Park solidifies fame by winning jury prize

Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook solidified his international reputation by grabbing the jury prize at the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival on Sunday for vampire thriller "Thirst."

"Thirst" competed for top honors at this year`s Cannes with 19 other acclaimed directors, including Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, Xavier Giannoli and Ang Lee.

The honor came after Park`s latest film generated mixed reviews in Cannes. Some critics hailed "Thirst" as a towering achievement that topped the director`s previous thriller "Oldboy," while other remained unimpressed by the mixture of explosive violence and explicit sex.



Despite the conflicting opinions, Park went on to become the first Korean filmmaker to receive two awards at Cannes. Park previously won the festival`s second-place honor with "Oldboy" in 2004.

"I think I still have a long way to go in becoming a true artist because I still don`t know about the pain of creation. I only know about the joy of creation," Park said at the awards ceremony. "I`d like to share this honor with actor Song Gang-ho, a great friend and colleague."

Song played the priest-turned-vampire in the film, a character forced to fight off his inner demons after the mysterious transformation caused by a blood transfusion.

In what Park described as a "scandalous vampire melodrama," Song`s priest figure lusts not only for blood but also his childhood friend`s wife, leading to an ethical quagmire in which desires clash with a quest for salvation.

The latest award for Park marks the fourth time that a Korean film has received one of the main awards at the Cannes film festival. Veteran filmmaker Lim Kwon-taek won the director`s award in 2002 for "Chihwaseon" and Jeon Do-yeon took the best actress prize in 2007 for "Secret Sunshine."

Park made his feature film debut in 1992. In 2000, Park began to build his fame with "Joint Security Area," which also starred Song.

Park`s career took off both at home and abroad thanks to the success of his vengeance trilogy - "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," "Oldboy" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance."

Park has made eight feature films, five of which made it to international film festivals, due in large part to his trademark penchant for brutal subject matter.

Ahead of the awards announcement in Cannes, expectations mounted here that Park might win an honor again because he expressed strong confidence in "Thirst," saying that he spent almost 10 years preparing for the vampire thriller.

Park also pulled off a co-production deal with major Hollywood studio Universal Pictures for "Thirst," reflecting his heightened stature in the international market. In Cannes, the film was sold to more than 10 countries including France, Greece and Brazil.

"Thirst," released in Korea on April 30, sold more than 2.1 million tickets on the strength of the publicity generated by Park`s entry to Cannes` prestigious competition section.

Bong Joon-ho, another celebrated Korean filmmaker, also joined the Cannes festival with "Mother," a groundbreaking tale about a woman`s fight to save her son, who is implicated in a murder case.

Starring veteran actress Kim Hye-ja as a mother convinced of her son`s innocence, the movie won a standing ovation after premiering as one of the films running for the Un Certain Regard prize for fresh upcoming talent.

Among other Korean filmmakers in Cannes, Lee Chang-dong stood out as a member of this year`s Palme jury. The former culture minister and writer-director gained international reputation with refined dramas such as "Peppermint Candy" and "Oasis."

By Yang Sung-jin



(insight@heraldm.com)