It's not every day that an Oscar-nominated director comes to town -- especially one from New Zealand. So, when that happened recently, it was a good opportunity to throw a film party.
The director in question was Taika Waititi, who won international recognition after his film "Two Cars, One Night" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2005.
The recent event was also the perfect opportunity to bring together moviemakers from both Korea and New Zealand to discuss possible future collaborations.
"It's a very bright future, and I think this year will be a bumper year, in terms of actual projects under way", said New Zealand Ambassador Jane Coombs to The Korea Herald.
One perfect example of this collaboration is the Korean feature called "Laundry Warrior" ("
The Warrior's Way") by
Sngmoo Lee, slated for release sometime this year. The $40-million movie stars Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth and Korean actor
Jang Dong-gun.
"There are some Korean filmmakers who are working with New Zealand filmmakers on two other co-production projects which we hope will be done this year", she said with optimism, adding that there are others in the pipeline.
Coombs said that what she finds exciting is the real collaboration that is happening: "It's not just filmmakers going to another country and using those services; it's actually a genuine creative and business collaboration".
Korea Film Council chairman and movie director
Lee Hyeon-seung sees a bright future for joint ventures between moviemakers from Korea and New Zealand because, as with "Laundry Warrior" ("
The Warrior's Way"), collaborations could sell worldwide, including in the United States. That's why he's been working with the Korean government to establish a fund to bring together artists from both countries, to strengthen that relationship.
Lee is well known for his movie "
Il Mare", which was remade in Hollywood as "The Lake House" starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
The reason that moviemakers from both countries work so well together, Lee said, is their "common sense of humor and other commonalities".
While the Korean government has been slow in signing the Korea-New Zealand Co-production Film Agreement, filmmakers have picked up the pace and started working together anyway.
The party at the Coombs' residence featured two films by Waititi.
The first was "Two Cars, One Night", which is about two boys and a girl who cross paths in the parking lot of a rural pub in Te Kaha, New Zealand. What at first seems to be a relationship based on rivalry soon develops into a close friendship.
Good news for those who saw this flick: Waititi is currently working on full-length feature version.
The second was "Tama tu", which is about a squad of Maori troops in Europe during World War II who silently entertain themselves in a destroyed house as they wait to be part of the coming battle.
When asked if Lee and Waititi will be hooking up for a movie, the New Zealand director said that this is highly possible.
Separately, Lee is working on his new movie -- a thriller. The name of the film has not been decided yet, but it looks like another gem.
By Yoav Cerralbo
