One of Korea's most successful directors is about to release his latest work.
Director Lee Joon-ik of "The King and the Clown" fame is back with "Radio Star", a movie about a medium that helped shape the director's own life.
This new production follows just nine months after "The King and the Clown" broke domestic box office records.
Son Heekyung has more.
Director Lee Joon-ik is at it again.
Less than a year after "The King and the Clown" rocked the box offices the Korean director has created a new full-length film, "Radio Star".
In contrast to his previous production, a story on royal life in the Joseon Dynasty of the 1500s this time around the director has delivered a human comedy set in the 1980s.
"Radio Star" has filmgoers curious to see if the director can pull off another mega-hit, after "The King and the Clown" reeled in more than 12 million movie fans across Korea.
Already expectations over his latest flick are high, given the casting of several big-name actors.
This time around, the director chose to focus on the radio; a medium that he says once gave him much inspiration.
Lee Joon-ik, S. KOREAN DIRECTOR: "Before the entry of television into society, most people including myself learned a lot about life through radio. But these days we depend on visual media. If visual media is regarded as a channel for extending fully constructed images, then the radio can be seen as one that encourages people to use their imagination".
"Radio Star" delves into the relationship between a rock star and his manager who have been close buddies for 20 years.
Set in a small town in Korea's mountainous province of Gangwon, "Radio Star" portrays the exhaustion of city dwellers after failing to satisfy their desires.
The film shows that it's not easy staying a rock star in the music industry for long, but that life isn't over when you're no longer in the spotlight.
Lee Joon-ik, S. KOREAN DIRECTOR: "Success does not necessarily mean happiness, and nor does failure mean unhappiness. Through this film, people will realize that there's more to life than winning or losing. What's important is that you live a happy life".
Now generating some added buzz before the film's release is a photo exhibit tied to "Radio Star" in the heart of Seoul.
SON HEEKYUNG, REPORTER: "Visitors in Seoul may have an opportunity to see the beautiful scenery and making of the film through photos. This is the first public display of photos taken during the movie's shooting. Director Lee Jun-ik says he wanted to share the beauty of nature that he saw while making the film".
The director says he tried to show how people can find satisfaction in a peaceful environment closer to nature something that can rarely be done in the city.
Korean )
