Jeju Native to Take Film About Island to Sundance

Indie director O Meul only makes movies about one theme: Jeju Island, the place he was born and raised. All of his actors hail from the subtropical island and they all speak its distinctive dialect. That's why his movies carry subtitles even when they are shown in Korea. Now, his latest movie "Jiseul" will compete in the Sundance Film Festival, which opens on Jan. 17 next year. Created by veteran actor and director Robert Redford, the festival is considered the world's premier showcase for independent films.

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Based on a true story, the movie is set in 1948 during a brutal crackdown on communist sympathizers on Jeju, which forces the residents of one village to flee to a cave to survive. "'Jiseul' in Jeju dialect means 'fruit of the land', or potatoes", the 42-year-old director said. "Around the world, potatoes are considered a staple food. In my movie, they symbolize survival and hope".

"Jiseul" was shot in black and white, while scenes of the villagers hiding were shot in an actual cave on the island. The movie cost only W250 million (US$1=W1,087) to make, much of it financed by the Jeju Film Commission and the rest covered by O, who took out a personal loan to get the project finished.

"The movie was shot in black and white because it gives the viewer a stronger impression", O said. "I often get the feeling that colors can be noisy".

He admitted it was often tough filming inside a cave. "We had to crawl into tight spaces and move our filming equipment around", O said. "Some people even got frost bite during the winter".

O said he often worries that he may not be able to complete a film he is working on or find interested theaters to screen his movies. "That would render much of our hard work and effort obsolete, but it doesn't make the entire project a write-off", he said, "because I enjoy the whole process of making films".

With the exception of a few soldiers, all of the actors in "Jiseul" come from Jeju. When asked if he would continue to direct movies about his home using local actors, he said, "To me, Seoul is not important. The center of my world is Jeju".

"It is important to appeal to a wide audience, but what can be more important in a movie than featuring my own world?" he added.