Director Kim Jee Woon (left) and speaker Nguyen Le at the exchange, held at Ho Chi Minh City Theater - Photo: To Cuong
Cinema lovers as well as filmmakers and film producers had the opportunity to meet and discuss with famous Korean director Kim Jee Woon, and at the same time enjoy the horror and psychological work that brought his career to its peak - the film A Tale of Two Sisters (Vietnamese title: The Story of Two Sisters ) on the big screen.
This is one of the special film activities within the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF 2024), the first international film event in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr. Kim Jee Woon (2nd from right) on the set of the new movie Cobweb with actor Song Kang Ho - Photo: CJ Entertainment
Director Kim Jee Woon left his mark on audiences and professionals with outstanding projects such as the sports comedy The Foul King (2000), the horror masterpiece A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), and the revenge horror film I Saw the Devil (2010).
Trailer of the movie A tale of two sisters
Kim Jee Woon and the Art of Aesthetic Horror Filmmaking
At the exchange, director Kim Jee Woon devoted much affection to answering questions from readers and the host - film critic and translator Nguyen Le about the film A tale of two sisters in particular and his filmmaking career in general.
A Tale of Two Sisters is a film based on a Korean folk tale from the Joseon Dynasty called Janghwa Hongryeon (Rose and Lotus).
The film revolves around the story of two sisters Su Mi and Su Yeon and their father when they return to the house where they grew up.
Here, many strange events begin to occur, the root cause of which is the haunting memories of past tragedies that occurred here.
A scene from the movie A tale of two sisters - Photo: IMDb
Director Kim shared that his film is not just a horror film associated with common fear but also comes with two elements: art, aesthetics and a sad story in the film that makes the audience feel haunted by the film long after watching.
Films that mixed beauty and horror were also experimented with by some pioneering Japanese filmmakers at that time.
However, it is the way director Kim Jee Woon develops the images and sounds in the film combined with the complex psychological aspects of the characters that has made A tale of two sisters a monument of Asian and world horror films.
Also attending the event were Mr. Kim Dong Ho, former founder and director of Busan International Film Festival and honorary chairman of HIFF;
Mr. Jeawon Choi, former director of Warner Bros. Korea branch and currently CEO of Anthology studio, along with many Vietnamese and international audiences.
Kim Jee Woon wants to make movies in Ho Chi Minh City
At the end of the 30-minute exchange, director Kim confided that if he left immediately, he would miss the audience who came to chat with him, so he tried to "hold on" a little time to share his impressions in Vietnam.
Kim Jee Woon shares how he did the first "ideological work" when he got the inspiration to make a film - Photo: To Cuong
"This is the first time I have had the opportunity to come to Vietnam. In my impression, Ho Chi Minh City is a city full of energy. The Vietnamese people I have met are very open and free.
I like it and think it's a very potential environment for cinema.
Hopefully today's sharing will be useful for filmmakers and film producers in Vietnam in the future" - director Kim Jee Woon shared.
Taking that opportunity, critic Nguyen Le also asked him about the chance of a film directed by him being made and set in Ho Chi Minh City?
Director Kim excitedly replied: "When visiting Ho Chi Minh City, I took many pictures that I thought would be very beautiful when filmed.
I will discuss this with my colleagues and if all goes well, this is something that could happen in the not too distant future."
He also said that he would definitely introduce Vietnam to filmmakers in Korea, opening up more opportunities for Ho Chi Minh City - a potential environment that has left a great impression on him.
Dream of Vietnamese cinema interacting with the world
Mr. Nguyen Le, the host of the exchange program with director Kim Jee Woon, shared that exchanges like this are a dream come true for many people in the Vietnamese film industry.
Although there are still many points that need to be improved, with the current development momentum, when the 2nd or 3rd HIFF is held, our film festival will become a destination for many international filmmakers, we will not need to search and invite them like now.
"When HIFF 2026 takes place, there might not only be regional filmmakers walking on the red carpet, but also Hollywood superstars like Emma Stone," he optimistically shared.
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