'Bong Joon-ho discovery' British critic Tony Rayns dies, a patron of Korean cinema

Remembering Tony Rayns, 'Korea film's eternal compass'

The 'Pioneer with Blue Eyes' who brought Korean film from the margins to the center of global attention has left us. 'Tony Rayns,' a leading British film critic and programmer, died on the 8th. Without his sharp insights and devotion, the renaissance of Korean cinema would have arrived far more slowly.

'Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)' said in a statement on its official social media accounts that "Tony Rayns, who made the world aware of the value of Korean film and Asian film earlier than anyone, has passed away," and expressed deep condolences. Born in 1948, the late critic was evaluated as the first person to recognize the explosive potential of Korean cinema. He served as a critic for the authoritative British Film Institute (BFI) publication 'Site & Sound' and worked as a programmer for the 'London Film Festival' and the 'Vancouver Film Festival'.

One widely cited anecdote that shows his exceptional eye is his connection with 'Director Bong Joon-ho.' In 1994, with Bong Joon-ho then still little known, he secured a direct invitation for the short 'Jirimeuryeol' to the Vancouver and Hong Kong film festivals. It was that move that first introduced the birth of the future master who would go on to sweep the Academy Awards to audiences around the world.

The solidarity he built with the Korean film industry went beyond the relationship between a critic and a subject of criticism. When 'Busan International Film Festival' was launched in 1996, he gladly served as an advisory committee member, laying a solid foundation for the festival to grow into what is now widely regarded as Asia’s top film festival. Recognizing his contributions, in 2012 the documentary 'Tony Rayns and 25 Years of Korean Film' was screened to spotlight him, and he also received, for the first time among foreign recipients, the 'Korea Film Appreciation Plaque' from the 'Korean Film Promotion Commission,' an honor bestowed on him.

Kim Dong-ho, the former executive director of the Busan International Film Festival, who had built a special friendship with him from the festival’s start, said, "A person who made a major contribution to introducing Korean film to the world," and conveyed his grief. The story of Kim, who about five years ago even traveled to the United Kingdom to visit the late critic while he was receiving treatment, reflects the deep respect and honor the Korean film community holds for him that reaches beyond the two men alone. His footsteps, as Korea film’s most steadfast ally, will be recorded in film history forever.