Song Il-gon | |
|---|---|
 Song Il-gon at the 2011Busan International Film Festival | |
| Born | (1971-01-01)January 1, 1971 (age 54) |
| Alma mater | Seoul Institute of the Arts National Film School in Łódź |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1998-present |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 송일곤 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Song Il-gon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Song Il-gon |
Song Il-gon (born January 1, 1971) is a South Koreanfilm director andscreenwriter known for his internationally award-winning earlyshort films, and later feature films such asSpider Forest (2004) andFeathers in the Wind (2005). Long more popular abroad than in South Korea, Song was the first Korean filmmaker to win an award at theCannes Film Festival.[1]
Song Il-gon was born inSeoul on January 1, 1971. He studied Fine Arts at theSeoul Institute of the Arts.[1] After graduation he applied to study film in theUnited States. His visa application was rejected by that country, and Song instead attended theNational Academy of Film inŁódź,Poland. He was only the second Korean student to study at this institution which is known for prominent alumni such asRoman Polanski andKrzysztof Kieślowski.[1] Unable to deal with specifically Korean themes or history while in Poland, Song turned to themes influenced by psychology and Western mythology.[1]
Beginning in1998, Song's short films began attracting international attention.Liver and Potato (1998) took its inspiration from thebiblical story ofCain and Abel.The Dream of the Clowns (also 1998) was filmed at a Polishcircus. Both of these films were shown at international film festivals, and both were released at short-film specialty theaters in South Korea.[2] Song became the first Korean to win an award at theCannes Film Festival with his short filmPicnic (Sopoong,1999), which was given theJury Prize for Best Short Film. This film was also given the Grand Prix at theMelbourne International Film Festival.[1]
Back in Korea, Song was asked by the Seoul International Media Art Biennale (Media City Seoul) to make a 50-second video clip to be screened on electronic billboards for one month. He madeFlush, about a teenage girl committingabortion in a public toilet. Even though Song had shown the screenplay to the government before filming, the authorities censored and removed the short after one day for itstaboo subject.[3]
Song's first feature film wasFlower Island (2001), a story about three women with psychological wounds traveling together to an island that is said to have magical healing powers.[3][4] The film was successful internationally, winning prizes at theVenice Film Festival and theFribourg International Film Festival among others. Afterward Song took an acting role in director Park Kyung-hee's debut film,A Smile (Miso,2004).[5]
Spider Forest (2004), Song's second feature film, was not successful in the South Korean domestic market, either with audiences or critics.[1] But it was Song's first film to be given aregion-1 DVD release in the U.S.
Song's next feature film,Feathers in the Wind was originally planned as a 30-minute short as part ofomnibus film1.3.6, but major South Korean production studioCJ Entertainment gave Song funds to make the work into a feature for individual release. The resulting film was Song's first domestic success, with some Korean critics acclaiming it as the best romance ever filmed in Korea.[6]The Magicians (2005) also began as a 40-minute short, one-third of the 2005Jeonju Digital ProjectTalk to Her.[7] Song expanded the experimental digitally shot film into a 96-minute feature done entirely in onetracking shot.[8]
In February 2007, Song was reported to be working on a film with the working title ofTelephone Girl. An adaptation of thestage playTelephone Modern Girl, the film was to deal with Korea during the 1920s and 1930s, when the country was modernizingunder Japanese occupation.[9] However, in January 2008, Song was reportedly in pre-production for aperiodhorror film set during theJoseon dynasty entitledSahwa ("Royal Massacre"). This film was scheduled to begin shooting in March 2008.[10] Celebrated 1990s actorMoon Sung-keun was reported to be playing the lead role as a king dealing with murder as well as problems of a supernatural nature.[11] These projects did not push through.
In 2009 Song turned todocumentaries, telling the story of the Koreandiaspora inCuba inDance of Time.[12][13] He also contributed the titular short film toSorry, Thanks, anomnibus film dealing with the profound relationships people establish with their pets.[14]
Always, which opened the 2011Busan International Film Festival, was his first mainstream film.[15][16] Inspired byCharlie Chaplin'sCity Lights,[17] Song said he wanted to make a "conventional love story which takes place in today's urban city."[18][19][20]
Song shot the documentaryForest of Time inYakushima,Japan, aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site that is said to have inspiredHayao Miyazaki's animated filmPrincess Mononoke.[21]
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