Kim Ki-duk Discusses 'Samaria' and Silver Bear
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Director Kim Ki-duk displays trophy for Best Director Award won at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival during a press conference in Seoul.
Director Kim Ki-duk, who won the Silver Bear award for Best Director at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival for his latest feature "Samaria", said Monday that he is happy about a Korean low budget film getting the international spotlight through this film festival.
"I'm happy because by winning this award I will be given a chance to run a film production in Europe, and it's fortunate that I no longer have to worry about how to promote this film, produced at a small cost of W500 million without casting stars", Kim said during a press conference in Seoul.
Kim was in Paris, attending the debut of his Blue Dragon Award-winning film, "Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter", when he was informed about winning the Silver Bear. "I don't think they gave me the award because of 'Samaria,' alone. They seem to be evaluating me, through the work I've done so far, as a director with a unique style. Actually, one critic told me that my films depict characters committing cruel crimes and social evils, yet he couldn't hate those characters", Kim recalled.
Asked about the reason why he made a film about teenage prostitution ("Samaria"), he said, "There are about 600,000 female prostitutes in Korea, and about 600,000 fathers of prostitutes. These fathers also buy sex from others' daughters. Therefore, there is no simple criminal-victim relationship. They are all accomplices in this crime".
Kim said that "Samaria" is a film worth watching by both parents and children, so he will ask the government to revoke the film's rating banning those under 19 from seeing it. Kim's next work, titled "Yuri", will deal with the story of a Korean girl who is adopted and grows up in Europe.
Song Won-seop
Director Kim Ki-duk, who won the Silver Bear award for Best Director at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival for his latest feature "Samaria", said Monday that he is happy about a Korean low budget film getting the international spotlight through this film festival.
"I'm happy because by winning this award I will be given a chance to run a film production in Europe, and it's fortunate that I no longer have to worry about how to promote this film, produced at a small cost of W500 million without casting stars", Kim said during a press conference in Seoul.
Kim was in Paris, attending the debut of his Blue Dragon Award-winning film, "Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter", when he was informed about winning the Silver Bear. "I don't think they gave me the award because of 'Samaria,' alone. They seem to be evaluating me, through the work I've done so far, as a director with a unique style. Actually, one critic told me that my films depict characters committing cruel crimes and social evils, yet he couldn't hate those characters", Kim recalled.
Asked about the reason why he made a film about teenage prostitution ("Samaria"), he said, "There are about 600,000 female prostitutes in Korea, and about 600,000 fathers of prostitutes. These fathers also buy sex from others' daughters. Therefore, there is no simple criminal-victim relationship. They are all accomplices in this crime".
Kim said that "Samaria" is a film worth watching by both parents and children, so he will ask the government to revoke the film's rating banning those under 19 from seeing it. Kim's next work, titled "Yuri", will deal with the story of a Korean girl who is adopted and grows up in Europe.
Song Won-seop
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