1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:10,552 --> 00:00:11,761 That film… 4 00:00:14,472 --> 00:00:16,975 Looking for Paradise. 5 00:00:17,976 --> 00:00:22,105 It's a short, five-minute film that was made by a student. 6 00:00:22,188 --> 00:00:26,067 Back then, Director Bong was not the Director Bong he is now. 7 00:00:26,693 --> 00:00:28,778 When did you watch that film? 8 00:00:29,279 --> 00:00:35,118 Well, in terms of the life span of Yellow Door, 9 00:00:35,201 --> 00:00:39,122 I'd say it was either the beginning or the middle, not the latter years. 10 00:00:40,665 --> 00:00:43,334 One day, Director Bong… 11 00:00:43,418 --> 00:00:45,837 Back then, we just called him Joon Ho. 12 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,424 He said he got some money after working as a tutor. 13 00:00:49,507 --> 00:00:52,177 I think he had worked for a month or two. 14 00:00:52,260 --> 00:00:56,014 Anyway, he bought a camera with that money 15 00:00:56,097 --> 00:00:59,142 and made a film using his living room as the backdrop. 16 00:00:59,225 --> 00:01:03,146 It was about a caterpillar looking for its paradise. 17 00:01:03,813 --> 00:01:06,566 He made this tiny little caterpillar. 18 00:01:06,649 --> 00:01:12,113 And since it was a stop-motion animation, he had to move it one cut at a time. 19 00:01:14,282 --> 00:01:19,037 At the end, the caterpillar fights a stuffed monkey in the living room. 20 00:01:20,705 --> 00:01:24,000 And eventually, it continues its journey to paradise. 21 00:01:25,752 --> 00:01:30,465 It was incredible. I was in shock. I was so amazed by it back then. 22 00:01:32,509 --> 00:01:35,261 He didn't seem like the Joon Ho I knew. 23 00:01:35,345 --> 00:01:38,515 The film was about five minutes long. 24 00:01:39,599 --> 00:01:40,934 It was 23 minutes. 25 00:01:43,311 --> 00:01:46,898 And you got the protagonist and the villain mixed up. 26 00:01:46,981 --> 00:01:48,024 I got them mixed up? 27 00:01:48,108 --> 00:01:49,067 VILLAIN - PROTAGONIST 28 00:01:49,150 --> 00:01:52,237 -Wasn't the caterpillar the protagonist? -It was the gorilla. 29 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:53,571 PROTAGONIST 30 00:01:54,697 --> 00:01:57,117 I thought it was the caterpillar. 31 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,202 Oh, it was the gorilla? 32 00:02:00,787 --> 00:02:01,871 I see. 33 00:02:02,747 --> 00:02:05,500 I found this wooden box after a really long time. 34 00:02:05,583 --> 00:02:07,544 About 20 years or so. 35 00:02:08,211 --> 00:02:10,672 I used to store a lot of stuff in here. 36 00:02:11,339 --> 00:02:13,299 And here's something I found. 37 00:02:13,383 --> 00:02:14,634 Oh, 8 mm films? 38 00:02:14,717 --> 00:02:18,304 These are the 8 mm films from our Yellow Door workshop. 39 00:02:18,388 --> 00:02:19,222 These are… 40 00:02:19,722 --> 00:02:21,558 -Wow! -I have all of them here. 41 00:02:21,641 --> 00:02:23,143 -This many. -Look at that! 42 00:02:23,226 --> 00:02:26,813 I got all kinds of stuff here. I don't quite remember what we did. 43 00:02:27,397 --> 00:02:29,315 We filmed all kinds of nonsense. 44 00:02:30,358 --> 00:02:36,114 I hope these will help us through this Rashomon situation. 45 00:02:36,197 --> 00:02:37,615 They are all here. 46 00:02:37,699 --> 00:02:39,701 You still have the gorilla, right? 47 00:02:39,784 --> 00:02:41,035 Yes, the gorilla. 48 00:02:41,119 --> 00:02:42,287 I do have it, but… 49 00:02:45,999 --> 00:02:48,168 Let's just say it's gone. 50 00:02:50,336 --> 00:02:52,797 It's embarrassing, you know. 51 00:03:46,643 --> 00:03:51,272 YELLOW DOOR: '90S LO-FI FILM CLUB 52 00:03:55,526 --> 00:03:59,530 "I'm reminded of my hidden debut film, which I've never mentioned anywhere else." 53 00:04:01,407 --> 00:04:05,245 "Before I made my self-proclaimed first short film, White Man, 54 00:04:05,328 --> 00:04:09,207 I once made a short animated film entitled Looking for Paradise." 55 00:04:10,833 --> 00:04:12,043 JU SUNG-CHUL AUTHOR OF THE DEBUT 56 00:04:12,126 --> 00:04:13,836 A COMPILATION OF INTERVIEWS WITH RENOWNED KOREAN DIRECTORS 57 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,674 I interviewed Director Bong Joon Ho while writing The Debut. 58 00:04:17,757 --> 00:04:21,427 He spoke as if he was a spy sharing a secret. 59 00:04:22,095 --> 00:04:27,809 He glanced left and right as he said, "Actually, I once made this other film." 60 00:04:27,892 --> 00:04:33,147 So I thought, "I should leave this out. I guess I won't be able to use this." 61 00:04:33,231 --> 00:04:34,899 But the story was so interesting. 62 00:04:36,734 --> 00:04:41,072 "I invited 20 or so people to the Yellow Door Christmas party 63 00:04:41,155 --> 00:04:45,326 and had my very first movie premiere with a completely flushed face." 64 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,958 "The only people on Earth who have seen that movie 65 00:04:52,041 --> 00:04:55,003 are the people who were there that day." 66 00:05:07,974 --> 00:05:09,726 Jong-tae, can you hear me? 67 00:05:09,809 --> 00:05:11,311 Hey. Hi! 68 00:05:11,811 --> 00:05:12,729 Can you see me? 69 00:05:13,396 --> 00:05:14,564 Yes, I can see you. 70 00:05:14,647 --> 00:05:16,649 -You must be busy. -Yes, I guess. 71 00:05:16,733 --> 00:05:19,152 Your film will be released in a few days. 72 00:05:19,235 --> 00:05:22,488 Yeah, I've been busier because the production was small. 73 00:05:23,656 --> 00:05:25,325 I had to make some things happen. 74 00:05:26,242 --> 00:05:28,077 It looks like Se-bum dyed his hair. 75 00:05:31,205 --> 00:05:32,957 -It's been so long, Se-bum. -Hey, Ban. 76 00:05:33,041 --> 00:05:35,043 Did you dye your hair? Your hair… 77 00:05:35,126 --> 00:05:36,377 Well, I have to. 78 00:05:37,211 --> 00:05:39,130 It's completely gray unless I dye it. 79 00:05:39,213 --> 00:05:41,799 He looks like a minister today. 80 00:05:41,883 --> 00:05:45,762 You know, like the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. 81 00:05:46,721 --> 00:05:48,765 -Oh, Byung-hoon. -It's working. 82 00:05:48,848 --> 00:05:49,932 Hey! 83 00:05:51,100 --> 00:05:53,102 Is that Byung-hoon? Man. 84 00:05:53,186 --> 00:05:54,687 Wow, Byung-hoon. 85 00:05:54,771 --> 00:05:56,564 -Can you see us? -Can't he see us? 86 00:05:56,647 --> 00:05:58,149 -I don't think he can. -He can. 87 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:01,361 -Hey. -Can you hear us? 88 00:06:01,444 --> 00:06:02,487 -I see you. -Okay. 89 00:06:03,696 --> 00:06:06,407 What time is it over there? Is it after midnight? 90 00:06:06,491 --> 00:06:07,909 It's almost eleven o'clock. 91 00:06:07,992 --> 00:06:08,910 11:00 p.m.? 92 00:06:09,410 --> 00:06:11,079 -Yes. -Gosh. 93 00:06:11,162 --> 00:06:14,082 Hey, your Korean has gotten a bit awkward now. 94 00:06:18,002 --> 00:06:19,295 Oh, come on. 95 00:06:20,046 --> 00:06:22,799 Should we do this in English? Byung-hoon, should we? 96 00:06:25,009 --> 00:06:27,220 -Hi. Oh my! -Min-hyang! 97 00:06:28,012 --> 00:06:29,764 -Hi, there! -Hey! 98 00:06:29,847 --> 00:06:30,681 Hi. 99 00:06:30,765 --> 00:06:31,766 Hey! 100 00:06:45,154 --> 00:06:47,281 -Oh my. Who are they? -When was this? 101 00:06:47,365 --> 00:06:49,158 Oh my! Look at them. 102 00:06:50,827 --> 00:06:52,620 -Why is it so… -Out of focus. 103 00:06:52,703 --> 00:06:55,289 I couldn't stand this kind of thing back then. 104 00:06:56,666 --> 00:06:58,418 I mean, we were in a film club. 105 00:06:59,460 --> 00:07:00,920 But they're all out of focus. 106 00:07:01,421 --> 00:07:03,881 This is hilarious. Seriously, who took these? 107 00:07:03,965 --> 00:07:05,341 Let's find the culprit. 108 00:07:05,425 --> 00:07:07,593 It wasn't me. I'm in the photo. 109 00:07:07,677 --> 00:07:08,845 I'm in it too. 110 00:07:08,928 --> 00:07:10,304 Wait, I'm not in the photo! 111 00:07:14,809 --> 00:07:15,768 Is that me? 112 00:07:16,561 --> 00:07:19,272 Why did we keep taking photos of gum? 113 00:07:20,064 --> 00:07:22,650 -It must've been a focus test. -It was for a focus test. 114 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,197 We didn't know the basic mechanism of cameras. 115 00:07:28,281 --> 00:07:31,200 So, basic things like exposure, aperture… 116 00:07:31,284 --> 00:07:32,118 Yes, right. 117 00:07:32,201 --> 00:07:35,246 Shutter speed, focus, and other things. 118 00:07:35,329 --> 00:07:39,625 It was a workshop for us to become familiar with those things. 119 00:07:39,709 --> 00:07:41,919 So these photos are far from art. 120 00:07:42,879 --> 00:07:45,173 It's just a parade of dull photos. 121 00:07:46,632 --> 00:07:48,551 Wasn't this Kim Hye-ja's house? 122 00:07:48,634 --> 00:07:50,553 Yes, it was Ms. Kim's house. 123 00:07:51,220 --> 00:07:53,723 When we looked out the window of our office, 124 00:07:53,806 --> 00:07:56,559 we would see Ms. Kim's garden, you know. 125 00:07:56,642 --> 00:07:58,394 Yes, her front gate as well. 126 00:07:58,478 --> 00:08:01,814 We used to take a lot of pictures in front of that stone wall 127 00:08:01,898 --> 00:08:03,149 because it was so pretty. 128 00:08:04,692 --> 00:08:06,986 Wow, look at Dae-yup's sexy pose. 129 00:08:12,283 --> 00:08:17,622 If I had known there was a club there, I would've looked out a little more often. 130 00:08:17,705 --> 00:08:22,460 All I ever thought at the time was, "They can see my house from upstairs." 131 00:08:23,753 --> 00:08:27,715 So you never know what will happen in life, right? 132 00:08:28,925 --> 00:08:33,679 The most heartwarming memory I have of Joon Ho is this. 133 00:08:33,763 --> 00:08:36,098 After the release of Memories of Murder, 134 00:08:36,182 --> 00:08:41,020 you called me at night. It must've been around 10:00 p.m. 135 00:08:41,103 --> 00:08:42,313 -Yes. -And you said… 136 00:08:43,397 --> 00:08:47,568 "Jong-tae, do you know where I am? I'm in front of Gyeongseo Building." 137 00:08:48,236 --> 00:08:50,571 -That's what you said on the phone. -Right. 138 00:08:50,655 --> 00:08:53,991 I guess you were feeling good about your film's success, 139 00:08:54,075 --> 00:08:58,287 and so you were reminiscing about the rough old days. 140 00:08:58,371 --> 00:08:59,705 Gyeongseo Building. Yes. 141 00:09:01,165 --> 00:09:04,043 This was probably a private house, but now it's changed. 142 00:09:04,126 --> 00:09:05,044 Right. 143 00:09:05,670 --> 00:09:07,213 It's been 30 years. 144 00:09:09,715 --> 00:09:12,635 This was our route to the Yellow Door office. 145 00:09:13,302 --> 00:09:14,136 Yes. 146 00:09:15,137 --> 00:09:16,472 To be honest, 147 00:09:16,556 --> 00:09:19,809 it didn't feel like we were doing anything particular at Yellow Door. 148 00:09:19,892 --> 00:09:22,353 It felt like a picnic where we could hang out. 149 00:09:23,145 --> 00:09:25,481 But why were we in the Gyeongseo Building? 150 00:09:25,565 --> 00:09:28,484 Did Jong-tae already have an office there? 151 00:09:28,568 --> 00:09:32,989 Jong-tae was a graduate student at Dongguk University at the time. 152 00:09:33,072 --> 00:09:35,992 He took some time off and rented the office 153 00:09:36,075 --> 00:09:38,953 to start a modeling agency with his friends. 154 00:09:40,288 --> 00:09:45,126 After my first day of grad school, I was really disappointed. 155 00:09:45,209 --> 00:09:47,461 It was supposed to be grad school, 156 00:09:49,046 --> 00:09:51,799 but they didn't teach us much. 157 00:09:52,383 --> 00:09:56,721 I still remember this. There was a 16 mm camera at the school. 158 00:09:56,804 --> 00:10:00,391 It would've been good if they'd taught us how to use it. 159 00:10:00,474 --> 00:10:03,894 But they only showed it to us and said, "This is a 16 mm camera." 160 00:10:03,978 --> 00:10:05,688 -And that was it? -That was it. 161 00:10:08,649 --> 00:10:09,650 Around that time… 162 00:10:11,277 --> 00:10:13,738 Uh… Dong-hoon. 163 00:10:13,821 --> 00:10:16,532 That's when I met Lee Dong-hoon. 164 00:10:17,033 --> 00:10:18,701 I was working part-time 165 00:10:18,784 --> 00:10:22,580 at a bookshop called Today's Books in front of Yonsei University. 166 00:10:22,663 --> 00:10:24,832 Cell phones and pagers didn't exist. 167 00:10:24,915 --> 00:10:27,668 So if you looked at the bulletin board at Today's Books, 168 00:10:27,752 --> 00:10:31,088 there were notes saying where people were and telling others to come. 169 00:10:31,172 --> 00:10:34,133 I asked to be introduced to a film student, 170 00:10:34,216 --> 00:10:36,510 and I was introduced to Choi Jong-tae, 171 00:10:36,594 --> 00:10:40,431 a grad student who was taking time off from his film studies. 172 00:10:40,514 --> 00:10:42,642 I was asked to teach him about film. 173 00:10:43,434 --> 00:10:46,687 So I just told them to send him over. 174 00:10:46,771 --> 00:10:48,439 It's interesting how it turned out. 175 00:10:49,398 --> 00:10:51,984 I mean, if it were now, 176 00:10:52,068 --> 00:10:55,655 I wouldn't have even considered teaching a stranger about film. 177 00:10:56,405 --> 00:11:03,412 But back then, the universities and the clubs had an innocence about them. 178 00:11:03,496 --> 00:11:05,706 So it was a very natural thing. 179 00:11:05,790 --> 00:11:09,794 If no one asked me to teach them about film, 180 00:11:11,003 --> 00:11:14,674 my life would've been very different. 181 00:11:14,757 --> 00:11:18,511 It might've been different in a good sense, or… 182 00:11:19,261 --> 00:11:21,931 Actually, it might've been much better. 183 00:11:22,431 --> 00:11:26,143 I wasn't looking to make anything specific in particular. 184 00:11:26,686 --> 00:11:30,106 But I went anyway and poked around. 185 00:11:30,189 --> 00:11:34,318 Dong-hoon said there was a senior he knew 186 00:11:34,402 --> 00:11:37,446 and asked if he could bring him, so I said yes. 187 00:11:37,530 --> 00:11:41,659 I thought I couldn't suffer alone, so I dragged Director Bong into it. 188 00:11:46,789 --> 00:11:50,084 I've loved movies ever since my elementary and middle school days, 189 00:11:50,167 --> 00:11:53,504 and I wanted to become a director. 190 00:11:54,213 --> 00:11:55,631 I'm not sure why. 191 00:11:56,340 --> 00:12:00,344 Maybe because all I ever did was watch TV. My family never did anything. 192 00:12:00,928 --> 00:12:03,264 We didn't travel. We didn't play sports. 193 00:12:03,347 --> 00:12:05,933 The whole family just watched TV. 194 00:12:06,016 --> 00:12:09,770 There are things that come as a shock when you watch a film without any context. 195 00:12:10,354 --> 00:12:12,606 In elementary school, I watched The Wages of Fear. 196 00:12:14,024 --> 00:12:16,026 And The Bicycle Thieves too. 197 00:12:16,110 --> 00:12:18,612 I had once lost my bicycle as a kid, 198 00:12:18,696 --> 00:12:22,908 so I was overly immersed as I watched it. 199 00:12:22,992 --> 00:12:27,163 I watched it knowing nothing about Vittorio De Sica or neorealism. 200 00:12:27,246 --> 00:12:29,165 That's why I was simply shocked. 201 00:12:29,999 --> 00:12:32,752 It was my chance, for the first time ever, 202 00:12:32,835 --> 00:12:35,546 to properly discuss and study film as much as I wanted 203 00:12:36,213 --> 00:12:37,715 and watch them over and over. 204 00:12:38,424 --> 00:12:42,845 I didn't major in film studies. I had never worked on a film set before. 205 00:12:43,637 --> 00:12:47,683 But for the first time, I was able to do something with films. 206 00:12:47,767 --> 00:12:50,853 I sat Bong Joon Ho and Lee Dong-hoon down 207 00:12:50,936 --> 00:12:53,355 and started with Understanding Movies. 208 00:12:54,190 --> 00:12:57,443 That was when books about film first began to come out. 209 00:12:57,526 --> 00:12:58,360 Right. 210 00:12:58,444 --> 00:13:02,114 Now there's a whole section of them in the bookstore. 211 00:13:02,198 --> 00:13:06,577 But back then, just the idea of books on film was so unfamiliar. 212 00:13:06,660 --> 00:13:09,830 There was Understanding Movies by Louis D. Giannetti… 213 00:13:09,914 --> 00:13:12,541 Plus, A History of Film by Jack C. Ellis. Only those two. 214 00:13:12,625 --> 00:13:14,543 -That was it. -And others were… 215 00:13:14,627 --> 00:13:17,421 This was when we first began to see convenience stores. 216 00:13:18,130 --> 00:13:19,465 So back then, I… 217 00:13:19,548 --> 00:13:23,177 Can you leave out what he said about convenience stores? 218 00:13:23,260 --> 00:13:26,639 That's so… It totally sounds like… 219 00:13:26,722 --> 00:13:28,766 Were there really no convenience stores then? 220 00:13:28,849 --> 00:13:29,767 There weren't. 221 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:35,731 Right. We used to drink coffee at places like Doutor. 222 00:13:35,815 --> 00:13:38,025 Right. Doutor. It's not around anymore. 223 00:13:38,692 --> 00:13:42,446 I had to teach them something, but there was nothing I could do. 224 00:13:42,530 --> 00:13:47,201 Back then, Joon Ho had been working as a part-time manager at a study room. 225 00:13:47,284 --> 00:13:50,496 He had a lot of free time. 226 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,290 So I told him to transcribe A History of Film 227 00:13:53,374 --> 00:13:55,459 instead of just sitting around. 228 00:13:55,543 --> 00:13:58,337 But I never transcribed A History of Film. 229 00:13:58,420 --> 00:14:00,214 Director Bong would've done it. 230 00:14:00,297 --> 00:14:02,883 I'm sure he transcribed A History of Film. 231 00:14:02,967 --> 00:14:06,262 I didn't do it, but I think he definitely would have. 232 00:14:06,345 --> 00:14:09,723 This is the Rashomon effect. 233 00:14:09,807 --> 00:14:13,227 How could I have transcribed that huge book? 234 00:14:13,310 --> 00:14:16,063 I don't understand. I don't understand it at all. 235 00:14:16,647 --> 00:14:19,275 I may finally lose my faith in the human soul. 236 00:14:20,401 --> 00:14:22,278 Bong, don't you remember? 237 00:14:22,361 --> 00:14:26,907 I read it thoroughly since you told me to, but I never transcribed it. 238 00:14:26,991 --> 00:14:29,702 I remember you showing me your notebook. 239 00:14:29,785 --> 00:14:32,580 -Really? -Yeah, that's how I remember it. 240 00:14:32,663 --> 00:14:35,583 -One second. -How else would I know? 241 00:14:42,214 --> 00:14:43,507 This is the book. 242 00:14:45,092 --> 00:14:47,845 -Right. -A History of Film by Jack C. Ellis. 243 00:14:47,928 --> 00:14:50,931 So you did do it. I remember your notebook. 244 00:14:51,015 --> 00:14:53,517 -I see. -You probably quit after a few pages. 245 00:14:53,601 --> 00:14:56,520 Like the to-infinitive section of an English grammar book. 246 00:14:56,604 --> 00:14:58,606 Yes, the to-infinitive section. 247 00:14:58,689 --> 00:15:00,399 You never get past the first chapter. 248 00:15:00,482 --> 00:15:03,193 That's why all Koreans know about the to-infinitive. 249 00:15:04,194 --> 00:15:06,030 That was the beginning. 250 00:15:06,113 --> 00:15:10,451 Bong Joon Ho, Choi Jong-tae, and I were there at the beginning, and then… 251 00:15:15,664 --> 00:15:18,042 One day, I was lying around at home, 252 00:15:18,584 --> 00:15:23,088 and suddenly, I was engulfed by this passion to study film. 253 00:15:23,172 --> 00:15:26,592 It came out of nowhere. I couldn't sleep from that day on. 254 00:15:26,675 --> 00:15:29,428 -Hoon-a was one of the early members. -Right. 255 00:15:29,511 --> 00:15:33,682 I had a friend, a psychology major who loved music as much as I did. 256 00:15:33,766 --> 00:15:38,854 My friend said there was a guy named Bong Joon Ho in sociology who likes films, 257 00:15:38,938 --> 00:15:41,065 so I should give him a call. 258 00:15:41,148 --> 00:15:43,400 "Bong Joon Ho? What a unique name." 259 00:15:43,484 --> 00:15:47,488 "I should memorize it as bonjour." So that's what I did! 260 00:15:47,571 --> 00:15:51,992 When I called him, he told me to come to a place in Hongdae. 261 00:15:52,076 --> 00:15:54,662 Jong-tae, you, me, and Hoon-a. 262 00:15:54,745 --> 00:15:57,957 Do you remember the first seminar the four of us had? 263 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,960 We said we'd each bring a film of our choice. 264 00:16:01,585 --> 00:16:05,464 Jong-tae picked Theo Angelopoulos's Landscape in the Mist. 265 00:16:05,547 --> 00:16:07,383 I picked François Truffaut's… 266 00:16:07,466 --> 00:16:10,219 -That one. -Truffaut played the role of a director. 267 00:16:10,302 --> 00:16:11,804 -Day for Night. -Day for Night! 268 00:16:11,887 --> 00:16:14,473 -What was yours? -I didn't really study back then. 269 00:16:14,556 --> 00:16:17,059 -I don't remember! -We watched four different films. 270 00:16:17,142 --> 00:16:17,977 Right. 271 00:16:18,060 --> 00:16:23,649 We watched the films we each picked, and then we just talked about them. 272 00:16:23,732 --> 00:16:25,275 Yes, we did. 273 00:16:30,906 --> 00:16:34,159 One day, I was walking down Baekyang-ro. 274 00:16:34,702 --> 00:16:38,122 I ran into a friend of mine I often used to bump into. 275 00:16:38,205 --> 00:16:42,501 She was walking down the opposite side of the street. 276 00:16:43,502 --> 00:16:47,006 We started talking about movies. Back then, I was into movies. 277 00:16:47,089 --> 00:16:50,175 I told her I'd been into movies lately, and she said, 278 00:16:50,259 --> 00:16:52,011 "Really? I'm in this film group, 279 00:16:52,094 --> 00:16:54,638 and we're going to watch a Turkish film called Yol. 280 00:16:54,722 --> 00:16:56,724 Do you want to come?" 281 00:16:56,807 --> 00:17:00,352 So I said, "Okay, sure." That's how I came to Yellow Door. 282 00:17:01,061 --> 00:17:03,772 That friend was Lim Hoon-a. 283 00:17:05,232 --> 00:17:06,692 Yes. 284 00:17:06,775 --> 00:17:10,362 Now that she mentions it, I'm starting to remember. 285 00:17:10,446 --> 00:17:13,782 But actually, I had known Min-hyang before then. 286 00:17:13,866 --> 00:17:17,036 The College of Liberal Arts put on a play, 287 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:22,541 and a very cool student played the role of Jesus 288 00:17:22,624 --> 00:17:25,294 in a play called Jesus of Gold Crown. 289 00:17:25,377 --> 00:17:27,963 I was deeply impressed by it, 290 00:17:28,047 --> 00:17:31,050 and the student who played Jesus was Min-hyang. 291 00:17:33,969 --> 00:17:37,973 At the time, our group didn't even have a structure. 292 00:17:38,724 --> 00:17:40,809 But I remember that we all joined 293 00:17:40,893 --> 00:17:44,271 just because we loved films and wanted to study them. 294 00:17:44,354 --> 00:17:46,815 When I think of Eun-sim, I'm reminded of that day. 295 00:17:46,899 --> 00:17:51,487 She turned up with a male bust that art students use to sketch. 296 00:17:51,570 --> 00:17:55,741 She said, "Let's start sketching now." She suddenly wanted us to draw! 297 00:17:55,824 --> 00:17:57,076 It was so random. 298 00:17:57,159 --> 00:18:00,829 I thought, "Why did she bring that plaster bust here?" 299 00:18:01,663 --> 00:18:03,832 But then, some of us started sketching. 300 00:18:03,916 --> 00:18:07,544 So there were a lot of quirky people in the club. 301 00:18:08,253 --> 00:18:10,839 It was a tiny little space, 302 00:18:10,923 --> 00:18:14,760 and we had a round table there that could fit about seven people. 303 00:18:14,843 --> 00:18:17,346 And we would just chat away. 304 00:18:17,429 --> 00:18:20,224 We'd watch a film and chat about whatever we knew, 305 00:18:20,766 --> 00:18:23,936 share things we heard somewhere and our thoughts too. 306 00:18:24,019 --> 00:18:26,105 That was the level we were at. 307 00:18:26,188 --> 00:18:29,441 Jong-tae was our leader, and he had no plans at all. 308 00:18:29,525 --> 00:18:33,403 And we loved that we had no plans or structure. 309 00:18:33,487 --> 00:18:35,405 A band of social misfits, so to speak. 310 00:18:37,533 --> 00:18:41,411 Yes, I give you Choi Jong-tae and Five Kids. 311 00:18:42,538 --> 00:18:48,919 A group of fluid people who got together to share dreams. 312 00:18:50,087 --> 00:18:54,341 I'm not sure why, but people studied film like crazy in the early '90s. 313 00:18:54,424 --> 00:18:56,093 This is what I felt. 314 00:18:56,176 --> 00:19:00,264 Social movements were active back then, yet we felt like we hit a wall. 315 00:19:00,347 --> 00:19:04,101 What with perestroika and glasnost, and the Soviet Union coming down and all. 316 00:19:04,184 --> 00:19:06,061 -That's such a… -Too much? 317 00:19:06,145 --> 00:19:08,480 -That's such a macroscopic analysis. -But then-- 318 00:19:08,564 --> 00:19:12,151 There were lots of clubs that got together and studied film. 319 00:19:12,234 --> 00:19:13,694 I'm not exactly sure why. 320 00:19:14,403 --> 00:19:16,488 Well, in my case, 321 00:19:16,572 --> 00:19:19,950 I jumped in and studied film to find myself. 322 00:19:20,033 --> 00:19:21,827 -To find yourself? -Yes. 323 00:19:21,910 --> 00:19:25,414 I kind of wanted to find something that I liked. 324 00:19:25,497 --> 00:19:29,001 Back then, we were all about bringing down the dictatorship 325 00:19:29,084 --> 00:19:30,836 and repealing the Constitution. 326 00:19:30,919 --> 00:19:36,008 I think everyone felt despondent after the party was over. 327 00:19:36,091 --> 00:19:38,927 Of course, it's not like I did anything notable. 328 00:19:39,928 --> 00:19:42,890 So we didn't know where to go. 329 00:19:43,599 --> 00:19:48,270 We didn't know what to do with all our energy. 330 00:19:48,353 --> 00:19:51,106 The student movements were already over. 331 00:19:51,190 --> 00:19:54,943 So we came together like a cluster of dust. 332 00:19:56,486 --> 00:20:00,490 To put it nicely, we came together like a ripening grape. 333 00:20:00,574 --> 00:20:02,326 I think that's what happened. 334 00:20:02,409 --> 00:20:04,828 I used to be asked this at foreign film festivals 335 00:20:04,912 --> 00:20:06,413 during the early to mid-2000s. 336 00:20:06,496 --> 00:20:08,332 How did Korean films suddenly… 337 00:20:08,415 --> 00:20:09,249 Get their break? 338 00:20:09,333 --> 00:20:13,670 We had films bursting out in the 2000s, drawing attention at film festivals. 339 00:20:13,754 --> 00:20:16,423 "Where had these directors been until then?" 340 00:20:16,506 --> 00:20:18,425 "What on earth had happened?" 341 00:20:19,426 --> 00:20:21,303 Then I'd bring up Yellow Door. 342 00:20:22,471 --> 00:20:23,722 For example, I'd say, 343 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:26,892 "We were the first cinephile generation." 344 00:20:26,975 --> 00:20:31,313 "My generation was probably the first to actually study film." 345 00:20:31,396 --> 00:20:32,564 We were the first. 346 00:20:32,648 --> 00:20:37,486 "I think we were the first generation to become filmmakers as cinephiles." 347 00:20:38,070 --> 00:20:41,823 I guess it makes it easier to write articles. 348 00:20:41,907 --> 00:20:46,703 So that's why I told them that we have this generation and so on. 349 00:20:47,829 --> 00:20:50,916 The Night Before Strike, a low-budget 16 mm film 350 00:20:50,999 --> 00:20:52,417 that the government banned from screening… 351 00:20:52,501 --> 00:20:55,712 THE NIGHT BEFORE STRIKE BY JANGSANGOT HAWKS PREMIERES NATIONWIDE 352 00:20:55,796 --> 00:20:58,966 Jangsangot Hawks were superstars back then. 353 00:20:59,508 --> 00:21:04,221 There were many fans who waited for their films every year. 354 00:21:05,264 --> 00:21:07,182 Youth was another solid team. 355 00:21:08,016 --> 00:21:09,434 CINEMATHEQUE 1895 356 00:21:09,518 --> 00:21:12,854 After Cinematheque 1895 changed its name to SA/sé, 357 00:21:12,938 --> 00:21:14,773 it became renowned 358 00:21:14,856 --> 00:21:17,943 as a private cinematheque with the longest history. 359 00:21:18,026 --> 00:21:21,363 It was as if the cinephiles who had been hiding 360 00:21:21,446 --> 00:21:24,074 were suddenly pouring out onto the streets. 361 00:21:24,157 --> 00:21:26,702 THE NIGHT BEFORE STRIKE JANGSANGOT HAWKS, 1990 362 00:21:26,785 --> 00:21:29,329 HOMO VIDEOCUS BYUN HYUK, E J-YONG, 1990 363 00:21:30,163 --> 00:21:34,751 I think that was the crazy situation in the '90s. 364 00:21:42,217 --> 00:21:43,593 This is what I think. 365 00:21:43,677 --> 00:21:46,888 The government must've drugged the water supply back then. 366 00:21:47,514 --> 00:21:51,184 I think it was a nationwide project to turn all citizens into cinephiles. 367 00:21:59,693 --> 00:22:01,611 JANGSANGOT HAWKS 368 00:22:02,654 --> 00:22:04,323 CINEMATHEQUE 1895 369 00:22:05,574 --> 00:22:11,496 Compared to these groups, Yellow Door was a mysterious, peculiar… 370 00:22:11,997 --> 00:22:14,833 -Jangsangot Hawks was the Premier League. -Yes. 371 00:22:15,667 --> 00:22:19,755 Jung Ji-woo's Youth was the Bundesliga. We were like… 372 00:22:19,838 --> 00:22:22,758 -An amateur club. -An amateur club compared to them. 373 00:22:23,842 --> 00:22:26,386 I had to pay my tuition for the fourth semester, 374 00:22:27,346 --> 00:22:29,514 and it felt like such a waste! 375 00:22:30,724 --> 00:22:35,979 I realized I could buy a lot of materials for the club 376 00:22:36,063 --> 00:22:38,065 with that money. 377 00:22:38,148 --> 00:22:43,111 I decided to get myself in serious trouble, and so… 378 00:22:44,154 --> 00:22:45,739 HONGDAE 379 00:22:45,822 --> 00:22:47,949 I founded a film institute. 380 00:22:50,994 --> 00:22:53,330 Of course, my family had no idea. 381 00:23:01,797 --> 00:23:05,133 "YELLOW DOOR" FILM INSTITUTE, UNIT 202 SECOND FLOOR, GYEONGSEO BUILDING 382 00:23:05,217 --> 00:23:10,722 Yellow Door was on the second floor of a building in Seogyo-dong at the time. 383 00:23:11,598 --> 00:23:12,599 And it was… 384 00:23:14,851 --> 00:23:17,229 a rectangular building, like this. 385 00:23:18,522 --> 00:23:20,273 There was a corridor in the middle. 386 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,904 And the door to the Yellow Door Institute stood right here. 387 00:23:28,824 --> 00:23:30,742 When you opened the door, 388 00:23:31,701 --> 00:23:34,830 you'd see a round table on the left. 389 00:23:34,913 --> 00:23:38,500 Usually, Joon Ho would be studying there. 390 00:23:41,169 --> 00:23:45,841 In the front, there was a tiny television. 391 00:23:45,924 --> 00:23:49,177 I think we often watched music videos and stuff. 392 00:23:50,137 --> 00:23:53,098 We painted all the furniture yellow. 393 00:23:53,181 --> 00:23:55,600 Didn't Dae-yup paint with us? 394 00:23:55,684 --> 00:23:58,854 From what I recall, you and Jong-tae bought the paint. 395 00:23:58,937 --> 00:24:00,689 They weren't yellow at first, 396 00:24:00,772 --> 00:24:04,776 but you said, "We're going all yellow." Then you painted everything, right? 397 00:24:09,239 --> 00:24:12,325 At the time, I just liked yellow for some reason. 398 00:24:12,409 --> 00:24:14,327 Bright yellow, to be specific. 399 00:24:14,411 --> 00:24:16,621 The color yellow was just so beautiful to me. 400 00:24:16,705 --> 00:24:20,375 From what I remember, we just had some yellow paint. 401 00:24:20,459 --> 00:24:24,296 I did some construction work elsewhere and had some paint left, 402 00:24:24,838 --> 00:24:27,007 which just happened to be yellow. 403 00:24:27,090 --> 00:24:29,092 I didn't see the need to buy more, 404 00:24:29,176 --> 00:24:32,971 so we just ended up using it. It didn't mean anything, actually. 405 00:24:33,972 --> 00:24:36,057 At first, it wasn't called Yellow Door. 406 00:24:36,141 --> 00:24:36,975 No. 407 00:24:37,058 --> 00:24:40,103 -It was Film Institute something, and… -Film Institute… 408 00:24:40,187 --> 00:24:44,274 Then we studied semiotics and eventually ended up with Yellow Door. 409 00:24:44,357 --> 00:24:45,192 That's right. 410 00:24:45,275 --> 00:24:48,487 We would discuss things like signifiant and signifié. 411 00:24:48,570 --> 00:24:51,114 Oh wow! This is embarrassing. 412 00:24:51,198 --> 00:24:52,866 We'd tack those words on. 413 00:24:54,451 --> 00:24:56,786 -We made it sound fancy like that. -Yes. 414 00:24:57,704 --> 00:25:01,333 We only had scraped the surface but dared to talk about it. 415 00:25:02,167 --> 00:25:04,085 "The signified and signifier don't match." 416 00:25:04,169 --> 00:25:06,838 "See, there's an actual yellow door." We'd be like this. 417 00:25:07,339 --> 00:25:08,590 Right! 418 00:25:09,132 --> 00:25:12,969 That must be why the critique department was called "S-S." 419 00:25:13,053 --> 00:25:15,514 -Signifiant, signifié. -Yes, I think so. 420 00:25:15,597 --> 00:25:18,683 -The same goes for SA/sé. -Yes, right. 421 00:25:18,767 --> 00:25:19,851 Signifiant, signifié. 422 00:25:19,935 --> 00:25:22,437 -A famous cinematheque in Daehak-ro. -Yes. 423 00:25:22,521 --> 00:25:24,523 -That's what the name means. -Yes. 424 00:25:24,606 --> 00:25:28,109 We brought up signifiant and signifié in everything, didn't we? 425 00:25:28,193 --> 00:25:29,402 Yes, you're right. 426 00:25:29,486 --> 00:25:34,324 I mean, the words signifiant and signifié were very unfamiliar to us. 427 00:25:34,407 --> 00:25:35,283 Yes. 428 00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:38,954 I guess we were proud of ourselves for learning that concept. 429 00:25:39,037 --> 00:25:41,873 Why were we so obsessed with semiotics back then? 430 00:25:41,957 --> 00:25:44,709 Semiology, postmodernism… 431 00:25:44,793 --> 00:25:45,794 Postmodernism. 432 00:25:45,877 --> 00:25:47,796 -And post-structuralism. -Right. 433 00:25:47,879 --> 00:25:52,050 Back then, Roland Barthes and such concepts were a fad. 434 00:25:52,133 --> 00:25:54,636 We barely understood them, but still sat ourselves down 435 00:25:54,719 --> 00:25:56,471 and had seminars about them. 436 00:25:57,889 --> 00:26:02,477 I'm not sure if they still do this, but in front of our schools, there were… 437 00:26:02,561 --> 00:26:04,396 -Copy places. -Popular copy places. 438 00:26:04,479 --> 00:26:05,730 When you go there, 439 00:26:05,814 --> 00:26:09,985 they would have copies of renowned original books on display. 440 00:26:10,068 --> 00:26:11,903 There were anthologies too. 441 00:26:11,987 --> 00:26:15,282 And Jong-tae would go, "We have to read this and this." 442 00:26:15,365 --> 00:26:18,285 No. I didn't pick them out myself. 443 00:26:18,368 --> 00:26:21,329 I just got everything. I didn't know what they were about! 444 00:26:22,706 --> 00:26:24,791 I just bought them in bulk. 445 00:26:24,874 --> 00:26:29,004 We picked out a few of them and did stuff like… 446 00:26:29,087 --> 00:26:34,134 We studied Dudley Andrew's book together. 447 00:26:34,217 --> 00:26:35,385 Dudley Andrew! 448 00:26:35,468 --> 00:26:38,054 -Dudley Andrew. -The man who gave us a tough time. 449 00:26:38,138 --> 00:26:40,140 Translating his book was a real pain. 450 00:26:41,349 --> 00:26:45,854 Min-hyang was good at English. You majored in English Literature. 451 00:26:45,937 --> 00:26:48,690 But it was still gibberish to me. 452 00:26:48,773 --> 00:26:52,277 The other members' English was so-so. 453 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:57,532 Se-bum, when you were with us, what year were you in your Ph.D. program? 454 00:26:58,116 --> 00:27:00,535 I was with you right before I began my program. 455 00:27:00,619 --> 00:27:02,203 -It was right before? -Yes. 456 00:27:02,287 --> 00:27:05,707 -But we all called you "Doctor." Dr. Ban. -Yes, Dr. Ban. 457 00:27:06,374 --> 00:27:09,127 You knew I'd become one before I even started. 458 00:27:10,086 --> 00:27:12,422 We gave you a weird nickname. 459 00:27:12,505 --> 00:27:15,300 -An exegetic. -An exegetic scholar. 460 00:27:16,468 --> 00:27:18,053 -An exegetic! -We would… 461 00:27:18,136 --> 00:27:20,764 I remember. When we had seminars, 462 00:27:20,847 --> 00:27:24,392 we'd divide pages and translate them. 463 00:27:24,476 --> 00:27:28,480 If there were any errors, you would point them all out. 464 00:27:28,563 --> 00:27:30,899 I'd point out each word and its meaning, 465 00:27:30,982 --> 00:27:33,985 discussing how to translate them. That earned me that nickname. 466 00:27:35,195 --> 00:27:38,573 Theoretical seminars seem great when you do it, 467 00:27:38,657 --> 00:27:41,660 but you never remember anything once you're done. 468 00:27:42,410 --> 00:27:47,666 Were you working for Director Kim Sung-su and his directing team at that time? 469 00:27:47,749 --> 00:27:50,960 Yes, of course. I worked on many short films. 470 00:27:51,044 --> 00:27:53,546 Most of the 16 mm short films back then. 471 00:27:54,130 --> 00:27:56,883 Dae-yup, you know Beat, right? Jung Woo-sung's Beat. 472 00:27:56,966 --> 00:27:58,718 -Yeah. -Yes, I know it too. 473 00:27:58,802 --> 00:28:01,805 Seok-woo was the assistant director for that film. 474 00:28:01,888 --> 00:28:02,722 Oh, I see. 475 00:28:02,806 --> 00:28:06,559 Back then, Director Kim Sung-su's team was highly renowned. 476 00:28:06,643 --> 00:28:09,145 They worked people hard over there. 477 00:28:09,229 --> 00:28:15,318 The people who survived through that were pretty much… 478 00:28:15,402 --> 00:28:19,406 Then, out of the people we know, Seok-woo was the first to work on sets. 479 00:28:19,489 --> 00:28:23,410 So, in your shoes, it must've been interesting… 480 00:28:23,493 --> 00:28:25,745 Well, it'd be mean to say "funny." 481 00:28:25,829 --> 00:28:30,125 After working on actual sets, you would come to Yellow Door 482 00:28:30,208 --> 00:28:34,754 and find us excited about studying books in their original language. 483 00:28:34,838 --> 00:28:37,048 To put it nicely, we were academic. 484 00:28:37,132 --> 00:28:40,051 But to be frank, didn't it seem funny to you? 485 00:28:40,135 --> 00:28:43,138 How did you feel about us holding weird seminars, 486 00:28:43,221 --> 00:28:46,891 underlining and studying English books with Se-bum? 487 00:28:46,975 --> 00:28:49,811 Well, at the time, 488 00:28:50,687 --> 00:28:52,731 it felt a bit amateurish. 489 00:28:52,814 --> 00:28:53,940 -Right? -Yeah. 490 00:28:54,524 --> 00:28:57,402 I was too stuck-up back then. 491 00:28:59,988 --> 00:29:02,657 As I keep saying, sorry I was like that. 492 00:29:02,741 --> 00:29:04,743 No, that's not what I meant. 493 00:29:04,826 --> 00:29:08,747 I was dying to make a short film, 494 00:29:08,830 --> 00:29:11,833 but I didn't know anything and I had no experience. 495 00:29:11,916 --> 00:29:16,504 So I thought, "If I rely on Seok-woo and sponge off him, 496 00:29:16,588 --> 00:29:19,007 I might be able to start something." 497 00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:23,303 Yoon-a, were you already in grad school at the time? 498 00:29:23,386 --> 00:29:27,474 I was in my second semester of grad school. 499 00:29:27,557 --> 00:29:30,351 Weren't you getting ready to study abroad? 500 00:29:30,435 --> 00:29:32,395 I was married by then, good sir. 501 00:29:33,563 --> 00:29:34,606 Oh, really? 502 00:29:36,691 --> 00:29:41,446 Actually, I had just gotten married, so I couldn't participate much. 503 00:29:41,529 --> 00:29:44,365 Well, I was a diligent member, but I couldn't do more. 504 00:29:44,949 --> 00:29:46,951 My life was too hectic. 505 00:29:47,035 --> 00:29:51,456 So you were like Dae-yup. You were part of the grown-up group. 506 00:29:51,539 --> 00:29:56,461 If we had to divide the club into two, we had the grown-ups and the kids. 507 00:29:56,544 --> 00:30:01,633 So when we talked, I had to be formal with her. 508 00:30:01,716 --> 00:30:03,843 It didn't matter if we were close or not. 509 00:30:03,927 --> 00:30:05,595 She was a married woman, 510 00:30:05,678 --> 00:30:08,181 so I had to be respectful. 511 00:30:08,765 --> 00:30:09,933 What's with that? 512 00:30:11,601 --> 00:30:13,019 -What is that? -Go ahead. 513 00:30:13,102 --> 00:30:16,648 I have a question. Am I the only one who remembers this? 514 00:30:16,731 --> 00:30:19,859 We often ordered in for our meals. 515 00:30:19,943 --> 00:30:25,907 Yes, we first used the name "Yellow Door" when we ordered Chinese food. 516 00:30:26,783 --> 00:30:29,327 We'd order food during construction and say, 517 00:30:29,911 --> 00:30:33,748 "Yes, come to the unit with the yellow door on the second floor." 518 00:30:33,832 --> 00:30:36,251 -That's how we got the name. -Oh, that's why. 519 00:30:36,334 --> 00:30:39,337 Yes, if someone wanted to visit us, we'd tell them, 520 00:30:39,420 --> 00:30:42,966 "You'll see a yellow door. Come in that way." 521 00:30:43,049 --> 00:30:46,845 Then one day, Jong-tae said, "Let's just call ourselves Yellow Door." 522 00:30:46,928 --> 00:30:48,763 And we added meaning to it. 523 00:30:51,766 --> 00:30:54,602 People would reference films, 524 00:30:54,686 --> 00:30:57,689 but we had never seen the films that were being referenced, 525 00:30:57,772 --> 00:31:00,275 so we had no idea what they were talking about. 526 00:31:00,358 --> 00:31:03,611 For example, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a German expressionist film. 527 00:31:03,695 --> 00:31:06,781 In the film history book, there would be one still image. 528 00:31:07,365 --> 00:31:12,120 But we couldn't watch it, so we'd just imagine the film while studying it. 529 00:31:12,203 --> 00:31:15,623 To show The Arrival of a Train to the students, 530 00:31:15,707 --> 00:31:19,586 we had to make copies on videotape. There was no YouTube. 531 00:31:19,669 --> 00:31:21,004 But now, we have everything. 532 00:31:21,087 --> 00:31:23,298 THE ARRIVAL OF A TRAIN THE LUMIÉRE BROTHERS, 1895 533 00:31:23,381 --> 00:31:26,676 Then what? We had to watch films. 534 00:31:26,759 --> 00:31:29,429 And obtaining those films 535 00:31:29,929 --> 00:31:32,640 was the greatest mission of a film institute. 536 00:31:32,724 --> 00:31:35,059 Whenever we heard someone had a copy of a film, 537 00:31:35,935 --> 00:31:38,813 we'd borrow it and make a copy of it. 538 00:31:38,897 --> 00:31:43,109 That was our main task, 539 00:31:43,192 --> 00:31:46,821 and Director Bong was in charge of that. 540 00:31:46,905 --> 00:31:50,617 Back in our day, there weren't many places we could rent movies. 541 00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:54,245 You know, these so-called art films. 542 00:31:54,329 --> 00:31:57,415 But Director Bong had a knack for finding them. 543 00:31:57,498 --> 00:32:01,586 Since things weren't digital back then, when we made copies, 544 00:32:01,669 --> 00:32:04,589 we had to watch the film until the copy was finished. 545 00:32:04,672 --> 00:32:06,466 We had no other choice. 546 00:32:06,549 --> 00:32:08,968 If we made two copies, we had to watch it twice. 547 00:32:09,052 --> 00:32:11,638 We'd make three to four copies of a movie. 548 00:32:11,721 --> 00:32:15,308 Since we made multiple copies of the original video, 549 00:32:15,391 --> 00:32:17,477 we would see interference on all the copies. 550 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,146 If we copied a video from the US, 551 00:32:20,229 --> 00:32:23,066 it would start with an FBI warning. 552 00:32:23,149 --> 00:32:24,525 WHOLESOME VIDEOS ARE LIKE GREAT ENVIRONMENTS 553 00:32:24,609 --> 00:32:27,153 Korean videos would mention tigers and smallpox 554 00:32:27,236 --> 00:32:29,614 to discourage us from making illegal copies. 555 00:32:29,697 --> 00:32:34,202 A single video may change a person's future. 556 00:32:34,285 --> 00:32:39,165 But making illegal copies was the only way we could watch them. 557 00:32:43,586 --> 00:32:46,339 We'd write the title on the tape. 558 00:32:46,422 --> 00:32:49,342 We'd write the title on a sticker and stick it on the tape. 559 00:32:49,425 --> 00:32:53,221 But it didn't seem cool to see it handwritten. 560 00:32:53,304 --> 00:32:56,182 BREATHLESS JEAN-LUC GODARD, 1960 561 00:32:56,265 --> 00:32:59,519 So I'd write the title of Godard's films in French. 562 00:32:59,602 --> 00:33:01,604 I could've written down the Korean title. 563 00:33:01,688 --> 00:33:04,107 The localized Korean title would've been just fine. 564 00:33:04,190 --> 00:33:05,483 But I wrote it in French. 565 00:33:05,566 --> 00:33:06,943 I knew the spelling. 566 00:33:10,238 --> 00:33:13,324 I still don't know how to pronounce it. 567 00:33:13,408 --> 00:33:15,118 Those who speak French would know. 568 00:33:15,618 --> 00:33:18,287 I'd print the titles on an A4 sheet. 569 00:33:18,371 --> 00:33:23,251 Then I'd hold it up to a light and put the videotape stickers on top, 570 00:33:23,835 --> 00:33:27,463 print the titles once again, and they would be in the right spots. 571 00:33:27,547 --> 00:33:28,756 Then I'd stick those on. 572 00:33:29,298 --> 00:33:31,718 I put those little skills to use. 573 00:33:31,801 --> 00:33:35,888 You'll find handwritten titles on some of the tapes, 574 00:33:35,972 --> 00:33:41,060 but after a certain point in time, they'll be neatly printed on the stickers. 575 00:33:41,144 --> 00:33:44,522 Making copies of films 576 00:33:44,605 --> 00:33:47,900 and building our archive, tape by tape. 577 00:33:47,984 --> 00:33:50,653 We became very enthusiastic about it. 578 00:33:50,737 --> 00:33:53,489 Obsession is what gets enthusiasts going. 579 00:33:53,573 --> 00:33:57,285 The actions of an enthusiast seem very weird to a non-enthusiast. 580 00:33:57,368 --> 00:34:02,540 But for the enthusiast, their motivation comes quite naturally. 581 00:34:03,249 --> 00:34:04,834 I think our hunger for film-related materials 582 00:34:04,917 --> 00:34:06,419 is what led to our obsession. 583 00:34:07,587 --> 00:34:10,840 We'd only need a spreadsheet nowadays. 584 00:34:10,923 --> 00:34:12,800 But we had to do everything by hand. 585 00:34:14,177 --> 00:34:15,219 I think… 586 00:34:15,720 --> 00:34:19,640 Yes, I think I learned how to use a mouse from Joon Ho. 587 00:34:20,433 --> 00:34:23,061 "This is called a mouse because it looks like one." 588 00:34:23,144 --> 00:34:24,812 That's how he taught me. 589 00:34:24,896 --> 00:34:26,981 -Since 1992. -Yes, since 1992. 590 00:34:27,065 --> 00:34:28,691 "Video Library List." 591 00:34:29,317 --> 00:34:30,234 "Managed by Bong." 592 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:34,447 -Nice handwriting. -What are the starred ones? 593 00:34:35,323 --> 00:34:36,949 -Perhaps… -Ones we shouldn't lose? 594 00:34:37,033 --> 00:34:39,827 Maybe. Or else… 595 00:34:39,911 --> 00:34:41,245 Battleship Potemkin. 596 00:34:41,996 --> 00:34:44,082 Before the Revolution by Bertolucci. 597 00:34:44,165 --> 00:34:46,334 Maybe the starred ones are the ones… 598 00:34:46,918 --> 00:34:50,129 -Ones we couldn't check out? -Right, something like that. 599 00:34:50,755 --> 00:34:53,341 The Conversation by Coppola. We watched it together. 600 00:34:53,424 --> 00:34:54,550 Yes, we did. 601 00:34:55,051 --> 00:34:57,136 We bought some tapes too. 602 00:34:57,220 --> 00:34:59,138 -We went to Hwanghak-dong. -Yes. 603 00:34:59,222 --> 00:35:01,474 -There were wholesale stores. -Wholesale stores. 604 00:35:01,557 --> 00:35:04,185 Street vendors were selling cheap videos. 605 00:35:04,769 --> 00:35:08,106 -Those tapes were 2,500 won each. -Oh, were they? 606 00:35:08,189 --> 00:35:10,775 -It was like a treasure hunt. -Yes. 607 00:35:10,858 --> 00:35:14,695 Among these weird, lousy films, we'd find films by Kim Ki-young. 608 00:35:14,779 --> 00:35:18,157 -Right. Yes. -Or Dušan Makavejev. 609 00:35:18,241 --> 00:35:20,910 -Or something by Abel Ferrara. -Andrzej Wajda. 610 00:35:20,993 --> 00:35:23,287 King of New York. Andrzej Wajda. 611 00:35:23,371 --> 00:35:25,456 They were hidden here and there, 612 00:35:25,540 --> 00:35:27,875 but the titles were oddly translated. 613 00:35:27,959 --> 00:35:30,461 -Exactly. -So we needed to know how to find them. 614 00:35:31,045 --> 00:35:33,798 The person who often gave us a list of new films, 615 00:35:33,881 --> 00:35:36,801 information, and tips was Director Kim Hong-joon. 616 00:35:36,884 --> 00:35:39,345 -Oh, I see. -One of the first-generation cinephiles. 617 00:35:39,428 --> 00:35:42,473 He's now the director of the Korean Film Archive. 618 00:35:42,557 --> 00:35:44,308 He published a book too. 619 00:35:44,392 --> 00:35:46,310 It had a long title. What was it? 620 00:35:46,394 --> 00:35:48,312 Two or Three Things I Know About Film. 621 00:35:48,396 --> 00:35:51,065 -It sold pretty well in the early '90s. -It did. 622 00:35:51,149 --> 00:35:54,152 -Many people like us bought that book. -Yes. 623 00:35:54,235 --> 00:35:55,987 If it was the '60s or '70s, 624 00:35:56,070 --> 00:35:58,865 when it was impossible to watch any films mentioned in the book, 625 00:35:58,948 --> 00:36:02,618 the book would've been useless. 626 00:36:02,702 --> 00:36:04,537 If it was easy to watch films like now, 627 00:36:04,620 --> 00:36:09,208 all of the information in that book wouldn't have been as useful. 628 00:36:09,292 --> 00:36:12,545 Only a limited number of films were shown in theaters back then, 629 00:36:12,628 --> 00:36:16,841 but the videotapes were all around us. So many films became available. 630 00:36:16,924 --> 00:36:20,011 The influx made it almost impossible to tell the good ones from the bad. 631 00:36:24,432 --> 00:36:26,517 "You may not be aware, 632 00:36:26,601 --> 00:36:30,188 but this renowned director's work was published under this title." 633 00:36:30,271 --> 00:36:32,273 "And the title is quite absurd." 634 00:36:32,356 --> 00:36:34,901 For example, "Something of Love." But the actual title… 635 00:36:34,984 --> 00:36:38,070 So if we studied the book first… 636 00:36:38,154 --> 00:36:42,033 -You'd know the basics. -We could find the film in Hwanghak-dong. 637 00:36:42,116 --> 00:36:45,369 I believe Director Kim Hong-joon used a pseudonym. 638 00:36:45,453 --> 00:36:47,121 -He didn't use his real name. -No. 639 00:36:47,205 --> 00:36:48,206 -Right. -It was Gu… 640 00:36:48,289 --> 00:36:49,624 -Gu Hoe-yeong. -Gu Hoe-yeong! 641 00:36:49,707 --> 00:36:53,085 It means "a cinephile who looks back on the '90s." 642 00:36:53,169 --> 00:36:57,506 It was my first time writing an article about film for the mass media. 643 00:36:57,590 --> 00:37:02,011 I got a little scared and didn't want to use my real name, 644 00:37:02,094 --> 00:37:05,139 so I made up a pseudonym. That was Gu Hoe-yeong. 645 00:37:05,223 --> 00:37:09,644 Later, people said it meant "a cinephile who looks back on the '90s," 646 00:37:09,727 --> 00:37:12,897 and I thought it sounded cool, but that's not true. 647 00:37:12,980 --> 00:37:15,316 I was just wondering what name I should use 648 00:37:15,399 --> 00:37:18,736 and found a newspaper next to me. The Hankyoreh, I think. 649 00:37:18,819 --> 00:37:22,990 In the obituaries, I saw the name Gu Yeong-hoe, 650 00:37:23,074 --> 00:37:26,077 so I just changed it to Gu Hoe-yeong for no reason. 651 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:31,374 Back then, the cultural status of film in our society was very poor. 652 00:37:31,874 --> 00:37:36,128 It was a time when having a job in the film industry 653 00:37:36,212 --> 00:37:39,173 was considered a disgrace to one's family. 654 00:37:41,259 --> 00:37:45,763 How do we still have this? Count how many films we used to have. 655 00:37:45,846 --> 00:37:47,098 Right. 656 00:37:47,181 --> 00:37:49,016 You're good at counting. 657 00:37:49,517 --> 00:37:51,143 Yes, I just eyeballed it. 658 00:37:52,561 --> 00:37:54,230 About 300, 400 films? 659 00:37:54,313 --> 00:37:57,108 -About 427 films? -Not as many as I thought. 660 00:37:58,567 --> 00:38:02,405 -How many lines are on a page? -About 30 lines per page. 661 00:38:02,488 --> 00:38:05,783 -There are 26 letters in the alphabet. -I have to count them. 662 00:38:05,866 --> 00:38:09,161 -Four, five. -Let's say 20. 663 00:38:09,245 --> 00:38:10,162 Eight. 664 00:38:11,747 --> 00:38:12,581 Nine, ten. 665 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:15,626 Eleven and a half. 666 00:38:15,710 --> 00:38:18,337 -I think-- -About 17 pages. 17 times 3. 667 00:38:18,421 --> 00:38:20,256 -That would be 510. -510. 668 00:38:20,339 --> 00:38:22,967 -We had about 500 tapes. -Yes. 669 00:38:23,050 --> 00:38:25,803 Only those on record. But we stopped recording after a while. 670 00:38:25,886 --> 00:38:26,721 Right. 671 00:38:26,804 --> 00:38:29,640 When I first went to Yellow Door, 672 00:38:29,724 --> 00:38:33,269 you were drawing a table on a huge piece of paper. 673 00:38:33,352 --> 00:38:34,520 -A table? -Yes. 674 00:38:34,603 --> 00:38:36,814 You often wrote stuff on big sheets. 675 00:38:36,897 --> 00:38:38,149 Was it a list of late fees? 676 00:38:38,232 --> 00:38:43,529 I have a tendency to be obsessive, so I was the perfect man for the job. 677 00:38:43,612 --> 00:38:46,866 How should I put it? I was like the class monitor. 678 00:38:48,075 --> 00:38:50,077 On duty for the whole year. 679 00:38:50,161 --> 00:38:50,995 Yes, sort of. 680 00:38:51,078 --> 00:38:54,206 A student who keeps track of those who chatted during class. 681 00:38:54,290 --> 00:38:56,292 Those who didn't return the videotapes. 682 00:38:56,375 --> 00:38:58,210 "If you don't manage the tapes well, 683 00:38:58,961 --> 00:39:02,798 you might lose in less than a month what took a year to collect." 684 00:39:02,882 --> 00:39:06,510 Someone told me that, so I began to chase people around. 685 00:39:07,178 --> 00:39:08,763 I asked, with a scary face, 686 00:39:08,846 --> 00:39:11,849 "Why won't you return the Godard film you borrowed?" 687 00:39:11,932 --> 00:39:13,517 That's what I did! 688 00:39:17,855 --> 00:39:20,858 "Return the video. I know you took it two weeks ago." 689 00:39:20,941 --> 00:39:22,568 You really are despicable. 690 00:39:24,362 --> 00:39:28,032 I was serious about protecting the collection. 691 00:39:28,115 --> 00:39:29,867 What do you mean by "despicable"? 692 00:39:38,918 --> 00:39:39,835 What's that? 693 00:39:39,919 --> 00:39:44,131 DIRECTING DEPT. "SHOCK" THE 1ST TEXT ANALYSIS SEMINAR 694 00:39:44,215 --> 00:39:45,966 Wow. My gosh. 695 00:39:48,886 --> 00:39:54,475 This was when we watched films and analyzed them. 696 00:39:56,352 --> 00:39:58,771 "Detailed scene analysis." 697 00:39:58,854 --> 00:40:04,235 "Apply the analysis framework by genre, scriptwriter, and movement." 698 00:40:05,152 --> 00:40:07,988 As if we could actually do these things! 699 00:40:09,073 --> 00:40:11,992 We didn't know much, but we wrote it down anyway. 700 00:40:12,076 --> 00:40:15,037 It says, "Analyze a film by scene." 701 00:40:16,831 --> 00:40:18,624 It says, "Analyze a film by scene." 702 00:40:20,084 --> 00:40:21,919 Jog Shuttle VTR. 703 00:40:22,002 --> 00:40:23,129 Safe! Out! 704 00:40:23,212 --> 00:40:24,463 -Safe! -It's out! 705 00:40:24,547 --> 00:40:26,132 Let's check with the Jog Shuttle. 706 00:40:26,215 --> 00:40:28,801 The Jog Shuttle catches every action. 707 00:40:30,428 --> 00:40:33,305 -The jog dial was released. -Right. 708 00:40:33,389 --> 00:40:34,390 Nowadays, 709 00:40:35,141 --> 00:40:39,979 we can use iPhone apps or other mobile apps to edit videos 710 00:40:40,813 --> 00:40:44,400 and even add visual effects, so this may sound too primitive. 711 00:40:44,483 --> 00:40:47,153 But when the jog dial was released, we were thrilled. 712 00:40:47,236 --> 00:40:48,237 Right, yes. 713 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:53,784 We could fast-forward and rewind movies and analyze scenes frame by frame. 714 00:40:53,868 --> 00:40:58,247 We could check how it was edited and how the double actions were done. 715 00:40:58,831 --> 00:41:00,916 The cinephiles just before our generation, 716 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,919 such as Mr. Jung Sung-il, Director Kim Hong-joon, 717 00:41:04,462 --> 00:41:08,382 they had to go to Goethe-Institut or Institut Français to watch films. 718 00:41:08,466 --> 00:41:11,552 -And they couldn't rewind them. -Right. 719 00:41:11,635 --> 00:41:16,891 But we got to analyze films using jog dials for the first time. 720 00:41:16,974 --> 00:41:18,392 I remember this. 721 00:41:18,476 --> 00:41:21,312 We decided to hold the first text analysis seminar. 722 00:41:21,395 --> 00:41:25,399 Wait, did I analyze Raging Bull? And Citizen Kane? 723 00:41:25,483 --> 00:41:29,737 I did watch all of these films. City Lights, The Sacrifice. 724 00:41:32,198 --> 00:41:35,534 I probably did analyze them. Do you have the materials? 725 00:41:35,618 --> 00:41:37,411 -Yes, we have them. -Really? 726 00:41:37,495 --> 00:41:39,622 That's how we came to publish this. 727 00:41:39,705 --> 00:41:42,750 YELLOW DOOR, 1ST ISSUE SPRING 1993 728 00:41:42,833 --> 00:41:44,376 I didn't do it by myself. 729 00:41:44,460 --> 00:41:49,131 All the departments wrote the analyses and put them together. 730 00:41:49,215 --> 00:41:50,883 It wasn't much, but we did it. 731 00:41:50,966 --> 00:41:54,261 I think the first issue was the most important one, 732 00:41:54,345 --> 00:41:56,764 but we couldn't keep this going. 733 00:41:56,847 --> 00:41:58,265 Man, this is… 734 00:41:59,892 --> 00:42:02,561 I went through so much trying to find this. 735 00:42:02,645 --> 00:42:04,647 -Where did you get this? -From Yoon-a. 736 00:42:04,730 --> 00:42:07,191 -Oh, so Yoon-a had it. -Yes. 737 00:42:07,274 --> 00:42:10,361 There's an analysis of Coppola's The Godfather in here. 738 00:42:10,444 --> 00:42:12,029 I drew these. 739 00:42:13,113 --> 00:42:18,202 "The Godfather is a rigid, textbook film in terms of formatting." 740 00:42:20,412 --> 00:42:23,040 I wrote all kinds of nonsense as if I knew stuff. 741 00:42:26,043 --> 00:42:28,170 This was from our seminar, right? 742 00:42:28,254 --> 00:42:29,213 Yes. 743 00:42:30,172 --> 00:42:32,424 I see I worked very hard on this one. 744 00:42:42,518 --> 00:42:45,437 THE GODFATHER FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, 1972 745 00:43:01,161 --> 00:43:02,121 Thanks. 746 00:43:17,219 --> 00:43:18,887 The suspense. 747 00:43:20,180 --> 00:43:22,933 This is what you just mentioned, Director Lee. 748 00:43:23,017 --> 00:43:25,144 The control of information. 749 00:43:25,227 --> 00:43:28,480 The information in this view is only available to the audience. 750 00:43:28,564 --> 00:43:31,942 -That's how suspense is created. -Suspense is created. 751 00:43:32,026 --> 00:43:37,448 VIEW, SUSPENSE, CONTROL OF INFORMATION 752 00:43:50,252 --> 00:43:52,880 I should have shown this to Coppola when I met him, 753 00:43:52,963 --> 00:43:54,632 but I only told him about it. 754 00:43:58,677 --> 00:44:01,889 There's a film festival held in Lyon. 755 00:44:02,556 --> 00:44:04,975 Every year, the main event of the festival 756 00:44:05,643 --> 00:44:11,649 is to invite big industry names and pay tribute to them. 757 00:44:11,732 --> 00:44:13,484 That year, Coppola was the main guest. 758 00:44:15,277 --> 00:44:18,030 They were going to present him with an achievement award, 759 00:44:18,113 --> 00:44:19,865 and I was told to be the presenter. 760 00:44:20,866 --> 00:44:22,785 So I went upstage and said this… 761 00:44:22,868 --> 00:44:27,831 "Back when I was a university student, I also studied your films." 762 00:44:28,415 --> 00:44:30,959 "I analyzed this scene from The Godfather." 763 00:44:31,043 --> 00:44:33,462 I said something like that. 764 00:44:34,254 --> 00:44:38,967 "Why was the camera there? Why did the shot change there?" 765 00:44:39,051 --> 00:44:41,637 Why did this scene have to follow this one? 766 00:44:43,764 --> 00:44:46,600 Why does the actor look that way at this moment? 767 00:44:49,395 --> 00:44:50,771 I asked myself these questions 768 00:44:50,854 --> 00:44:54,900 and drew the scenes from The Godfather one by one. 769 00:44:57,736 --> 00:45:00,030 My heart still pounds at this moment. 770 00:45:01,532 --> 00:45:06,328 It hit me differently when I got to meet him in person up on the same stage, 771 00:45:06,829 --> 00:45:08,747 sharing that story with him. 772 00:45:08,831 --> 00:45:11,917 It felt marvelous and surreal. 773 00:45:12,501 --> 00:45:18,507 Since then, even to this day, I watch films in units of cuts and shots. 774 00:45:18,590 --> 00:45:21,218 In those shots, I look for the light sources, 775 00:45:21,301 --> 00:45:25,764 the mise-en-scène, and all the details as I watch the film. 776 00:45:25,848 --> 00:45:30,269 I loved what we did at first, but later on, it wasn't so great. 777 00:45:30,352 --> 00:45:31,687 I began to wonder, 778 00:45:31,770 --> 00:45:34,857 "Do I have to study languages and analyze each scene?" 779 00:45:34,940 --> 00:45:38,444 "No way. This is so boring." That's what happened to me. 780 00:45:38,527 --> 00:45:43,991 I realized it didn't sit well with me to analyze every single piece of a film. 781 00:45:44,074 --> 00:45:48,162 That's the power of a film. It captures you without you knowing it. 782 00:45:48,245 --> 00:45:51,665 I enjoyed watching films together since it was nice to know 783 00:45:51,749 --> 00:45:55,794 that I had friends who also wanted to watch these films. 784 00:45:55,878 --> 00:45:58,630 Yellow Door was a place where we gathered and talked 785 00:45:58,714 --> 00:46:01,383 and learned things we didn't know before. 786 00:46:01,467 --> 00:46:03,886 This just occurred to me. 787 00:46:03,969 --> 00:46:09,850 In this movie, the actor lights a candle and then covers it as he walks, 788 00:46:10,350 --> 00:46:13,228 trying to make sure it doesn't go out. 789 00:46:14,271 --> 00:46:17,191 NOSTALGHIA ANDREI TARKOVSKY, 1983 790 00:46:31,622 --> 00:46:35,501 It was a film by Tarkovsky which I would find boring now. 791 00:46:35,584 --> 00:46:38,587 I have no idea why I was so hooked on it. 792 00:46:38,670 --> 00:46:41,507 As I watched it, I realized that film was art, 793 00:46:41,590 --> 00:46:43,634 that I could dedicate my life to it. 794 00:46:50,808 --> 00:46:53,811 I think that scene went on for over five minutes. 795 00:46:54,812 --> 00:46:58,065 "What the heck? Is this what they call a film?" 796 00:46:58,148 --> 00:47:00,567 Back then, that's what I thought. 797 00:47:03,153 --> 00:47:08,408 Joon Ho really loved Martin Scorsese. 798 00:47:10,369 --> 00:47:12,704 Its original title was Raging Bull. 799 00:47:12,788 --> 00:47:16,959 But weirdly, the video company released it as The Fist of Fury. 800 00:47:17,042 --> 00:47:18,460 THE FIST OF FURY RAGING BULL 801 00:47:18,544 --> 00:47:21,380 The Korean subtitles on that video had so many problems. 802 00:47:21,463 --> 00:47:25,843 But despite that, the boxing sequence and everything 803 00:47:25,926 --> 00:47:28,095 was just overwhelming, 804 00:47:28,178 --> 00:47:30,973 so I remember us going crazy as we watched it. 805 00:47:31,056 --> 00:47:35,602 Director Lee, you also talked a lot about the editing and camerawork. 806 00:47:35,686 --> 00:47:38,397 I was in my early days of studying film. 807 00:47:38,480 --> 00:47:45,279 I used to think that complicated cuts and camerawork made good scenes. 808 00:47:47,155 --> 00:47:50,534 But as you know, that scene is extremely simple. 809 00:47:59,710 --> 00:48:04,047 It's simple, chilling, and funny, and you feel very sad once the scene ends. 810 00:48:08,176 --> 00:48:12,055 You see Joe Pesci's face, and then a few more shots. 811 00:48:12,139 --> 00:48:14,057 Then the camera pans just once. 812 00:48:14,141 --> 00:48:17,978 When De Niro walks up the stairs, it's very scary. 813 00:48:18,061 --> 00:48:23,525 After he walks up, we see this crazy, wild violence. 814 00:48:25,485 --> 00:48:27,988 -It's terrifying. -I remember something else you said. 815 00:48:28,739 --> 00:48:30,657 -That scene begins with a broken TV. -Yes. 816 00:48:30,741 --> 00:48:32,576 De Niro is fixing the TV. 817 00:48:32,659 --> 00:48:36,788 You said the broken TV sets the overall tone of the scene, 818 00:48:36,872 --> 00:48:39,625 and I remember realizing that then. 819 00:48:39,708 --> 00:48:41,501 -We said stuff like that? -No, well… 820 00:48:41,585 --> 00:48:42,920 You did! 821 00:48:43,003 --> 00:48:46,173 I don't remember a thing, not even what happened yesterday. 822 00:48:47,132 --> 00:48:50,052 THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES FRÉDÉRIC BACK, 1987 823 00:48:50,552 --> 00:48:54,514 There was an animated film entitled The Man Who Planted Trees. 824 00:48:55,766 --> 00:49:00,562 I guess I seemed miserable back then. 825 00:49:01,313 --> 00:49:02,564 Hoon-a said to me, 826 00:49:03,273 --> 00:49:07,402 "Jong-tae, when life is hard and you feel overwhelmed, 827 00:49:08,528 --> 00:49:12,991 you should watch films like this. It will help you." 828 00:49:13,492 --> 00:49:14,993 It was so nice. 829 00:49:17,329 --> 00:49:20,499 I guess I was rather impudent with my words. 830 00:49:20,582 --> 00:49:23,794 I thought Jong-tae was the one who told me to watch it. 831 00:49:27,005 --> 00:49:30,425 I thought, "He introduced me to such a great film." 832 00:49:30,509 --> 00:49:35,138 It really is a wonderful film. I watched it many more times after that. 833 00:49:36,056 --> 00:49:37,891 It's the best film for me. 834 00:49:37,975 --> 00:49:41,770 Oh, I'm not crying. My eyes are teary because they're old! 835 00:49:41,853 --> 00:49:43,855 The two of you have different memories. 836 00:49:43,939 --> 00:49:45,774 Yes, this is just like Rashomon. 837 00:49:51,738 --> 00:49:53,782 -I see the yellow door. -That's the door. 838 00:49:53,865 --> 00:49:55,117 Yes, you're right. 839 00:49:56,284 --> 00:49:58,620 -Someone's directing. -We're doing something. 840 00:49:58,704 --> 00:50:00,956 She's repeating her stiff performance. 841 00:50:02,708 --> 00:50:04,459 These are the 8 mm films. 842 00:50:05,210 --> 00:50:08,714 These were at home for the last 30 years in the wooden box. 843 00:50:08,797 --> 00:50:10,298 You can see everything. 844 00:50:11,758 --> 00:50:13,927 Cameras were not easy to come by. 845 00:50:14,011 --> 00:50:15,137 Yes. 846 00:50:15,220 --> 00:50:17,848 Especially video cameras. The films were too expensive. 847 00:50:17,931 --> 00:50:20,767 -Right. -Our hands would shake as we filmed. 848 00:50:20,851 --> 00:50:25,063 It was frightening to use up 24 frames in a mere second. 849 00:50:34,406 --> 00:50:38,410 It was probably around 1992. 850 00:50:38,493 --> 00:50:41,163 I had to save up the money. 851 00:50:45,542 --> 00:50:48,587 He saved up the money from working at the study room. 852 00:50:48,670 --> 00:50:52,507 I think he was paid 300,000 won a month. 853 00:50:54,009 --> 00:50:58,388 He asked me if he could get a decent camera with that money. 854 00:50:58,472 --> 00:51:03,852 You could find all kinds of electronics in Sewoon Plaza and Cheonggyecheon. 855 00:51:03,935 --> 00:51:08,023 It was an expensive camera at the time. Hitachi 8200 Super VHS. 856 00:51:09,024 --> 00:51:12,944 I bought it and took it to Yellow Door the next day. 857 00:51:13,653 --> 00:51:16,740 I held it in my arms like this during the seminar. 858 00:51:16,823 --> 00:51:18,492 It was huge too. 859 00:51:19,951 --> 00:51:25,040 I'd flip the pages with the camera in my arms, patting it. 860 00:51:25,749 --> 00:51:27,501 Nervous, should I say? 861 00:51:28,251 --> 00:51:31,505 It was our first piece of equipment, so we were pleasantly nervous about it. 862 00:51:49,564 --> 00:51:53,485 I did all my part-time jobs with the 8200, such as filming wedding videos. 863 00:51:54,486 --> 00:51:56,905 I'd get all kinds of filming gigs 864 00:51:56,988 --> 00:51:59,991 at all sorts of family events from birthday parties to weddings. 865 00:52:12,087 --> 00:52:13,338 -Everyone's here. -This one. 866 00:52:13,421 --> 00:52:15,423 We look great in this photo. It's nice. 867 00:52:16,216 --> 00:52:19,386 Byung-hoon and Seok-woo are right next to each other. 868 00:52:19,970 --> 00:52:23,014 There's a rumor that Byung-hoon left the industry because of me. 869 00:52:24,141 --> 00:52:26,268 Seok-woo feels bad for you, Byung-hoon. 870 00:52:26,351 --> 00:52:27,435 Why? What for? 871 00:52:27,519 --> 00:52:31,022 Because he yelled at you so much while shooting short films. 872 00:52:33,441 --> 00:52:35,652 Joon Ho is hiding back there. 873 00:52:35,735 --> 00:52:37,112 -Yes. -What is he up to? 874 00:52:39,114 --> 00:52:40,949 I have no idea when this was taken. 875 00:52:41,032 --> 00:52:44,703 I'm not really sure either. How did we end up taking this photo? 876 00:52:44,786 --> 00:52:47,205 A spur-of-the-moment thing, maybe? 877 00:52:47,289 --> 00:52:50,876 But we're all too dressed up. 878 00:52:51,418 --> 00:52:52,627 Gosh, Hoon-a! 879 00:52:54,212 --> 00:52:56,047 -Yes, it's the same day. -Right. 880 00:52:56,840 --> 00:52:58,925 Am I bowing to someone here? 881 00:52:59,009 --> 00:53:00,927 -I think it's a rite. -Yeah. 882 00:53:01,011 --> 00:53:04,472 I see the head of the Hitachi 8200 over there. 883 00:53:06,141 --> 00:53:08,059 -It's our opening ceremony! -It is! 884 00:53:08,143 --> 00:53:10,187 -It says so right there. -That's it. 885 00:53:11,188 --> 00:53:13,607 -I think so. -I remember that pig's head! 886 00:53:16,026 --> 00:53:19,988 We couldn't afford an actual pig's head, so I drew that on paper. 887 00:53:20,071 --> 00:53:23,033 -That's my drawing. -Yes, Joon Ho drew that. 888 00:53:23,116 --> 00:53:26,203 I wrote the order of events on that huge sheet of paper. 889 00:53:26,286 --> 00:53:28,371 -Really? -So that was your handwriting. 890 00:53:28,455 --> 00:53:29,706 -The handwriting here? -Yes. 891 00:53:29,789 --> 00:53:31,041 That's not my handwriting. 892 00:53:31,124 --> 00:53:33,543 I can see Gorilla written on it. 893 00:53:33,627 --> 00:53:34,836 -Two. Yes, Gorilla 2. -Yes. 894 00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:35,754 Gorilla 2. 895 00:53:35,837 --> 00:53:37,172 -That was Gorilla 2? -Yes. 896 00:53:37,255 --> 00:53:40,592 -Is that Looking for Paradise? -Yes, Looking for Paradise. 897 00:53:40,675 --> 00:53:44,930 Gorilla 2, as if it was an actual series. How embarrassing. 898 00:53:48,433 --> 00:53:50,018 Director Choi Jong-tae formed this club 899 00:53:50,101 --> 00:53:53,772 with a few younger people who were passionate about film. 900 00:53:54,731 --> 00:53:57,317 They said they were having an end-of-year screening. 901 00:53:59,569 --> 00:54:01,905 Choi Jong-tae, Woo Hyun, and Ahn Nae-sang. 902 00:54:01,988 --> 00:54:05,283 Hyun and Nae-sang are very busy actors now. 903 00:54:05,825 --> 00:54:07,494 The three of them were a trio. 904 00:54:07,577 --> 00:54:11,915 So Hyun and Nae-sang often came to Yellow Door. 905 00:54:11,998 --> 00:54:13,875 We had lots of drinks too. 906 00:54:14,918 --> 00:54:15,752 Yes. 907 00:54:16,670 --> 00:54:17,671 A screening? 908 00:54:17,754 --> 00:54:20,423 I thought it would be grandiose and fancy. 909 00:54:20,507 --> 00:54:24,261 But it was held in a tiny room, a tiny office. 910 00:54:24,344 --> 00:54:27,305 I remember attending the event. 911 00:54:27,389 --> 00:54:31,226 It was kind of boring. Rather tedious. I thought, "Yeah, I didn't expect much." 912 00:54:31,309 --> 00:54:34,896 So I wasn't really interested, and then… 913 00:54:38,441 --> 00:54:42,696 As soon as Joon Ho's film started playing, I thought, 914 00:54:42,779 --> 00:54:45,657 "What is this?" And I was completely sucked in. 915 00:54:46,449 --> 00:54:48,868 I really want to watch it again. I mean it. 916 00:54:51,871 --> 00:54:54,124 What did you do for the animated film? 917 00:54:54,624 --> 00:54:56,167 Do you mean Gorilla? 918 00:54:56,251 --> 00:54:59,337 -Were you controlling the stuffed toys? -We took turns. 919 00:54:59,421 --> 00:55:01,298 Or were you handling the camera? 920 00:55:01,381 --> 00:55:06,344 No, whoever got tired was in charge of the camera. 921 00:55:06,428 --> 00:55:09,472 -Whoever had more energy moved the toys. -That's you, right? 922 00:55:09,556 --> 00:55:12,309 Then we had to go up the ladders and hang it up high too. 923 00:55:12,392 --> 00:55:14,769 -Yes, you did the dangerous stuff. -I did those. 924 00:55:15,770 --> 00:55:17,480 -Hang it off the pipes. -Yes. 925 00:55:17,564 --> 00:55:20,317 I thought it'd be really fun. 926 00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:21,985 -At first? -Yes, at first. 927 00:55:22,068 --> 00:55:24,904 For about two days, 928 00:55:24,988 --> 00:55:28,074 we shot in the basement of Daerim Apartment, 929 00:55:28,158 --> 00:55:31,161 the place with the pipes in Barking Dogs Never Bite. 930 00:55:31,244 --> 00:55:34,581 There, we moved the stuffed gorilla little by little to shoot the film. 931 00:55:34,664 --> 00:55:35,749 It was really tough. 932 00:55:47,552 --> 00:55:50,930 The Hitachi 8200 offered many features. 933 00:55:51,014 --> 00:55:53,641 I used it to shoot and edit the film. 934 00:55:53,725 --> 00:55:56,227 And I could also insert subtitles, 935 00:55:56,770 --> 00:56:00,857 not in Korean, but in English. 936 00:56:01,358 --> 00:56:06,237 I had no choice but to make it silent and add English subtitles at the bottom. 937 00:56:14,454 --> 00:56:19,250 The main character, Gorilla, goes up on a stone and poops. 938 00:56:20,460 --> 00:56:22,128 -Yes, we had a stone. -Right? 939 00:56:22,212 --> 00:56:24,130 It poops on top of the stone. 940 00:56:25,298 --> 00:56:28,885 That voice was Director Bong's. The grunting as it poops. 941 00:56:37,143 --> 00:56:40,563 The poop turns into a poop worm and attacks the gorilla. 942 00:56:42,232 --> 00:56:43,358 And then… 943 00:56:43,441 --> 00:56:45,819 It's embarrassing just to hear this. 944 00:56:51,449 --> 00:56:55,954 In a way, it was also a monster flick. A mysterious creature appears in it. 945 00:56:56,037 --> 00:57:01,709 We made those monster worms with white clay. 946 00:57:01,793 --> 00:57:05,171 I thought it would be too gross to use brown clay. 947 00:57:05,255 --> 00:57:06,256 Too disgusting. 948 00:57:06,339 --> 00:57:10,051 The monsters attack the gorilla, and they start a fight. 949 00:57:14,305 --> 00:57:18,685 The story was about the gorilla trying to get to a place without monsters. 950 00:57:21,646 --> 00:57:25,775 A gorilla that lives in a dark, dirty basement 951 00:57:25,859 --> 00:57:29,529 escapes to find its paradise. 952 00:57:29,612 --> 00:57:32,949 Hence the childish title, Looking for Paradise. 953 00:57:35,285 --> 00:57:38,204 There was a lush tree in the middle of a field. 954 00:57:38,288 --> 00:57:39,372 The gorilla starts dreaming 955 00:57:39,456 --> 00:57:43,960 of picking fresh bananas off the tree and eating them. 956 00:57:45,044 --> 00:57:47,630 A gorilla is supposed to climb trees, 957 00:57:47,714 --> 00:57:54,554 but this one climbs up the gray pipes on the ceiling of the basement instead, 958 00:57:54,637 --> 00:57:55,930 dreaming of its escape. 959 00:57:59,184 --> 00:58:05,732 When the gorilla began to move and make an effort to achieve its goal, 960 00:58:05,815 --> 00:58:10,570 I thought, "How strange. This is a simple plot, a simple story." 961 00:58:10,653 --> 00:58:15,074 "But when it's combined with cinematic imagination, 962 00:58:15,158 --> 00:58:18,495 one can create something amazing." 963 00:58:30,006 --> 00:58:33,426 Maybe it was because I wasn't a part of the production. 964 00:58:33,510 --> 00:58:38,556 I didn't understand how hard it was to make a film like that. 965 00:58:38,640 --> 00:58:42,227 I couldn't just say, "I don't think it's that great." 966 00:58:42,310 --> 00:58:46,314 All the members who studied film gave him good reviews, 967 00:58:46,397 --> 00:58:48,650 so I couldn't say otherwise. 968 00:58:48,733 --> 00:58:51,277 So I just said, "Oh, nicely done." 969 00:58:51,361 --> 00:58:55,281 That was about the only critique I could give regarding that film. 970 00:58:55,365 --> 00:58:59,619 Having said that, I was stuck-up back then, 971 00:59:00,537 --> 00:59:02,705 I didn't think much of the film. 972 00:59:02,789 --> 00:59:06,459 It's called stop-motion animation, right? 973 00:59:06,543 --> 00:59:08,545 It's also called "release shooting." 974 00:59:08,628 --> 00:59:12,507 I think I simply thought, "Well, if the camera has the function, 975 00:59:12,590 --> 00:59:15,301 anyone can shoot it." 976 00:59:15,385 --> 00:59:19,305 I was so embarrassed when I played it at the year-end party. 977 00:59:19,389 --> 00:59:22,475 I remember my face going red. 978 00:59:22,559 --> 00:59:26,396 I think it was the first time I created something with a narrative. 979 00:59:26,479 --> 00:59:31,067 And there were about 15 to 20 people there too. 980 00:59:31,150 --> 00:59:33,486 So they were like an audience. 981 00:59:33,570 --> 00:59:36,114 It was just another year-end party, so everyone was like, 982 00:59:36,197 --> 00:59:40,618 "Let's watch it already. Get it over with and start drinking." 983 00:59:40,702 --> 00:59:43,496 But I was very nervous. 984 00:59:43,580 --> 00:59:46,499 I remember turning completely red up to my ears. 985 00:59:47,750 --> 00:59:51,254 That's when I decided to give up on animated films 986 00:59:51,337 --> 00:59:54,048 and turn to live-action. 987 00:59:54,132 --> 00:59:57,176 I had to move the toys a tiny bit at a time, 988 00:59:57,260 --> 01:00:02,473 so later on, I began to have this animosity toward the main character. 989 01:00:03,474 --> 01:00:06,227 I kept thinking, "Can you please move an inch by yourself?" 990 01:00:06,311 --> 01:00:09,647 Naturally, I turned to live-action where the actors move on their own. 991 01:00:09,731 --> 01:00:10,857 -Yes. -That's why. 992 01:00:10,940 --> 01:00:15,737 But if you think back on it now, don't you think we were kind of insane? 993 01:00:15,820 --> 01:00:19,198 The fact that we stayed up all night shooting it. 994 01:00:19,282 --> 01:00:21,367 We set up at around eight o'clock. 995 01:00:21,451 --> 01:00:22,869 Was the weather cold or hot? 996 01:00:23,828 --> 01:00:26,873 I don't remember that. I was so focused, I forgot about it. 997 01:00:27,749 --> 01:00:29,667 -No, I think it was cold. -It was chilly. 998 01:00:29,751 --> 01:00:31,419 I think we had coats on. 999 01:00:31,502 --> 01:00:34,672 -At that time, your mother… -Yes, my mom came downstairs. 1000 01:00:34,756 --> 01:00:38,593 She came downstairs late at night and looked at us with pity in her eyes. 1001 01:00:38,676 --> 01:00:40,928 -She asked if we were done yet. -She did. 1002 01:00:41,012 --> 01:00:44,432 At that time, I was already discharged from the army. 1003 01:00:44,515 --> 01:00:45,516 Yes, right. 1004 01:00:46,100 --> 01:00:47,852 Her grown-up son was in the basement 1005 01:00:47,935 --> 01:00:50,855 with a stuffed gorilla in the middle of the night. 1006 01:00:50,938 --> 01:00:53,191 -Right. -It must've upset her so much. 1007 01:00:53,274 --> 01:00:56,527 She must've been really frustrated. 1008 01:00:57,278 --> 01:01:03,618 I believe the essential components of Director Bong's current films 1009 01:01:04,452 --> 01:01:06,537 were already established in Gorilla. 1010 01:01:07,997 --> 01:01:08,915 INCOHERENCE BONG JOON HO, 1994 1011 01:01:08,998 --> 01:01:12,919 Most of his films have scenes shot in the basement. 1012 01:01:13,586 --> 01:01:18,299 Oh, you can go down to the basement and do your business. 1013 01:01:24,722 --> 01:01:29,143 The restroom in the maintenance office is too far from here. 1014 01:01:32,689 --> 01:01:34,941 This is the story from when this apartment was built. 1015 01:01:35,441 --> 01:01:39,946 Back in 1988, when apartment construction was booming… 1016 01:01:40,029 --> 01:01:44,200 Since you got discharged from the army and came to the factory in this town, 1017 01:01:44,867 --> 01:01:47,787 there have been a series of incidents. 1018 01:01:47,870 --> 01:01:50,373 I don't think this is forgery or crime. 1019 01:01:51,207 --> 01:01:53,209 I'm going to this university next year. 1020 01:01:53,292 --> 01:01:56,337 Oh, you had everything planned out! 1021 01:01:59,257 --> 01:02:01,467 -"He's going to make it." -Yes. 1022 01:02:01,968 --> 01:02:05,054 That I knew, but not that he'd make it this big. 1023 01:02:07,014 --> 01:02:09,475 You know, Hyun is… 1024 01:02:09,559 --> 01:02:13,521 He's very quick with numbers. He never wastes money on anything. 1025 01:02:13,604 --> 01:02:20,403 This guy funded Director Bong's first short film, 1026 01:02:20,945 --> 01:02:22,071 White Man. 1027 01:02:22,780 --> 01:02:24,949 I thought you gave him about three million won. 1028 01:02:25,032 --> 01:02:26,534 -No. -How much did you give him? 1029 01:02:26,617 --> 01:02:29,287 -No, I barely remember. -Is that so? 1030 01:02:29,370 --> 01:02:30,788 A portion. 1031 01:02:30,872 --> 01:02:33,583 That's how I remember it, but he recorded the actual amount. 1032 01:02:33,666 --> 01:02:35,418 -500,000 won. Yeah. -Is he sure? 1033 01:02:35,501 --> 01:02:37,587 You told me it was three million won. 1034 01:02:37,670 --> 01:02:39,172 -I did? -You lied to me. 1035 01:02:39,255 --> 01:02:44,260 Hyun was there at the year-end party, and he watched my animated film. 1036 01:02:44,886 --> 01:02:47,305 Thanks to that, when I was shooting White Man, 1037 01:02:47,388 --> 01:02:50,516 he made a partial investment, so to speak. 1038 01:02:51,476 --> 01:02:53,978 He gave me some money when I shot the short film. 1039 01:02:56,481 --> 01:02:58,274 PRODUCTION FUNDING: WOO HYUN-HUI 1040 01:02:58,357 --> 01:03:01,861 Woo Hyun-hui? Apparently, Joon Ho didn't know my name. 1041 01:03:03,404 --> 01:03:05,865 Does he still think… No, he must know your name now. 1042 01:03:06,449 --> 01:03:09,368 This might sound kind of awkward, 1043 01:03:09,452 --> 01:03:12,789 but this is the first time I've ever helped someone 1044 01:03:12,872 --> 01:03:14,999 and regretted it. 1045 01:03:15,833 --> 01:03:17,168 I didn't regret it back then. 1046 01:03:18,336 --> 01:03:20,671 But after a few years… 1047 01:03:23,090 --> 01:03:24,467 he made Memories of Murder. 1048 01:03:24,550 --> 01:03:26,010 MEMORIES OF MURDER BONG JOON HO, 2003 1049 01:03:26,093 --> 01:03:28,179 When I walked out after watching the film, 1050 01:03:28,262 --> 01:03:32,099 my heart felt heavy and stunned. 1051 01:03:32,183 --> 01:03:35,353 I was engulfed in deep emotions. 1052 01:03:36,521 --> 01:03:37,522 I said to myself, 1053 01:03:39,148 --> 01:03:40,525 "I should've paid for all of it." 1054 01:03:44,320 --> 01:03:45,530 "The entire production." 1055 01:03:46,322 --> 01:03:50,159 "Why was I so stingy and only paid for some of it?" 1056 01:03:50,243 --> 01:03:51,828 That's what I actually thought. 1057 01:04:02,463 --> 01:04:06,342 At the very end of the film, there was a single tree. 1058 01:04:06,425 --> 01:04:08,928 The film was entitled Looking for Paradise. 1059 01:04:09,512 --> 01:04:10,930 Now that I think about it, 1060 01:04:11,722 --> 01:04:14,767 I guess everyone wanted to find something. 1061 01:04:14,851 --> 01:04:16,477 I'm having such thoughts. 1062 01:04:19,897 --> 01:04:24,360 At the end, the gorilla reaches the tree and stands in front of it. 1063 01:04:24,443 --> 01:04:29,115 We're looking at the gorilla from behind, but as the camera slowly zooms out… 1064 01:04:33,119 --> 01:04:38,708 it turns out that the banana tree is actually inside a television. 1065 01:04:44,964 --> 01:04:47,633 I think I teared up at the end. 1066 01:04:48,384 --> 01:04:53,806 It was put together so well that you can relate to the gorilla. 1067 01:04:57,602 --> 01:05:02,565 Back then, I was still hanging around the school. 1068 01:05:03,774 --> 01:05:06,986 I was unemployed, not making any money. 1069 01:05:08,154 --> 01:05:11,574 I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do 1070 01:05:11,657 --> 01:05:14,368 or what I was supposed to do, 1071 01:05:14,869 --> 01:05:17,997 but I was certain about what I didn't want to do. 1072 01:05:21,500 --> 01:05:23,252 So, in a way, 1073 01:05:24,712 --> 01:05:26,505 I was like the gorilla. 1074 01:05:27,214 --> 01:05:28,382 Yes, I was. 1075 01:05:37,433 --> 01:05:39,352 When you consider video culture, 1076 01:05:39,435 --> 01:05:44,190 the new theater opening tomorrow will bring a wonderful revolution. 1077 01:05:44,273 --> 01:05:45,858 I actually paid a visit first. 1078 01:05:46,484 --> 01:05:50,321 Everything explodes around 1995, in the 100th year of cinema. 1079 01:05:50,404 --> 01:05:54,742 The very first art film theater in Korea will open tomorrow. 1080 01:05:58,704 --> 01:06:04,627 After Russia, Tarkovsky's Nostalghia probably performed best in Korea. 1081 01:06:04,710 --> 01:06:07,380 And about 60,000 people watched The Sacrifice. 1082 01:06:08,255 --> 01:06:11,258 Everyone would go and watch films like that, and… 1083 01:06:12,677 --> 01:06:14,804 then they would get a headache. 1084 01:06:15,888 --> 01:06:19,725 Countless magazines like Cine 21 and Kino were publishing their first issues. 1085 01:06:20,893 --> 01:06:25,773 They all read Mr. Jung Sung-il's articles in magazines. It was all the rage. 1086 01:06:26,357 --> 01:06:30,361 Statistics showed that what Jurassic Park, an American film, earned a few years ago 1087 01:06:30,444 --> 01:06:34,031 was more than the total annual exports of all Korean automobiles. 1088 01:06:34,115 --> 01:06:35,074 I think, 1089 01:06:35,157 --> 01:06:41,288 as we went through the mid to late '90s, the film industry started to take shape. 1090 01:06:41,372 --> 01:06:43,165 Some people suddenly became famous. 1091 01:06:43,249 --> 01:06:46,335 Some suddenly became the chief editor of a magazine. 1092 01:06:46,419 --> 01:06:48,170 Conglomerates have joined the film industry… 1093 01:06:48,254 --> 01:06:53,509 I think we were also motivated as we watched everything unfold. 1094 01:06:54,260 --> 01:06:56,095 Back in the '70s and '80s, 1095 01:06:56,178 --> 01:06:59,515 young people from my generation who loved movies used to get together 1096 01:06:59,598 --> 01:07:01,600 and complain about the industry. 1097 01:07:01,684 --> 01:07:04,687 "Why doesn't Korea have a film festival?" 1098 01:07:04,770 --> 01:07:07,440 "Why doesn't Korea have a film school?" 1099 01:07:09,108 --> 01:07:12,194 "Why doesn't Korea financially support short film productions?" 1100 01:07:13,738 --> 01:07:18,325 "I'm sure there's a paradise for film somewhere outside this country." 1101 01:07:18,409 --> 01:07:20,286 "I hope to go there someday." 1102 01:07:20,369 --> 01:07:22,788 The first-ever international film festival in Korea, 1103 01:07:22,872 --> 01:07:24,999 the Pusan International Film Festival, 1104 01:07:25,082 --> 01:07:27,793 kicked off splendidly tonight for its nine-day run. 1105 01:07:35,551 --> 01:07:36,469 One day… 1106 01:07:37,470 --> 01:07:41,640 I was busy writing my thesis for grad school at the time. 1107 01:07:41,724 --> 01:07:43,851 I wrote my thesis about film. 1108 01:07:44,477 --> 01:07:47,021 And I bumped into Joon Ho at Gangnam Station one day. 1109 01:07:47,104 --> 01:07:48,856 I asked him what he was doing there. 1110 01:07:48,939 --> 01:07:52,693 It felt really odd to see him there since we always met in Hongdae. 1111 01:07:52,777 --> 01:07:57,114 He told me that he was trying to get into a film academy. 1112 01:07:57,656 --> 01:08:00,534 He had to take an English test to get in, 1113 01:08:00,618 --> 01:08:03,204 so he was on his way to an English academy. 1114 01:08:03,287 --> 01:08:06,123 That's what he was doing at the time, studying English. 1115 01:08:06,207 --> 01:08:09,460 So I was surprised at that time. I was young too, so I thought, 1116 01:08:09,543 --> 01:08:13,923 "Joon Ho really takes film seriously." 1117 01:08:14,006 --> 01:08:17,885 To me, it was an escape from reality, 1118 01:08:18,594 --> 01:08:20,846 but to him, it was a career path. 1119 01:08:20,930 --> 01:08:23,766 I only realized this after looking back at that time. 1120 01:08:23,849 --> 01:08:30,189 Watching films and talking about them at the Yellow Door Film Institute, 1121 01:08:30,272 --> 01:08:33,651 I just thought that was enough. 1122 01:08:33,734 --> 01:08:36,821 I didn't know what the members wanted. 1123 01:08:36,904 --> 01:08:40,866 The biggest thing that I missed was that they wanted to make films. 1124 01:08:40,950 --> 01:08:43,202 They wanted to shoot films. 1125 01:08:43,786 --> 01:08:49,875 I guess the members had different expectations for the club. 1126 01:08:49,959 --> 01:08:53,629 There were discrepancies in the curriculum and the direction 1127 01:08:53,712 --> 01:08:56,340 that the members wanted to take. 1128 01:08:56,423 --> 01:08:59,593 Because of these discrepancies, there came a moment 1129 01:08:59,677 --> 01:09:02,179 when we felt uncomfortable with one another. 1130 01:09:02,263 --> 01:09:04,765 Whatever it may be, 1131 01:09:05,266 --> 01:09:09,687 it's heartbreaking to watch something that has passed its prime. 1132 01:09:10,479 --> 01:09:12,773 Although Yellow Door wasn't something alive, 1133 01:09:13,816 --> 01:09:17,153 it had its decline like every living thing. 1134 01:09:17,236 --> 01:09:19,029 And I watched that process. 1135 01:09:19,947 --> 01:09:23,159 Everyone had different preferences and tastes. 1136 01:09:23,242 --> 01:09:25,202 We may have been one group, 1137 01:09:25,286 --> 01:09:29,248 but I think it's also true that we each had different dreams. 1138 01:09:29,331 --> 01:09:32,668 There was definitely something that couldn't bring us together. 1139 01:09:49,351 --> 01:09:53,814 And so, we decided to dissolve the club. 1140 01:09:54,857 --> 01:09:56,525 But after that, 1141 01:09:58,319 --> 01:09:59,570 I felt a little empty. 1142 01:09:59,653 --> 01:10:04,325 We dreamed together so passionately and achieved many other things too. 1143 01:10:05,034 --> 01:10:06,452 That's what we were, 1144 01:10:06,535 --> 01:10:09,330 but it only took a moment for us to fall apart. 1145 01:10:09,413 --> 01:10:11,624 And when it fell apart, 1146 01:10:12,708 --> 01:10:15,544 it instantly disappeared, like the tide going out. 1147 01:10:18,756 --> 01:10:21,383 And then there was the trip. 1148 01:10:22,343 --> 01:10:23,844 We decided to go on a trip. 1149 01:10:23,928 --> 01:10:27,431 So we went somewhere in Gangwon-do by the East Sea. 1150 01:10:28,724 --> 01:10:34,563 Those who wished to join got together at Cheongnyangni Station. 1151 01:10:34,647 --> 01:10:37,233 It was a fabulous trip. 1152 01:10:38,317 --> 01:10:41,612 I still remember it like it was yesterday. 1153 01:10:41,695 --> 01:10:45,908 Just as we were passing Jeongdongjin and the sun was about to rise, 1154 01:10:45,991 --> 01:10:49,578 the train began playing "Moonlight Sonata." 1155 01:10:49,662 --> 01:10:51,330 It was wonderful. 1156 01:10:51,413 --> 01:10:54,208 The announcement was telling us the last stop was near. 1157 01:10:54,291 --> 01:10:56,669 As "Moonlight Sonata" kept playing, 1158 01:10:56,752 --> 01:10:59,672 the train slid alongside the beach. 1159 01:11:03,634 --> 01:11:06,178 I think our time with Yellow Door 1160 01:11:06,971 --> 01:11:10,599 was like an act of a play. 1161 01:11:10,683 --> 01:11:15,771 So in whatever way, the act needed to come to an end 1162 01:11:16,272 --> 01:11:21,986 so that the play could go on to the second, third, and fourth acts. 1163 01:11:22,069 --> 01:11:24,571 As we went on with our lives for the next 30 years, 1164 01:11:25,239 --> 01:11:28,909 we continued to move on to the next acts. 1165 01:11:29,493 --> 01:11:32,955 We learned from what we lacked in the first act 1166 01:11:33,497 --> 01:11:35,958 and utilized what we learned in different ways. 1167 01:11:36,041 --> 01:11:38,460 That's how I think we were able to move forward. 1168 01:11:38,961 --> 01:11:40,671 The same applied to my life too. 1169 01:11:42,923 --> 01:11:44,508 Do you know that feeling? 1170 01:11:44,591 --> 01:11:49,346 Let's say you had a person dear to you. Everything was great. 1171 01:11:49,430 --> 01:11:53,058 You walked holding their hand, but it couldn't last forever. 1172 01:11:53,142 --> 01:11:56,854 You have to let go at some point, but when you do, it's very awkward. 1173 01:11:56,937 --> 01:11:58,939 I think that's how I felt. 1174 01:11:59,481 --> 01:12:00,691 Me, personally, 1175 01:12:01,775 --> 01:12:04,403 I think it was for the best that we split up. 1176 01:12:04,486 --> 01:12:06,822 I mean, it was born out of our pure passion for film. 1177 01:12:06,905 --> 01:12:10,868 If we stayed together for a financial purpose or a clear goal, 1178 01:12:11,952 --> 01:12:15,664 we would've restructured the club to pursue something new. 1179 01:12:26,759 --> 01:12:29,178 I stopped watching movies soon after that. 1180 01:12:29,261 --> 01:12:30,721 LIM HOON-A MEMBER OF YELLOW DOOR 1181 01:12:30,804 --> 01:12:33,057 The films I watched at Yellow Door 1182 01:12:33,140 --> 01:12:36,310 felt completely different from the films I watched outside. 1183 01:12:37,061 --> 01:12:40,230 I even asked myself if I really used to like those films. 1184 01:12:40,314 --> 01:12:42,858 Strangely, the films I watched at Yellow Door 1185 01:12:42,941 --> 01:12:45,986 felt like they meant more than what they seemed on the surface. 1186 01:12:46,487 --> 01:12:50,866 Once I returned to reality and bought tickets to watch films in the theater, 1187 01:12:50,949 --> 01:12:53,452 I no longer felt that way about them. 1188 01:12:54,578 --> 01:12:58,332 At the time, I was really saddened by its end. 1189 01:12:58,415 --> 01:13:02,920 And for a long time after that, I couldn't stop missing the old days. 1190 01:13:03,003 --> 01:13:09,009 But now, I think it's become an old but good memory of mine. 1191 01:13:10,344 --> 01:13:12,513 As I entered middle age, 1192 01:13:13,222 --> 01:13:14,890 I became very disheartened by it. 1193 01:13:15,474 --> 01:13:16,392 Yes. 1194 01:13:17,184 --> 01:13:21,939 By how it all became nothing but a memory. 1195 01:13:23,065 --> 01:13:27,236 Film has been my path for a long time. 1196 01:13:27,319 --> 01:13:29,822 For a long time ever since, even until now. 1197 01:13:32,032 --> 01:13:34,701 I still think the search for one's path is meaningful, 1198 01:13:34,785 --> 01:13:37,871 even if it leads to a banana inside the TV. 1199 01:13:37,955 --> 01:13:43,544 I mean, that might be a process of self-realization. 1200 01:13:43,627 --> 01:13:47,589 Those who haven't begun their journey would be in the basement, 1201 01:13:47,673 --> 01:13:49,675 believing that there are bananas up there. 1202 01:13:49,758 --> 01:13:52,761 In a way, there are moments 1203 01:13:54,054 --> 01:13:57,182 when I think I can see the tree that was on the screen. 1204 01:13:58,267 --> 01:14:00,269 ROAD FEVER KIM MIN-HYANG (2014) 1205 01:14:00,394 --> 01:14:03,897 I'm not sure how much time I have left, 1206 01:14:03,981 --> 01:14:08,944 but I have a feeling that I can get close to the tree and finally touch it. 1207 01:14:09,027 --> 01:14:10,821 I think I can do that now. 1208 01:14:10,904 --> 01:14:14,366 It's embarrassing to say this, but when I began to paint, 1209 01:14:14,450 --> 01:14:17,870 I found myself painting something close 1210 01:14:17,953 --> 01:14:24,251 to the last scene of Looking for Paradise without even realizing it. 1211 01:14:25,043 --> 01:14:28,672 It was an image of a young girl looking for something. 1212 01:14:28,755 --> 01:14:31,758 I wasn't thinking about Yellow Door when I painted it. 1213 01:14:32,926 --> 01:14:34,595 But when I think about it today, 1214 01:14:34,678 --> 01:14:41,685 I must have painted my desire to look for something new. 1215 01:14:42,060 --> 01:14:47,107 The fact that we made a lot of memories together 30 years ago, 1216 01:14:47,691 --> 01:14:49,693 and that for a brief moment, 1217 01:14:50,486 --> 01:14:55,657 we had fun just hanging out with no worries about the future. 1218 01:14:55,741 --> 01:14:58,202 It feels like a piece of a puzzle. 1219 01:14:58,285 --> 01:15:01,371 Everything I shared until now 1220 01:15:02,372 --> 01:15:04,833 are stories from about 30 years ago. 1221 01:15:05,501 --> 01:15:10,464 But to think that 30 years have passed, 1222 01:15:11,465 --> 01:15:14,218 I just can't believe it. 1223 01:15:16,261 --> 01:15:20,432 We lit up like a flame in 1992 and 1993. 1224 01:15:20,516 --> 01:15:24,102 I'm sure we all have different memories from that time. 1225 01:15:24,186 --> 01:15:28,774 Some were there only briefly. Some stayed for a long time. 1226 01:15:28,857 --> 01:15:32,611 And there's Jong-tae, who was in the eye of the storm. 1227 01:15:33,111 --> 01:15:35,864 I'm sure the memory is different for all of us. 1228 01:15:37,199 --> 01:15:40,035 When I look back on it, 1229 01:15:41,203 --> 01:15:42,538 I don't think 1230 01:15:43,497 --> 01:15:48,335 I have ever been as passionate about film as I was then. 1231 01:15:48,418 --> 01:15:51,713 They are the times that made me who I am today, 1232 01:15:52,214 --> 01:15:54,091 and the times I want to remember. 1233 01:15:54,800 --> 01:15:57,177 And even after leaving the club, 1234 01:15:58,220 --> 01:16:02,057 it showed me the path for me to follow afterward. 1235 01:16:02,558 --> 01:16:04,059 It was my beginning. 1236 01:16:05,018 --> 01:16:06,061 Yellow Door. 1237 01:16:14,278 --> 01:16:16,905 Do you think we'd do a good job if we did it again now? 1238 01:16:53,942 --> 01:16:55,902 "About the Yellow Door Film Institute." 1239 01:16:56,820 --> 01:17:00,991 "The Yellow Door Film Institute is a group of people who assembled to study film." 1240 01:17:01,074 --> 01:17:05,537 "We don't think studying film is something one can do on one's own." 1241 01:17:06,121 --> 01:17:10,208 "As we shared information and materials, the group gradually got bigger." 1242 01:17:10,292 --> 01:17:12,377 "Now there are more than 30 of us." 1243 01:17:12,461 --> 01:17:18,091 "Although we still have a long way to go, we have named ourselves a film institute." 1244 01:17:18,884 --> 01:17:21,470 "According to the cinematic path of our choice, 1245 01:17:21,553 --> 01:17:24,973 we are divided into departments for critique, directing, and screenwriting." 1246 01:17:25,057 --> 01:17:30,020 "These departments each conduct their own various activities." 1247 01:17:30,103 --> 01:17:32,773 "The members of the film institute include a variety of people, 1248 01:17:32,856 --> 01:17:37,569 from those who were just introduced to film studies, to graduate students, 1249 01:17:37,653 --> 01:17:41,573 as well as other graduate and doctorate students of humanities." 1250 01:17:42,157 --> 01:17:44,493 "But we all have one thing in common." 1251 01:17:44,576 --> 01:17:49,247 "We wish to unfold our life's journey through the medium of film." 1252 01:17:50,040 --> 01:17:53,460 "The institute provides suitable programs to meet the needs 1253 01:17:53,543 --> 01:17:58,048 of members of different levels." 1254 01:17:58,674 --> 01:18:03,011 "We believe this is a good place for those who wish to begin their studies 1255 01:18:03,095 --> 01:18:05,180 with a theoretical approach." 1256 01:18:05,263 --> 01:18:08,350 "Of course, each department also provides 1257 01:18:08,433 --> 01:18:12,854 a training program for creative projects." 1258 01:18:13,438 --> 01:18:15,190 "The Yellow Door Film Institute 1259 01:18:15,273 --> 01:18:19,861 awaits young, enthusiastic, and talented film students." 1260 01:18:20,862 --> 01:18:26,702 "Knock on the yellow door of the institute and push that hefty door open, 1261 01:18:26,785 --> 01:18:31,206 leading you to your life with film and the Korean film industry." 1262 01:18:36,670 --> 01:18:38,296 That was grandiose. 1263 01:18:38,380 --> 01:18:39,965 Talk about grandiosity! 1264 01:18:41,550 --> 01:18:42,634 It's well-written. 1265 01:18:45,053 --> 01:18:46,555 Wow, this is cool. 1266 01:19:04,072 --> 01:19:09,077 KIM DAE-YUP RUNS AN INTERIOR DESIGN BUSINESS. 1267 01:19:14,833 --> 01:19:19,171 KIM MIN-HYANG SECRETLY WRITES, DRAWS, AND TAKES PHOTOGRAPHS. 1268 01:19:24,843 --> 01:19:29,181 KIM SEOK-WOO LOVES MOUNTAINS AND CANOEING, AND RUNS AN ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS. 1269 01:19:34,895 --> 01:19:39,357 KIM YOON-A TEACHES FILM AND STORYTELLING AT UNIVERSITY. 1270 01:19:44,863 --> 01:19:49,117 KIM HYUNG-OAK WORKS AS A FILMMAKER. 1271 01:19:54,956 --> 01:19:57,167 BAN SE-BUM TEACHES PSYCHOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY 1272 01:19:57,250 --> 01:19:59,377 AND TAKES PHOTOGRAPHS IN HIS SPARE TIME. 1273 01:20:05,258 --> 01:20:09,387 BONG JOON HO JUST FINISHED SHOOTING HIS EIGHTH FEATURE FILM. 1274 01:20:14,893 --> 01:20:19,064 LEE DONG-HOON RUNS A CHESS-TEACHING BUSINESS. 1275 01:20:25,153 --> 01:20:29,491 LEE BYUNG-HOON RUNS A MEDICAL APPLIANCES BUSINESS IN THE US. 1276 01:20:35,247 --> 01:20:39,584 LIM HOON-A WORKS AS A SPEECH THERAPIST FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. 1277 01:20:45,006 --> 01:20:49,302 CHANG EUN-SIM TEACHES MATH TO STUDENTS. 1278 01:20:53,473 --> 01:20:59,437 CHOI JONG-TAE RELEASED FIVE FEATURE FILMS AND IS WORKING ON HIS FOURTH NOVEL. 1279 01:21:03,817 --> 01:21:10,824 KIM HYE-JA, KIM HONG-JOON, AHN NAE-SANG, WOO HYUN, JU SUNG-CHUL 1280 01:23:52,986 --> 01:23:57,991 Subtitle translation by: Daham Yoon