Interview with South Korean director Sung-Hyung Cho, Part II
Sung-Hyung Cho was born in Busan, South Korea, in 1966. She grew up in Seoul and attended the Yon-Sei University where she earned a B.A. in Mass Communication Studies. In 1990 she moved to Marburg, Germany, to begin studying for an M.A. in History of Art, Media Studies, and Philosophy at the Phillipps-University Marburg. In 2007, her first full-length feature film “Full Metal Village” won several prizes and was a run-away success at the Berlinale. She has recently completed work on her latest film “Home from Home”, which will open in cinemas in fall 2009. Read part II of our interview with her here.
Flying Moon Press Mit Protagonistin Armin am Grill, photo Stefan Grandinetti
Unlike many other contemporary documentary filmmakers, you take on a more reserved role as a filmmaker.
I didn’t really want to appear in any of my films, but during the filming [for Full Metal Village] it was not possible. The relationships that I had formed with my protagonists were so intimate that they didn’t understand why I had become quiet. They always wanted to integrate me into the situation. At first I fought against it, but my protagonists did not allow me to withdraw. They always spoke directly to me. At some point I thought, ‘OK, there’s no point in fighting against it, we have to work with it.’ During the filming I allowed myself to be spoken to and to be filmed, but I had intended to cut myself out of it completely. But then my producer and my husband thought that it would be far more interesting if I could be seen. It’s a bit strange for a director to see herself on film. But then I accepted it and coped with the fact that I would appear, because it’s interesting to see how the village inhabitants interact with me. In my second film, I do not appear at all, because there was no need to.
For your new film “Home away from Home” you are on the Korean island Namhae filming in a German village. How did you hear about it?
In Korea it is very famous. I had heard from my Korean friends that there was a German village in Korea and I found it quite strange. For Koreans who live here, it is a real drama to grow old in Germany. They play with the thought of returning. But where to? They have become different and modern Korean society has moved on and so they start thinking about a “double home country” – a German surrounding in Korea.
Do you feel between cultures sometimes?
Yes, that really is the case. I did not spend my formative years in Germany and came here as an adult when I was 23 years old. There are always those two cultures: what you take from your old home and what you increasingly absorb and acquire here. When I struggled to integrate and to find my feet here, I had to almost forget Korea to adapt and integrate. Funny enough, when you have the feeling that you have a job and can survive, that is when it gets bad and you get homesick and want to go back. Then, when you return, the home as you knew it is no longer there. You build up an ideal picture in your mind, an old picture. Korea is a country that changes at a rapid pace and that’s quite dangerous for a lot of immigrants, not just Koreans.
How long did you take to film your new film?
Forty days filming. We filmed in three stages: Winter, spring and summer. We spent 60 days in South Korea altogether.
Was it easier for you, having completed a successful film already?
I worked with the same producer. So I didn’t have to go to the production company. When the applications were submitted, we were still fresh in their minds with Full Metal Village, so it was easier for him to get financial support from sponsors.
What is the village like, do tourists stop by every day?
It’s really small. There are only 33 houses and more are being built. Tourists don’t stop by every day, but quite a few at the weekend. And when it gets warmer, then a lot of tourists come.
Why the long wait until October for your film to come out?
Because I don’t feel like it right now. I want to have a break. And if the film were to be released soon, it would mean an exhausting tour from cinema to cinema for months on end telling the same story every day. Perhaps I am unrealistic, thinking of having to give so many interviews, but for Full Metal Village it really was like that. It was very tiring and you just feel burnt out after a while. Spending every day in a different hotel, I felt like a musician on tour. I understood why so many musicians are arrogant. Living that form of life on tour is so draining, you become antsy and a bit of a diva. Because it’s that tiring I wished I had a groupie! It’s a question of dosage – at some point you reach a breaking point and then it’s no longer nice, but just exhausting. That’s why I wanted a bit of peace and quiet first, so I could feel energetic again and have the desire to encounter my audience again. So that’s why the release is in the fall.
Have you got another project lined up?
No. I want to take a break and collect ideas. I don’t think I always have to do something. Although a lot of people say I have to start with the next project straight away. I need quite a lot of time to realize a project anyway.
Do you go to the cinema often?
Very often! I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button three times and saw Waltz with Bashir before that. They were unbelievably good. For Waltz with Bashir, I really admire the director because he put into practice what I have always wanted to do – to create an experimental documentary film using animation. He really brought those two things together well – very impressive
So you go for more serious films?
Well, I really watch a lot of different films and even go and see Toystory or Manitou's Shoe. I like watching horror films too – From Dusk Till Dawn, or similar films like Tarantino’s. I liked Robert Altman a lot too. But like I said, I like a lot of different films. Terminator 2 is one of my favourite films and I have no idea why. I also like Jim Jarmusch movies a lot, so it’s hard to pin anything down. What I really don’t like though, are stupid romantic comedies!
Thank you very much for the interview.
Go to part I of this interview
