To foster better understanding and cooperation between Korean and
Chinese film industries, the 2004 Beijing South Korea Film
Festival?started on December 2.
It was hosted jointly by the Korean Film Council and China Film
Group and ensured that over 200 Korean celebrities had close
contact with local filmgoers. Among them were Jeon Ji-hyun, Cha
Tae-hyun, Ahn Jae-wook, Jang Dong-gun and Kim Hee-sun.
The China-South Korea Film Summit Forum opened on the second day
of the festival. Top officials from both countries and a number of
domestic filmmakers and actors attended the opening ceremony.
According to the organizers, there were three goals for the
summit and festival: to coordinate to produce good films, to
promote movie imports and exports between China and South Korea and
to build a powerful regional film coalition.
There was some embarrassment when it turned out that most of the
Korean
attendees weren't aware of many names involved in Chinese cinema,
apart from the obvious stars like Zhang Yimou, Gong Li and Zhang
Ziyi.
Kang Je-gyu, director of the box office record breaker Tae
Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War, was one of a few familiar with
the broader Chinese film industry. He expressed a willingness to
cooperate with director Feng Xiaogang a couple of times, and this
eagerly awaited move is widely considered a breakthrough.
During the festival,?12 films, three made in 2002, seven in
2003 and two in 2004, were selected to dazzle Beijing audiences in
two local theaters. All the films, including My Tutor
Friend, Oasis, Old Boy and Wonderful
Days, belong to various genres, but have a common
characteristic: entertainment.
In China, many still belittle market-oriented filmmakers and
call Hong Kong-made entertainment films "garbage." The unprofitable
industry has long been undermined by widespread piracy and fierce
competition from foreign movies. The so-called "fifth" and "sixth
generation" directors were all infatuated with shooting art films
and winning awards abroad, and set this as an example for
newcomers. As a result, underground themes and counterculture
stories have increasingly alienated mainstream audiences.
"Feng Xiaogang and I are both entertainment directors." Kang Je-gyu
said Feng was his favorite Chinese director. "It doesn't mean I
don't like Zhang Yimou?-- I admit that he has made great
contributions to film in China. But Feng is capable of engaging a
wider audience with his films."
From imitating Hollywood at first to eventually innovating their
own styles, smart Korean directors now dominate their own market,
successfully drawing in many fans who once favored American
blockbusters.
Sun Jianjun, a sponsor of the event, has worked in film since
returning from the US a decade ago. He acknowledged he has watched
more American than Korean movies, but the more he has seen, the
more he thinks it is impossible for the Chinese industry to follow
Hollywood's model.
Sun said that the festival was a good platform for people who
seldom met each other to talk together. In fact, cooperation on
five films was agreed during the event.
When might China catch up with South Korea in filmmaking?
Sun said, "For a simple program, it only needs two or three
years. If we want enough excellent films to compete with their
Korean counterparts, it needs three to five years. To establish an
integrated industry?that can develop in a sustainable way, and
provide wonderful movies for filmgoers to see every weekend, it
needs much longer?-- maybe longer than eight years."
South Korea plans to host a China Film Festival in Seoul in
2005.
Recently, China imported?some 50 films annually, about a
half?from the United States.?Since many?domestic
film fans?are unable to watch?movies from other
countries, the Film Bureau will make more efforts to diversify the
source countries next year.
(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, December 17, 2004)
