Director Kim Jee-woon brings A Tale of Two Sisters back after 20 years at LA's first Korean film festival: 'Film is a universal language; I believe in the power of stories'

A milestone for 'K-content' planted in the heart of Hollywood

The 'LA Korean Film Festival' opened for the first time in Los Angeles, the spiritual home of cinema. The plan to showcase the best of Korean film in the heart of Hollywood was bold, but some questioned whether it could win over the local film industry and audiences. Those concerns vanished almost instantly when organizers announced the participation of 'Director Kim Jee-woon', one of South Korea's leading auteurs.

Kim's body of work, which has charted major landmarks in Korean cinema, including 'Cobweb' (2023), 'The Age of Shadows' (2016), 'I Saw the Devil' (2010), 'A Bittersweet Life' (2005) and 'A Tale of Two Sisters' (2003), carries a powerful message in itself. In an interview conducted ahead of a conversation with the audience about 'A Tale of Two Sisters' at the Harmony Gold Preview House in Los Angeles on the 26th, local time, he explained why he readily crossed the Pacific. "As this is the first step in introducing Korean culture abroad, I wanted to give the inaugural event some real weight," he said.

A 'global universe' forged from the most distinctly Korean stories

The robust foundation laid by Korean cinema underpins the 'K-content' phenomenon now sweeping the world. 'Director Kim Jee-woon' said, "The cinematic genre films that poured out explosively from the late 1990s captured the attention of audiences overseas." He said those past innovations had accumulated over time to create the vast universe we see today.

He cautioned against becoming fixated on targeting global audiences. "The drama and genre thrills of film are a universal language," he said. "The works that have captivated the world, including author Han Kang's literature, webtoons and the film 'Parasite,' all contain deeply Korean narratives. I believe in the explosive power of our own stories." He added that "only when a work's quality is pushed to the limit can a masterpiece emerge that wins universal sympathy from people around the world."

The Oscars' choice: A new Academy member's perspective

Appointed this year as a new member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he now has the right to vote in future U.S. 'Academy' Awards, or Oscars. He took a modest view of the role, calling it "a small contribution toward helping discover outstanding works, not a means of wielding power or showing off." On his voting criteria, he said, "The key is whether a filmmaker has built an original cinematic language." He added that he would vote for works "whose innovative creative intent immediately resonates and delivers an intense sense of immersion."

The festival brought 'A Tale of Two Sisters' and 'The Good, the Bad, the Weird' together with Los Angeles audiences after a gap of roughly 20 years. Asked to recommend a single representative work to local viewers, the veteran director offered an answer that cut to the heart of the question.

"I always say I don't have a defining film. Put another way, every film can become my defining film. No matter which work you watch, it will share the individuality and mood that only 'Director Kim Jee-woon' can create."