200705250016_01.jpgDirector Lee Chang-dong’s new movie “Secret Sunshine” was screened in competition at the Cannes International Film Festival on Thursday. Lee has been to Cannes before, when his work “Peppermint Candy” was picked for the festival’s Director’s Fortnight screenings. But it was the first time he has been invited to the official competition. In a press conference, Lee said he felt honored to have a work invited and was trying not to care about the decision of the jury. “I don’t like competition, so I tried to avoid competitive occasions even when I was at school.”

“Secret Sunshine” also opened in Korea on Thursday. The movie depicts the pain of the heroine, played by Jeon Do-yeon, who feels betrayed by both life and religion. Answering questions from reporters, Lee said the movie is about human beings, not about religion. “I wanted to pose question about the meaning of pain in our life. And I wanted to depict the process to heal the pain.” When a Danish reporter asked what it means that two Korean films are screened in competition this year, the director answered, “Essentially, the creative spirit of filmmakers is important in producing movies, not their nationality.” But he predicted it would encourage Korean filmmakers.
Questions about the movie’s stars were as warm as sunshine. Stéphane Boudsocq from French radio channel Radio RTL showered female lead Jeon Do-yeon with compliments, saying her acting was the most impressive in all the movies he watched in the competition. Jeon said her 10th film gave her new energy, and that was her biggest achievement. Song Kang-ho, who stars opposite her, also praised Jeon’s acting.

Eighteen of the 22 films competing at Cannes have now been screened. Promising contenders include the Coen brothers’ “No Country For Old Men”, Cristian Mungiu’s “Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days” and Julian Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”, with high ratings by film magazines like Screen and Le Film Français. The winner of the grand prix Palme d’Or will be announced on Sunday, when the festival ends.

(englishnews@chosun.com )
Updated May.25,2007 09:39 KST

‘Secret Sunshine’ Asks Existential Questions
“Secret Sunshine,” which opens May 24, asks the fundamental question, “Is life understandable?” The movie is already attracting plenty of hype, not just because it is director Lee Chang-dong’s first movie in four years but because it will be screened in competition at the Cannes International Film Festival. Ostensibly a melodrama, it repeatedly asks questions about the nature of human beings. Can human beings understand the truth, other human beings and God? Why is it so hard to find an ultimate answer despite all our efforts? The answers depend on the audience, though Lee’s movie certainly does not seem to have a happy ending.

The film follows Jong-chan, played by Song Kang-ho, a confirmed bachelor who owns a car repair shop and falls in love with Shin-ae, played by Jeon Do-yeon. He starts to follow her around. The two could not be more different: Shin-ae moved to the town only because it is the hometown of her dead husband, for whom she still grieves. Jong-chan is an ingratiating snob.

The turning point is the abduction of Shin-ae’s son. The little boy, who is everything his mother has left, is kidnapped by the principal of a tutoring institute he attends, and dies. Shin-ae becomes a devout Christian after the tragedy and decides to forgive the murderer. But she is utterly shocked when she visits a prison, where the murderer makes his confession with a smile, saying, “God has already forgiven me.” The movie, in other words, focuses on a woman who has been betrayed by both life and religion.

Lee has coaxed great performances from actors including Han Suk-kyu in “Green Fish,” Seol Kyung-gu in “Peppermint Candy” and Moon So-ri in “Oasis.” With Song Kang-ho and Jeon Do-yeon, he once again has two unforgettable leads. Song Kang-ho gives a fine performance, complete with convincing dialect, and Jeon Do-yeon proves her reputation by projecting the whole range from innocence to sensuality and horror.

The supporting cast are excellent. Mostly unknowns, some of them theatre actors from the Ulsan and Daegu region, they were selected through auditions.

At the end of the movie, Shin-ae’s brother comes to visit and asks about the town. Jong-chan answered in his rough dialect, “Not much different from other places. Milyang is the same as other cities where people live.” The movie induces a kind vertigo with a sense of how difficult life is to understand.

(englishnews@chosun.com )
Updated May.2,2007 09:53 KST