Seoul-based sales company Finecut has announced the well-known Korean director Kim Ki-duk's next film, tentatively titled "Pieta", is set to start shooting this month.

The film is about a brutal man who works for a cruel loan shark. Without any family or loved ones to worry about, he has no fear or hesitation when it comes to carrying out his evil deeds. One day, a mysterious woman shows up in his life, saying she is his mother. At first, he doesn't believe her, having no memories of a mother. But as his attachment to her grows, he discovers her gruesome yet sad secret...More

Each year I assemble my top 10 list out of the Korean films that have been released in theaters over the previous 12 months. The small independent films that I catch at the Busan or Jeonju film festivals may not be released by December, but they generally do get a small commercial release within a year or two, so I can include them in a later list.This year, however, I came across a great film that may end up not getting a commercial release, so I squeezed it in where #10 would normally go. I was racking my brain over that #10 slot anyway...More

Director and screenplay writer Kim Ki-duk expressed his gratitude to the audience on the 28th of June. He revealed a letter with his appreciation through the distributors. Produced by Juhn Jai-hong and acted out by Yoon Kye-sang and Kim Gyoo-ri-I, "Poongsan" is about a mysterious man who goes back and forth Seoul and Pyongyang, resolving the sorrows of separated families and the incidents that happen after he brings a woman of a high-ranking government official from Pyongyang to Seoul. Having been released on the 23rd, it has drawn in 310,000 admissions as of the the 27th and reached the break-even point. At a cost of 200 million won (~US$200,000), this movie staff and actors were on it for no guarantees. The following is the letter written by director and producer Kim Ki-duk.

Thanking the audience for "Poongsan"...More

By Lee  Hyo-won

Director Kim Ki-duk has returned to Korean cinema with an inter-Korean story that he penned and produced. "Poongsan", directed by his protege Juhn Jai-hong, tries to prove that filmmaking is not about the size of the budget.

And it sure does show that near-impossible projects can actually go through.

The 200 million-won film (~US$200,000) was shot over 25 takes in just 30 days, while the entire cast and crew took part in the project with no guarantee...More

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

"I also think it is a superb film", director-actor Yang Ik-joon told The Korea Times in an interview, Thursday, in Seoul, when this reporter complimented his multiple award-winning film "Breathless". "Other directors are going to think I'm nauseating", said the 33-year-old headline maker, exploding into another one of his distinct, high-pitched giggles.

While sporting the same short haircut and mustache, as well the Nike sneakers, from the film, Yang was nothing like the brooding, foul-mouthed thug he played. His feature directorial debut, "Breathless", has swept top awards at numerous film festivals, from Rotterdam to Las Palmas. Naturally, Yang had been giving non-stop interviews but he still beamed with energy at 8:30 p.m.

At the international events, he said he had fun being called "― nom (bastard)" ― a word that appears in almost every line of the movie ― by foreign cineastes and festivalgoers. In Deauville, France, "Breathless" was never confused with the Jean-Luc Godard film of the same English title, and he even got to meet Pierre Rissient, who was the assistant director of the Nouvelle Vague masterpiece. He loved the movie and treated Yang to several meals.

Nevertheless, he seemed unperturbed by the sudden fame. "The trophies look all the same", he joked. He's thankful and honored, but had experienced too many overwhelming emotions during the three years of making More