Chung Sung-ill - Im Kwon-taek

The first time I met Mr. IM Kwon-taek was in a November afternoon in 1986, at a coffee shop named Nan-da-rang in Namsan. At that time, IMs film Ticket had just been released and he was in the middle of preparing for the next film, Surrogate Mother. That winter, I had a long interview with him and was able to publish the first collection of interviews with IM. Many people had predicted that the book will be the final edition of interviews with IM not because it was well-written but because IM had come a long way as a director and that he wouldnt be able to go much further from that point. However, those predictions were very incorrect. IM went further, or I would rather say that he set out for his long journey from that point and started to produce outstanding films since then.

In those days of interviewing IM, I watched his movies again. I paid very close attention to his worlds. I hadnt realized at first but at some point, it struck me that understanding IMs works means not just comprehending his movies, but the historical background of Korean cinema; which leads me further to understand my father and my grandfather.

I was able to perceive the scenes, shots, stories, and the main characters which I couldnt understand before by recollecting the logics of his words while watching his movies again. Just then, I became aware that I was watching the life of the time which my father couldnt dare talk to me about. History of modern Korea consists of many fetters, in which different generations live with very different experiences; Japanese colonization, confusion after the liberation, the Korean War, division of North and South, the dictatorship of PARK Chung-hee, the Gwangju Massacre in May 1980, pro-democracy movements in 1987, the International Monetary Fund bailout in 1997, and the 21st century. Many artists left records of their generations but IM is the only one who has truly embraced all the events of the 20th century and is conveying a message to us now. Just looking at the result, he is nearly the most miraculous survivor but when the personal story of his survival comes to light, the miracle is a record of the tears of a tragic history. After all, I think Korean cinema is the director, IM Kwon-taek. I am not implying that he is the best director in Korea. Describing IM is recording the history of Korean movies and, furthermore, explaining the history of modern Korea.

To write this book, I used some quotes from previous interviews with IM but I met him again in October 2006 to hear more about his thoughts specifically for this book. During the recent interview, he showed some changes on some of his opinions from before. Therefore, I can say that IMs thoughts on films in this book are his most recent ones. However, we must not stop here because IM is a cineaste whose biggest fear is to stop at a place. He repeatedly makes pledges to himself even in his films. In his movie Chihwaseon, JANG Seung-up runs to his teacher with his painting of Sehando and proudly says, Teacher, I completed the picture. But the teacher scolds him fiercely saying, You fool, there is no completion when painting. IM will never complete his movie. This book will also be a temporary writing piece in this world, while it waits for IMs next movie.

CHUNG Sung-ill
Early Winter, 2006