Song Il-gon
Encyclopedia
Song Il-gon is a South Korea
n film director
and screenwriter
known for his international award-winning early short films, and later feature films such as Spider Forest
(2004
) and Feathers in the Wind
(2005
). Long more popular abroad than in South Korea, Song was the first Korean filmmaker to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival
.
on January 1, 1971. He studied Fine Arts at the Seoul Institute of the Arts
. After graduation he applied to study film in the United States. His visa application was rejected by that country, and Song instead attended the National Academy of Film in Łódź, Poland
. He was only the second Korean student to study at this institution which is known for prominent alumni such as Roman Polanski
and Krzysztof Kieślowski
. Unable to deal with specifically Korean themes or history while in Poland, Song turned to themes influenced by psychology and Western mythology.
Beginning in 1998
, Song's short films began attracting international attention. Liver and Potato (1998) took its inspiration from the biblical
story of Cain and Abel
. The Dream of the Clowns (also 1998) was filmed at a Polish circus
. Both of these films were shown at international film festivals, and both were released at short-film specialty theaters in South Korea. Song became the first Korean to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival
with his short film Picnic (Sopoong) (1999
), which was given the Jury Prize for Best Short Film
. This film was also given the Grand Prix at the Melbourne International Film Festival
.
Song's first feature film was Flower Island
(2001
), a story about three women with psychological wounds travelling together to an island which is said to have magical healing powers. The film was successful internationally, winning prizes at the Venice Film Festival
and the Fribourg International Film Festival
among others. Song had an acting role in director Pak Kyung-hee's debut film, A Smile (Miso, 2004
).
Like Flower Island, Spider Forest
(2004
), Song's second feature film, was not successful in the South Korean domestic market, either with audiences or critics. It was Song's first film to be given a region-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 of an omnibus film. South Korea's major production studio, CJ 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. Magician(s) (2005
) is an experimental digitally-shot film done entirely in one tracking shot
.
In February 2007, Song was reported to be working on a film with the working title of Telephone Girl. The film was to deal with Korea during the 1920s and 1930s, when the country was modernizing under Japanese occupation. However in January 2008, Song was reportedly in pre-production for a period horror film set during the Joseon Dynasty
entitled Sahwa ("Royal Massacre"). This film was scheduled to begin shooting in March 2008. Celebrated 1990s actor Moon Sung-keun
was reported to be playing the lead role as a king dealing with murder as well as problems of a supernatural nature. These projects did not push through.
In 2009 Song turned to documentaries, telling the story of the Korean diaspora in Cuba in Dance of Time.
Always
, which opened the 2011 Busan International Film Festival, is his first mainstream film. Inspired by Charlie Chaplin
's City Lights
, Song said he wanted to make a "conventional love story which takes place in today's urban city."
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
known for his international award-winning early short films, and later feature films such as Spider Forest
Spider Forest
Spider Forest is a 2004 South Korean psychological thriller written and directed by Song Il-gon.-Plot:Awaking alone in the middle of a dark forest, Kang Min sees a secluded cabin nearby and wanders towards it. Upon entering the small home, he is shocked to discover a brutal, bloody crime had taken...
(2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
) and Feathers in the Wind
Feathers in the Wind
Feathers in the Wind is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. Feathers in the Wind was originally planned as a 30-minute section of a three-part omnibus film with two other directors entitled 1.3.6...
(2005
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
). Long more popular abroad than in South Korea, Song was the first Korean filmmaker to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
Life and career
Song Il-gon was born in SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
on January 1, 1971. He studied Fine Arts at the Seoul Institute of the Arts
Seoul Institute of the Arts
Seoul Institute of the Arts was founded by Chi-Jin Yoo in 1962. The Ansan Campus was completed in February 2001 and is the designated centre of arts education, whilst the Namsan Campus is the center of art experience. SIA has 2400 students in 13 departments...
. After graduation he applied to study film in the United States. His visa application was rejected by that country, and Song instead attended the National Academy of Film in Łódź, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. He was only the second Korean student to study at this institution which is known for prominent alumni such as Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
and Krzysztof Kieślowski
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieślowski was an Academy Award nominated influential Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for The Double Life of Veronique and his film cycles The Decalogue and Three Colors.-Early life:...
. Unable to deal with specifically Korean themes or history while in Poland, Song turned to themes influenced by psychology and Western mythology.
Beginning in 1998
1998 in film
-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
, Song's short films began attracting international attention. Liver and Potato (1998) took its inspiration from the biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
story of Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel
In the Hebrew Bible, Cain and Abel are two sons of Adam and Eve. The Qur'an mentions the story, calling them the two sons of Adam only....
. The Dream of the Clowns (also 1998) was filmed at a Polish circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
. Both of these films were shown at international film festivals, and both were released at short-film specialty theaters in South Korea. Song became the first Korean to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
with his short film Picnic (Sopoong) (1999
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
), which was given the Jury Prize for Best Short Film
Short Film Palme d'Or
The Short Film Palme d'Or is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the same jury of the Cinéfondation....
. This film was also given the Grand Prix at the Melbourne International Film Festival
Melbourne International Film Festival
The Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
.
Song's first feature film was Flower Island
Flower Island
Flower Island is an award-winning 2001 South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. This was Song's first feature-length film after directing several award-winning short films.-Synopsis:...
(2001
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
), a story about three women with psychological wounds travelling together to an island which is said to have magical healing powers. The film was successful internationally, winning prizes at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and the Fribourg International Film Festival
Fribourg International Film Festival
The Fribourg International Film Festival is an annual film festival in Fribourg, Switzerland. It is focused on selected cultural films from Asia, Africa and Latin America....
among others. Song had an acting role in director Pak Kyung-hee's debut film, A Smile (Miso, 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
).
Like Flower Island, Spider Forest
Spider Forest
Spider Forest is a 2004 South Korean psychological thriller written and directed by Song Il-gon.-Plot:Awaking alone in the middle of a dark forest, Kang Min sees a secluded cabin nearby and wanders towards it. Upon entering the small home, he is shocked to discover a brutal, bloody crime had taken...
(2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
), Song's second feature film, was not successful in the South Korean domestic market, either with audiences or critics. It was Song's first film to be given a region-1
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD release in the U.S.
Song's next feature film, Feathers in the Wind
Feathers in the Wind
Feathers in the Wind is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. Feathers in the Wind was originally planned as a 30-minute section of a three-part omnibus film with two other directors entitled 1.3.6...
was originally planned as a 30-minute short as part of an omnibus film. South Korea's major production studio, CJ Entertainment
CJ Entertainment
CJ Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment company which is involved in film production, investment, distribution and exhibition. It is the largest entertainment company in South Korea...
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. Magician(s) (2005
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
) is an experimental digitally-shot film done entirely in one tracking shot
Tracking shot
In motion picture terminology, a tracking shot is a segment in which the camera is mounted on a camera dolly, a wheeled platform that is pushed on rails while the picture is being taken...
.
In February 2007, Song was reported to be working on a film with the working title of Telephone Girl. The film was to deal with Korea during the 1920s and 1930s, when the country was modernizing under Japanese occupation. However in January 2008, Song was reportedly in pre-production for a period horror film set during the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
entitled Sahwa ("Royal Massacre"). This film was scheduled to begin shooting in March 2008. Celebrated 1990s actor Moon Sung-keun
Moon Sung-keun
Moon Sung-keun is a South Korean actor. Moon was born as the son of Rev. Moon Ik-hwan in Tokyo, Japan, in 1953. After graduation from Sogang University with a bachelor degree in trading, Moon had worked as a salary man for 8 years. Moon started acting on stage in 1985...
was reported to be playing the lead role as a king dealing with murder as well as problems of a supernatural nature. These projects did not push through.
In 2009 Song turned to documentaries, telling the story of the Korean diaspora in Cuba in Dance of Time.
Always
Only You (2011 film)
Only You is a South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. Starring So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo in the lead roles, it is about a romance between an ex-boxer who has closed his heart to the world and a telemarketer who remains spirited despite slowly going blind...
, which opened the 2011 Busan International Film Festival, is his first mainstream film. Inspired by Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
's City Lights
City Lights
City Lights is a 1931 American silent film and romantic comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. It also has the leads Virginia Cherrill and Harry Myers. Although "talking" pictures were on the rise since 1928, City Lights was immediately popular. Today, it is thought of...
, Song said he wanted to make a "conventional love story which takes place in today's urban city."
Wins
- 1997 San Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film FestivalSan Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
: Certificate of Merit Film & Video - Short Documentary, The Dream of the Clowns (19971997 in film-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
) - 1999 Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
: Grand Prize of the Jury Best Short Film, Picnic (19991999 in filmThe year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
) - 1999 Melbourne International Film FestivalMelbourne International Film FestivalThe Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
: Grand Prix, Picnic - 2000 Aspen Shortsfest: Best Short Film Special Jury Award, Picnic
- 2001 Pusan International Film FestivalPusan International Film FestivalBusan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
: Audience Award and FIPRESCI PrizeFIPRESCIThe International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
New Currents, Flower IslandFlower IslandFlower Island is an award-winning 2001 South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. This was Song's first feature-length film after directing several award-winning short films.-Synopsis:...
"For its remarkable direction in creating the interior universe of three women, and for its fine performances." - 2001 Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
'CinemAvvenire' Award Best First Film, Flower Island - 2002 Fribourg International Film FestivalFribourg International Film FestivalThe Fribourg International Film Festival is an annual film festival in Fribourg, Switzerland. It is focused on selected cultural films from Asia, Africa and Latin America....
: FIPRESCI Prize, Flower Island "For its sensitive portrait of three human destinies, within an accomplished and mature cinematographic grammar."
Nominations
- 1999 Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
Golden Palm Best Short Film, Picnic (1999) - 2004 San Sebastián International Film FestivalSan Sebastián International Film FestivalThe San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
: Golden Seashell, Spider ForestSpider ForestSpider Forest is a 2004 South Korean psychological thriller written and directed by Song Il-gon.-Plot:Awaking alone in the middle of a dark forest, Kang Min sees a secluded cabin nearby and wanders towards it. Upon entering the small home, he is shocked to discover a brutal, bloody crime had taken...
(2004)
Filmography
- 2001 Flower IslandFlower IslandFlower Island is an award-winning 2001 South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. This was Song's first feature-length film after directing several award-winning short films.-Synopsis:...
- 2004 Spider ForestSpider ForestSpider Forest is a 2004 South Korean psychological thriller written and directed by Song Il-gon.-Plot:Awaking alone in the middle of a dark forest, Kang Min sees a secluded cabin nearby and wanders towards it. Upon entering the small home, he is shocked to discover a brutal, bloody crime had taken...
- 2005 Feathers in the WindFeathers in the WindFeathers in the Wind is a 2005 South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. Feathers in the Wind was originally planned as a 30-minute section of a three-part omnibus film with two other directors entitled 1.3.6...
- 2006 The Magicians
- 2009 Dance of Time
- 2011 AlwaysOnly You (2011 film)Only You is a South Korean film directed by Song Il-gon. Starring So Ji-sub and Han Hyo-joo in the lead roles, it is about a romance between an ex-boxer who has closed his heart to the world and a telemarketer who remains spirited despite slowly going blind...