra. I noticed in most of your movies you write them and direct them, so in this instance, was it strange to see someone else directing your script?

Kim Sung-ho with the cast of “How to Steal a Dog” during a press conference.

KSH: Actually I was also supposed to direct Black House, but during the preparation for the film the production company changed, and unfortunately as a result I didn’t get to direct it, so Sin Tae-ra ended up as the director. For me the success and feel of a movie comes down to who directs it, so while I was watching the finished film I could see that a lot of my script had been changed, and so rather than still feeling like it was my movie, it made me feel distanced from it due to the changes that were made.

PB: Your 2010 feature film She Came From has quite a meta-feel to it, in that it deals with people working in the movie industry – a director – and the story is manipulated by another character deciding to re-write the script. In some ways it echoes the alternate realities that are touched on in Into the Mirror. Are these aspects of your work something that you’re drawn to?

KSH: Wow, you’ve done a lot of research! (laughter) Yes I think I like this theme a lot, and when I was directing She Came From it was actually quite experimental. I started the film without any script, so I attempted to direct a film with two actresses for two weeks, and we didn’t really have a story. So I think that structure wise it was very experimental, and you know the alternative reality scenes are something that I really like. I believe I borrowed the idea from David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, and I think these kind of ideas will continue to produce interesting movies in the future.

Kim Sung-ho wrote “Black House,” a film he was supposed to direct.

PB: Great, and for the final question, what can we look forward to next from Kim Sung-ho?

KSH: There’s a Korean web-toon called Gallbladder, which is the story of a little boy who’s trying to find his mother, and for some reason he gets captured. After 15 years he’s mysteriously released with 400 kilograms of gold. Obviously he doesn’t know why he was captured or by who, he only knows that he still needs to find his mother, however with all the gold he’s now carrying, he gets a lot of attention from many unscrupulous characters who want to take it. At the moment I’m working on the script, and it’s going to be an action movie

PB: Sounds great, and we’ll be looking forward to hearing more about it! Good luck for your movie screening tonight, and thanks again for taking the time to talk.

KSH: Thank you.

A big thanks to David Park for setting up the interview, and Soyoung Kim Greeberg for her excellent translation skills.

The Korean Film Festival of Australia runs from August 12th – September 27th spanning six cities, so if you’re down under, make sure you get to one of the many screenings being shown this year. For more details, visit koffia.com.au.

To read more of our interviews, please click here.