South Korean director misses KIFF, roots for democracy
Times of India | 10 December 2024
Kolkata: South Korean director OH Jung-min, who was scheduled to attend the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), couldn't make it to "the homeland of Satyajit Ray". The director was overseas on a private visit while submitting his Indian visa application. Due to delays in the application, he faced difficulties obtaining his visa on time to fly to Kolkata.
Jung-min's ‘House of the Seasons', which was screened on Sunday and has a show at Nazrul Tirtha on Tuesday, remains among the contenders for KIFF's top award. Kolkata for him, he told TOI from Korea, evoked memories of Satyajit Ray. "Ray played a pivotal role in elevating films to the realm of art. I cherish Ray's ‘The Big City (Mahanagar)'. I owe him some of my humour and the understanding that film can be multi-layered," he said, pointing out that the scene, where Arati applied her lipstick and went to work in ‘Mahanagar, resonated deeply with him at each viewing. Apologetic for not being able to attend KIFF, Jung-min said he was keen on screening his films in India and engaging with the audience. "I would love to visit the festival with my next film," he said.
Born in 1989, Jung-min's film, set in his hometown Daegu, portrays a family operating a traditional tofu factory. While discord emerges over inheritance rights following the demise of the family matriarch, the eldest grandson declines to assume stewardship of the family business. "I wanted to make a film about Korea's long history, where I could blend my personal story with the country's larger history," he said. But not all the stories in his film were personal, he said. "I'm the eldest grandchild of a large family. I realised that family relationships and heritage conflicts I felt were universal. I made the film from a compassionate perspective, wondering if the older generation that I hated were people who were swept away by the times. That's the reality of Korea today. Things happen that we can't understand, but if our wishes come together, we will one day find our place," he said.
Back home, Jung-min has been out on the streets, raising his "voice for democracy and justice". "With the film festival schedule and domestic release schedule almost finalised, I was hoping to take a break. But, it's not easy now. I can't wait for the current affairs to settle down and get back to work on the screenplay," he said. "Regardless of political spectrum, everyone is outraged by the current situation. After returning home from abroad, I joined numerous Korean film-makers in making a statement and went out on the streets to be with the citizens, raising their voice for democracy and justice. We are safe now. I will do my best for a better future."
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