Original subtitles

Well, hello. I am Ki-Duk Kim, a movie director from Korea.

The reason why I came here is...

...since my 11 th movie, Bin-jip...

...is going to be released in the United States...

...I am here to promote this movie.

The English title of this movie is 3- Iron...

...which refers to the third golf club.

Well, I'm...

...first of all, very happy to show this movie in the United States.

I hope the audience will watch this movie with great interest.

I also hope the audience will be able to see...

...various aspects of our culture from this movie.

There are some reasons why I got involved in this film.

The first reason is...

...one day, when I came home...

...someone had put some junk mail in my keyhole.

I removed the junk mail and put in my key.

I removed the junk mail and put in my key.

While doing so, I suddenly thought:

"Maybe this is how thieves find empty houses."

So from there, I started to write this script.

That's how this movie started.

Like this scene...

...the protagonist is the person who attaches junk mail to empty houses.

He returns two to three days later...

...and if he finds the fliers haven't been removed...

...he assumes they're away and lives there...

...for a while until the owner comes back.

This is how I structured the movie.

Also, this film shows different aspects of Korea...

...especially various kinds of Korean residential buildings.

There are luxurious houses, and there are very old apartments.

There are also very old Korean, traditional tile-roofed houses.

I wanted to show various characters who live in those houses...

...and their different daily lives through this film.

I wanted to show some variety.

I first started with a treatment of this idea...

...and worked on the scenario for a month and completed the script.

That is how I began this film.

By the way, the protagonist now rides a motorcycle.

Somehow, this scene kind of lets you know he is not an extremely poor man.

So it isn't that he sneaks into other people's houses...

...because he has no money, as you see him on a BMW motorcycle.

We come to understand this character as a thrill-seeker...

...who invades people's houses...

...for the fun of doing so. And that's how this character is set up.

Actually, this back view of the protagonist is me.

I actually rode the motorcycle and did all of the stunts.

The shots of his face were the actor...

...but the rest, including the race scenes, were done by me.

That motorcycle is the one that I currently own.

This film was not funded in Korea...

...but was funded from Japan.

Actually, my films do not grab many Korean people's attention...

...aside from the hard-core fans of my films.

But since it takes a huge sum of money to make films...

...I recently started getting funding outside of Korea.

As a result, this movie is the second one I made...

...after I set up my own company.

The first movie that my production company made was Samaritan Girl...

...and this movie is the second one...

...and was mostly funded...

...from Japan.

This kind of setup, I think, is quite unique.

Japan didn't invest all of the money.

Instead, about 50 percent of the total production cost came from Japan.

Our crew members paid the other half by giving up their salaries.

It was set up so we would share in the profits instead.

That was how we set it up in order to make the movie.

Since the film was made in that way...

...it's a good example of how you can make a film on a limited budget.

Recently, I made a film called The Bow.

That movie was also made based on the given management system...

...the way our staff members were part investors.

I think this is very important.

And now, in this movie, we have an actor showing up.

This actor was not well-known at the time of shooting.

Sure, after this movie came out...

...he became a famous actor who appeared...

...in many TV dramas and got many fans.

However, before he appeared in this film...

...he was unknown. Many people barely recognized him.

Well, I saw many actors in casting for this film...

...but those actors were all busy...

...or they tended to avoid working with me.

Since my film is low-budget...

...and doesn't have a wide Korean audience, well, they think...

...my film won't bring much attention.

Top stars, especially, do not appear in my films.

I, coincidentally, found this actor after a long, rough time searching.

Before I met him...

...I even went to Japan to find one and searched well-known Korean actors...

...but they were totally booked. In this actor's case...

...I directly met him in person when he was filming a TV drama...

...and persuaded him to star in my film. As a result...

...it turned out for the best. Not only is he handsome...

...but he also is very smart and understood the film well.

In the end, I thought I might have a hard time finding someone...

...so I cast him.

Well, and then comes the actress, right after...

...although she hasn't appeared yet.

She also appeared in many TV dramas a while ago...

...but she was taking a break from acting.

I also persuaded her to participate in this film.

Anyway, there are many incidents regarding casting...

...but in Korea, you can't make a film prior to casting.

In most cases, blockbuster, star system, et cetera...

...are priorities in Korea for making a movie.

If you don't follow the rules...

...it is impossible to make a film, and the production would be halted...

...even if we had a good script.

This aspect is similar to what happens in Hollywood.

So the reason why I pay attention to casting first when I direct a film...

...is because it makes a dramatic difference on the budget.

Due to budget constraints...

...many times I hire new actors and actresses...

...because that is one way to save money.

And also, not to toot my own horn...

...but since my name, Ki-Duk Kim, is quite well-known as a director...

...foreign audiences who watch my films...

...don't seem to have a problem with it.

I am very fortunate that way.

The same rule applies to hiring crew for my productions.

Not only do I hire unknown actors, but I also hire new people for my crew.

Most of the time, actors, crew, cameramen...

...and producers, et cetera, reach me through e-mail.

Then I organize meetings, interview them and hire them.

This is how I managed this production.

Most important is the director of photography.

But even for that position...

...I hire someone who has little filming experience.

The reason why I do this...

...is because he will faithfully follow my direction...

...due to his lack of experience...

...which makes my supervision stronger, and I like it.

Therefore, I take charge of camera angles in my films...

...and the DP is the one who assists me.

That is how I structure my crew.

Thus far, watching this film...

...there hasn't been any dialogue yet.

Not having any dialogue was not my original intent.

When I first wrote the script, there was dialogue.

However, while developing the script...

...I gradually removed the dialogue from the scenes...

...and structured the scenes with nuance and action.

Now we see the actress appear in this scene.

This actress's name is Seung-Yeon Lee.

She acted in TV dramas in Korea for many years...

...and she is quite good. Through this film...

...she became a movie actress, which makes her quite fresh and new.

The role of this character is a woman who suffers from domestic violence.

Like the protagonist, this character also doesn't have any dialogue.

However, she brilliantly portrays her torment without having any dialogue...

...and had good chemistry with the protagonist.

When you see the film, you see various pictures of her.

These pictures are to hint at something.

These pictures presume that she used to be a nude model or model.

These scenes somehow reveal that she is a vulnerable person.

Anyway, on one hand, having no dialogue...

...might make the audience feel suffocated.

But at the same time, this will make the audience watch the film closely...

...or perhaps make them create dialogue...

...of their own while watching it.

They might think: "If I were her, I might say this."

I think it's interesting if the audience can use their own imagination...

...while watching the film.

About four of my movies do not have any dialogue.

For example, the movie The Bow doesn't have any dialogue.

People don't understand why I don't put in any dialogue...

...but after they watch my films...

...they say, "It's fine not to have dialogue in your films."

So for me, there is no need to have dialogue.

However, at the same time...

...we can't easily say there is no dialogue in my films.

That is because, in my perspective, smiling or crying is dialogue.

For me, dialogue doesn't necessarily mean having a full sentence or words.

Just to have a smile or to cry is a part of human expression.

I think those gestures can also be part of dialogue.

Regarding this aspect, it is not true that my films don't have any dialogue.

This film, you might be surprised when you hear this...

...took a month for the whole preproduction process...

...which is the preparation for the film.

The actual production took 17... No, 13 days.

That means it took less than two weeks for the shooting phase.

Then we spent about a month on postproduction.

So overall, it took about three months to make this entire film.

When we say it took us three months, no one believes it.

However, we filmed the movie for 13 days...

...without having an actual break.

The reason was the camera-rental fee, per day, was about $ 1000.

That meant if we spent one or two days more...

...we needed to spend more money.

Besides that, we'd need to spend more money for lights, labor and so on.

Therefore, by shortening the length of time...

...we save on costs and run the shoot smoothly.

The total amount that I spent on this film, which I will talk about later...

It was my responsibility to make the film on a limited budget.

Since I was also the producer, it cut the overall cost of making the film.

When I make a film, I film scenes sequentially.

If I have scenes from one to 100...

...I film those scenes in order.

Some directors shoot scenes based on locations...

...but I don't do it that way.

I take scenes step by step and try to make actors...

...feel their roles in the movie are their actual lives.

It enhances the level of real emotions...

...so that actors can express themselves in more realistic ways...

...and I capture those moments. This makes my film quite distinctive.

Although it took only three months...

...the effort and energy that we put into our film is no different...

...than that of any other films. We were quite focused.

So you can't say we didn't put in the effort due...

...to the short amount of time that we spent.

I carefully planned and managed the production schedule.

Without that, we would've needed to spend a lot of money.

Therefore, although the whole process of this movie was, in fact, short...

...I spent the time quite productively.

However, not this film, 3- Iron, but the film Samaritan Girl...

...which won the Berlin International Film Festival award...

...that was done in 11 days.

Above all, the production time is the one I take most seriously.

Since the majority of postproduction work is basically editing...

...it is not really hard work.

The most important thing is how well...

...you shot each scene during the actual production.

In the case of the movie Spring, Summer...

In Korean, it's Bom yeoreum, which was released in the United States...

...although it took a year, the actual filming time was only 20 days:

Three days for spring, five days for summer, four days for autumn...

...about three days for winter and another three days for spring, like that.

The actual filming days we spent were only 20 days.

People ask, "How could you possibly capture...

...such a beautiful landscape within 20 days?"

Well, in order to capture those landscapes...

...we continually searched for places...

...and checked the changes of those selected places daily.

That made the work possible.

Anyway, the production of my films is related to budget.

In order to not exceed the budget, I try to fit into the given conditions.

The hardest part while making this film was...

...first, the lead actor couldn't play golf well...

...and couldn't ride a motorcycle well.

Therefore, in most instances that required him...

...to ride a motorcycle, hit golf balls...

...I did it, because it would cost money to get a stuntman.

So I did the stunt work.

Regarding the golf part, I taught the actor...

...how to play golf for three days...

...and I found he had a basic instinct for it.

So, what I did was, for wide shots...

...l'd let him play the role. But the close-up shots...

...I did those.

That was how we shot those scenes.

The difficult part was the actor actually had to hit the ball with a golf club.

When he actually hits the ball with a golf club, someone might get hurt.

So for security, I made a fake ball.

Anyway, the most difficult part while making this film...

...was when we were involved with certain action shots...

...and the location problem.

We went location scouting to find houses.

Most homeowners didn't want to lend us their homes.

This house here is actually the house of the male actor's parents.

That house is considered one of the most luxurious houses...

...but the actor's father happily allowed me to use his house.

So without spending a penny, I borrowed the house.

I think I used it quite effectively.

Talking about location...

...I thought showing various parts of Seoul...

...was the most important part of all. So I did a lot of scouting for houses.

I tend to do this kind of location scouting on foot.

I found it interesting that people in Seoul have different class levels...

...different kinds of houses and different kinds of daily lives.

Therefore, I wanted to express these aspects realistically.

And that was what I thought was important.

Now we hear music. This music is actually Arabic.

It was sung by Natacha Atlas, a female singer...

...and this song is one that I really like from a long time ago.

In the past, when I made movies like...

...The Isle or Bad Guy...

...I wanted this music. But the producer didn't like it...

...because the song sounded too foreign.

The producer thought the music didn't fit Korean custom...

...so I was unable to use it.

After I started my own production company...

...I was finally able to use the music I wanted to...

...so I was able to put this in the film.

When you first hear this music, the music seems to be quite strange.

But when you hear it a couple of times...

...somehow this music fits into the female character's emotion...

...and harmonizes moods and scenes, I think.

When I was filming this movie...

...I actually had some disagreements with the cameraman.

Although the cameraman was inexperienced...

...he really wanted to devote his efforts to this movie.

But for me, time is very important.

Each day, I needed to film at least seven or eight scenes...

...in order to complete the film within 14 days.

So I tried to set up everything on time.

But the cameraman wanted to capture one scene very nicely.

Due to differing opinions, we had some conflict.

But later, it was resolved nicely.

But since the cameraman had some great ideas in many ways...

...I don't think we have any bad scenes.

For example, using double exposure on this scene...

...or showing the two characters at the same time...

...was used quite effectively, I think.

When you see this part, you see the golf ball terrorizes a person.

This scene shows how the golf ball can be terrorizing.

Since I sometimes play golf, I thought:

"Maybe this golf ball can be a tool of violence."

So that is what makes this scene persuasive.

In fact, the 3-iron is the most powerful one of all.

It always flies with a straight line...

...and when you are hit by it, you will get a great shock.

That aspect interested me...

...although people who don't play golf might not understand me.

For action parts, I don't like activities...

...that are done man-to-man, like boxing.

I often spend a lot of time thinking...

...how I can use alternative tools for action scenes.

So in this case, the golf ball is used as a tool...

...for expressing a certain action code.

Anyway, in this movie, there are various tools...

...or special equipments here and there.

Basically, we can see the motorcycle.

Then we have a golf club and a golf ball.

Each time he enters a house, he fixes what needs to be repaired...

...since each house always has something broken.

There are scenes of him repairing or doing laundry for someone.

Think about this way, if someone...

...does something for us, it makes us very happy.

So while you watch this film...

...the protagonist is not someone you dislike.

You might first see him as a thief. But as time goes by, you'll feel:

"I hope this kind of person drops by my house someday."

So this character doesn't make you dislike him at all...

...because he is not a thief.

Therefore, I think this character at least gives warmth to the audience.

When you see this film, we don't have a lot of crew members.

In most cases, we actually did the location scouting...

...and actually went to those houses.

Even if the houses were small, we didn't build sets.

Instead, we set up the camera to show its authenticity.

You will see a really small house.

Well, the apartments are sort of big, but there is a small house...

...where an old man died. It is a really small house.

While filming the house, the cameraman...

...and other crew members complained about it, saying:

"How could we possibly shoot scenes in this condition?"

However, by using a wide-angle lens, we filmed it.

I thought we needed to portray that cramped space with authenticity.

When we realistically portray it...

...it will be depicted as a cramped house.

Now, about this scene, since it costs money to go to a golf course...

...I am hitting the ball in this manner.

Hanging a golf ball on a tree, around my house...

...I sometimes used to play like this.

Although one time, the line broke down and the ball flew away...

...and I almost hit someone.

So in this movie, there is a scene where the ball flew and hit someone.

Through that scene, I wanted to show some ironic aspects of the protagonist.

Even if you did something with a good heart...

...the result might turn out bad.

This scene explains more about the protagonist.

Anyway, sets were not an important part of this film.

Everything was shot on location.

And I did all the editing work on Final Cut Pro...

...with the editing equipment that I have.

I do all my own editing since the movie Spring, Summer was released.

At home, I set up Final Cut Pro...

...on a G5 Apple computer...

...and I do the editing work.

The good thing about this is I don't have any conflict with the editor.

I can take full charge of my work, cutting and pasting...

...doing all the other interesting stuff myself.

So I do all the editing.

In doing so, I can make different versions.

This part indicates that the female character used to be a nude model.

While you are gradually looking at it...

...it becomes a mosaic and a puzzle...

...then it gives the image of dismantlement and restoration.

And here, what's appealing...

...is the protagonist continually fixes something...

...whenever he sneaks into different houses.

In here, he fixes a clock.

In another place, he fixes a scale.

Another house, he fixes an electric fan.

Another place, he fixes a stereo.

Through these instances of fixing...

...I wanted to convey fixing people's minds...

...or healing people's minds in society.

The actual scale of this movie is not really big.

In most cases, the average cost for Korean movies...

...is somewhere around 3 to $5 million.

I think the reason why Korean productions spend so much money...

...is because they use the star system.

Just for the two main characters' guarantees...

...it costs $ 1 million, which means I make films...

...without using that system. So I don't have that expense.

Well, there are many famous actors that I would like to ask...

...to be in my films, but it requires a huge guarantee.

Besides, it's hard to work around their schedule.

However, unknown actors or actresses are not that way.

They are always on time and cost less.

The cost of production is less, which makes for a low-budget film.

So I spend only one-fifth or one-quarter of the cost...

...of the average Korean production.

The most important thing is, although the cost is relatively low...

...this film was exported the most...

...especially to Europe and the United States.

In most cases, Korean movies are normally sold...

...in other Asian regions like Japan or Hong Kong...

...but not in Europe or the United States. But in my case...

...my films are continuously sold in Europe or the United States...

...and they're sold in 20 other countries.

So that means although they are low-budget films, I can make it back.

However, they're not famous domestically.

My films are not box-office hits.

Because of this aspect, few Korean audiences watch my films.

When filming, I don't like to reshoot.

When filming, I don't like to reshoot.

I always do my best in each shoot.

So I don't redo scenes by borrowing other cameras...

...because that also makes me exceed the budget.

Also, I am not such a perfectionist...

...who makes substantial revisions for small, tiny mistakes.

Rather, I revise some parts through the editing process...

...and create something different.

Anyway, while making this film, I learned many things.

Making a story, writing a script based on the story...

...and filming scenes based on the script...

...there are many things that you gradually realize.

While doing so, I developed my passion...

...to show something new to my audience.

Well, I don't know which aspects of my movie grasp people's attention...

...in places like Europe, but the most important thing is...

...I heard that my movies are realistic, although they're not stylistic.

They're not fancy, but the movies are honest...

...and sincere, and that carries power to grasp people's attention.

The reason why I got this feedback is, I think...

...people become interested in characters and stories...

...and become emotionally involved.

This scene, for example, has an ironic aspect to it.

It looks like, "Just hit me instead of hitting the ball."

But that can't happen.

Based on this scene, the next scene shows...

...that the line holding the ball eventually breaks.

As a result, somebody gets hurt. An ironic scene comes right after.

Anyway, I continually revise the story...

...while filming the movie. I make little changes to the script.

Because of that, it made it difficult for our crew.

They are all prepared based on my original script.

But when I say we are going to film it in a different way...

...they are either uneasy or confused.

However, since I am the one who is in charge...

...I have a right to do so. In order to be a good director, for me...

...he or she needs to continually revise the necessary parts...

...even if he or she has a good script in hand.

I think it's necessary to have revisions...

...and also to make the crew follow them.

Because of that, it is quite challenging for the crew.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't reshoot...

...or correct scenes.

I think that's the best way of doing it at the moment.

Well, maybe a few years later, I might see that mistakes were made.

But at that moment, even if some mistakes were made...

...I think I did my best.

Therefore, I don't feel it is necessary...

...to reshoot scenes while making a film.

In the case of 3- Iron...

...I don't have a big Korean audience.

That makes me sad. But when the movie was released in Italy...

...the audience size was three times that in Korea.

On one hand, I was very happy. But on the other hand, it felt ironic.

Why do I have a bigger Italian audience than Korean audience?

During this spring and summer...

...the audience size in the United States...

...was 10 times more than that in Korea.

This is very ironic.

What is the reason for this phenomenon?

Some readers say, "Some aspects of Orientalism...

...in your movie might be attracting Western audiences."

But I would like to ask them:

"If you say so, do you think Koreans honestly know their Orientalism?

What is the standard or the main point of Orientalism?"

I don't agree with them.

I don't think my movies rely upon Orientalism.

I might be able to verify this if I survey this question in the United States.

But just by having a bigger audience in the United States, I don't think...

...that makes my movie rely on Orientalism.

First of all, I didn't intend to make my film that way.

Furthermore, the movie was successful in Italy...

...and now 3- Iron is being released in France.

It is hard to express how I feel on this DVD...

...but looking back, I don't think... Well, it has been a while...

...since I've watched the film...

...but it seems to have been worth making.

Now I am in L.A., and yesterday I was in New York...

...and tomorrow I continue my tour to San Francisco and introduce my film...

...and have interviews with journalists.

Although some Korean movies...

...have been introduced to the United States...

...I don't think Korean movies have made a huge impact yet.

Although some say Spring, Summer captured the basics of Korean culture...

...I think it is a weak start.

I am hoping, instead of using classic Korean film imagery...

...to show the Korean culture...

...I want to show that feeling...

...using modern sensibilities.

Regarding this, when we watch 3- Iron...

...we can see a variety of houses...

...and the different stories within them.

While doing so, the audience can feel:

"There are many people who have different lifestyles."

So I am not just showing a movie...

...I am showing the details of Korean people's emotions.

Korean people's emotions, ethics or thoughts.

If you see the houses story by story, you can feel it.

There is a difference between a person who lives in an apartment...

...and a person who lives in a traditional Korean house.

This is the house of a boxer.

I put this scene in...

...as comic relief.

The protagonist pretends to be a boxer...

...but gets punched by a real boxer.

The scene also happens to be ironic...

...in that it uses comedy to show their understanding of each other's pain.

The inevitable part that I had...

...to spend some money on is the night scene.

When you film a night scene, you need to spend money...

...because you need to use lights.

So while filming, I tried to go in tight...

...because if I do it that way...

...I only have to film that particular part.

In doing so, I can save money on lights.

I try to manage these things nicely...

...but there are some challenges.

I have about 40 crew members. They all rely on me...

...on what I'm going to do.

Directors always need to make a decision.

How to photograph, until what time...

...how are you going shoot certain scenes, et cetera.

Those are the director's responsibility.

This is tedious work.

I have so much gray hair since I began making films.

I feel this work is interesting...

...but at the same time, I feel it is very hard.

So far, I've made 12 films total since I made my debut in 1996.

It has been almost 10 years since then.

I think I worked quite diligently in order to make those films.

I don't know how many films I am going to make...

...but while making them, I think I've changed a lot.

Well, the most important thing is...

...no matter how many movies you've made, it always starts from nothing.

Even though I won various kinds of international awards...

...for my previous movie...

...my next movie always starts from nothing.

I always have to restart, re-challenge and...

Well, you never know what will happen tomorrow...

...even if you had some good things happen today.

So whenever I start a new film, I always feel new and refreshed.

When you look at each of my films...

...there is no common ground that links them together.

The movies that were done in my early days...

...such as Crocodile, Wild Animals, Birdcage Inn...

...The Isle, Address Unknown, Bad Guy...

...Spring, Summer, Coast Guard...

...Samaritan Girl, and so on...

...when you carefully look at those films, those are all different.

There are three kinds of films that I make:

Close-up shot, full shot and wide shot. In the case of 3- Iron...

...it is a full-shot movie. It is a portrayal of a man within society.

But in the case of The Isle or Bad Guy...

...they're close-up movies because they significantly portray...

...the deep inside of human nature, even the wicked part.

3- Iron, Coast Guard, are full-shot movies...

...because they depict a person within society.

Spring, Summer can be considered as a long-shot or wide-shot film...

...because it shows man as a part of landscape.

When you see a landscape...

...you see man belonging as a part of nature.

That's why Spring, Summer is...

...a long-shot film. That's the system I use.

However, in the case of 3- Iron, it is a full shot: Man and society...

...and what kind of man he is within society.

Now, this scene shows a Korean house...

...a traditional tile-roofed house.

The ironic part is the owner of this house is French.

Without realizing, Korean people...

...gradually give up their traditional house.

As a result, this house fell to a foreigner.

Since I wanted to show some precious aspects of the house...

...I showed some tea culture...

...some elements of the traditions of that home in this scene.

Originally, we had a sex scene in this film.

This part is the actual sex scene.

When you closely look at it, yes, they are having sex.

However, they are not having sex via body.

They are having sex by using their feet. Look at their feet closely.

Moving their feet this way and that way...

...they express their feelings.

I am showing in this part...

...that while doing so they are showing some shared moments.

Well, since this was a sex scene...

...both the actor and the actress...

...were totally scared and were shaking.

"How is he gonna handle this?" They thought...

...because I didn't give any previous directions...

...other than just show a sex scene.

However, when I told them they only needed to use their feet...

...they took a deep breath and successfully finished the part.

So when we reach a certain moment...

...the scene is faded out and switches to the next scene.

In living our lives, ever since people started to distrust each other...

...the patterns of resident culture have also changed, I think.

...the patterns of resident culture have also changed, I think.

Now, these apartments are the oldest ones in Korea.

They are almost close to being torn down.

They're very small, too.

I had to look at many different houses.

Some houses remained the way they were.

Therefore, the filming was not too hard.

Although I make films in Korea...

...since not many Koreans watch my films...

...I have to consider Europe or the United States as my target areas.

This is the other reason why I don't put dialogue in my films.

In fact, I thought dialogue would make the scene more awkward...

...so I deleted it.

Think about it, when you see this scene...

...if this character says, "Is the door open?

Oh, nobody's here," that will make the scene very awkward.

Don't you think?

Anyway, when the audience just looks at his body language...

..."Oh, did he see something surprising in there?"...

...they can interpret their own dialogue.

Even without dialogue, the audience can understand the nuances.

It would be an endless story...

...once I start putting in dialogue.

Well, I have been making films for 10 years.

Films that I made earlier had dialogue.

However, starting from The Isle, dialogue disappeared.

The female protagonist in The Isle didn't have any dialogue.

Then, in the case of Bad Guy...

...the male protagonist didn't have any dialogue.

And this movie doesn't have any dialogue.

As I mentioned earlier, there are advantages to not having dialogue...

...but it is really hard when creating a film.

There are certain moments where the director...

...has a really hard time maintaining control.

Due to that aspect, I feel it's a little hard.

But in spite of the difficulty, this scene shows...

...the traditional way of mourning in Korea.

There is a ritual process for when someone is dead.

This is the Korean funeral ritual.

From this scene, I feel something lacking...

...about my Korean culture while watching my films again.

In doing this ritual...

...this scene shows that death is not ugly...

...rather, the funeral looks more like a festival.

That's the aspect I'm trying to create.

When foreign audiences see this...

...they will see it with great surprise, because of the style.

Well, this DVD will be released in the United States, right?

As a Korean director...

...I can portray aspects of Korean culture, traditions and customs.

Through my movies, I can achieve that.

Because of that...

...Americans will be able to look at Korean culture...

...with new understanding and observe in detail...

...political and cultural aspects.

I hope our culture will come across...

...with maturity and substance...

...and won't be taken for granted, but viewed with respect.

I hope the people who are watching this DVD...

...will be able to find something good about Korean culture...

...whether it's through this film, Spring, Summer...

...or other projects from Korean filmmakers.

I have never promoted my country to this extent...

...but while releasing this DVD overseas for the first time...

...I honestly hope that people can find...

...something good about our culture.

If this is taken as an interview...

...I think this DVD will show my sincerity.

While in New York, I did interviews with The New York Times...

...New York Post, Boston Globe, and so on.

But their questions were very unstructured...

...and somewhat fragmented.

They asked questions like, "Why did you name the movie 3- Iron?"

This is the first time I've been able to express myself so honestly.

This is an opportunity to give in detail...

...my entire process of filmmaking.

I can express my real feelings...

...to the viewers of this DVD.

Hopefully, they'll gain a better understanding of my movie.

Surprisingly, I came across some of my fans here in the U.S.

Some people had seen Bad Guy, which is currently in limited release.

In the past, some had seen The Isle.

Well, when people watch my films...

...I can guarantee they will become addicts of my films.

Even if you have a problem with my films, they can become addictive...

...because some aspect of it demands your attention.

I don't know exactly what that may be.

My films do not deal with the conventional norms.

If you look at this scene, it's violent.

Like with Crocodile or Bad Guy...

...my films are sometimes very violent.

In this scene, a man slaps another man in the face several times.

This looks very violent.

Anyway, I've been a victim of violence many times...

...by the police and in the military.

When I was in the navy, I experienced...

...some corporal punishment.

Getting hit is not the best thing...

...but it's not such a bad thing either.

I think this is a characteristic...

...of the Korean culture.

I think my film reflects this.

Korean culture is difficult to explain...

...and may be hard to understand at first.

The more you see of it in detail, the deeper you want to go inside.

It's kind of like my films. It may appear violent on the outside...

...but inside, you see the human aspect of it.

Is there any real distinction between good and bad?

This film, 3- Iron...

...when you watch it closely, it is about fantasy.

All the characters may look real, but in fact, they're not.

For example...

...Tae-Suk may not exist...

...or Sun-Hwa may not exist. Either way, this film can still exist.

We all get hurt during the course of our lives...

...and we'd all like someone to save us.

Aside from wanting to be saved through God...

...we'd all like to be saved in our everyday lives.

When Tae-Suk enters an empty house...

...he finds a battered woman and wants to save her.

In that sense, he could be a real person...

...and she may not exist, or vice versa.

Sun-Hwa could be the one fantasizing. Since she is so miserable...

...she wants to be rescued by someone like Tae-Suk...

...who always searches for an empty house.

She, as a real person, might have a desire to be rescued.

On the other hand, it could be the fantasy of Sun-Hwa's husband.

They used to be in love, but now the love is gone.

He fantasizes about getting that love back.

I consider my movies to be half abstract.

I've always thought this about my movies.

I like making movies that are on the border between...

...reality and fantasy.

In the subtitle that appears at the end of this film, it says:

"It's hard to tell that the world we live in is either a reality or a dream."

This is actually how I think.

Who is drawing the line between reality and imagination...

...while we are doing this commentary?

What about the people around us? The person who's recording all this.

It is hard to distinguish between reality and fantasy.

Our lives are not always driven...

...by physical acts alone.

Can you believe it 100 percent when someone says they love you...

...even if this is the person you love?

I think the line between reality and fantasy is very thin...

...and they are bound to each other.

This movie was quite an adventure for me.

Very shortly, you'll see the ghost scene.

While filming it, I often wondered how convincing the scene would be.

There is a scene in the jail coming up...

...that I like to call "sports motion."

You can hide yourself from the world.

This film is divided into three chapters.

The first is sneaking into homes with the possibility of getting caught.

You can't see the owners because they're not home.

That is the first chapter. In the second chapter...

...the protagonist practices being a ghost while in jail...

...he practices trying to hide himself somehow.

That scene shows his process quite elaborately.

There are three steps in his process.

First, the protagonist tried to hide himself...

...by hanging on the wall or hiding somewhere.

But hiding completely is impossible.

Second, he calculates a 180-degree space...

...and uses that 180-degree space...

...and hides himself there.

The third step is he draws an eye on his hand...

...and assumes that the eye is someone's head in front of him...

...and practices hiding himself from that person.

I joked that you can get to be a ghost...

...if you continue to practice this.

I've never tried it myself, but the important thing is...

...movies are about imagination. Through scenes like this...

...I hoped this movie would be seen in a more realistic way.

This shot is ironic. The protagonist himself used golf to terrorize...

...but here he is being terrorized by a golf ball.

This is where the movie kind of becomes a fantasy.

When he goes to jail, it's hard to tell...

...if this person is really alive...

...or if he died from the golf balls. It's ambiguous.

Just the sound of a golf club swinging...

...is pretty horrifying in and of itself. It's pretty intimidating.

I wanted to create that image while filming this part.

My favorite part is the jail scene.

While he's doing the sports motion...

...the protagonist wants to hide himself from people...

...his surroundings and society.

This kind of scene intrigues me.

This scene shows a mental aspect and something possibly psychotic.

This is the scene I was talking about earlier.

It's hard to tell if it's real or not.

We can hear the sound, but the golf ball doesn't exist.

But we know he's playing golf through his motions.

The scene is gradually changing to fantasy.

Even this person is acting like the golf ball exists.

So he tries to get the ball back.

This kind of action creates the feeling of fantasy.

It brings up the question of whether the golf ball really exists or not.

In doing so, the movie takes on a different tone.

Like I mentioned before...

...I have been directing films for 10 years.

The more I get involved in the world of film, I ask: "What is a film?

Why am I making films?

What am I trying to express through my films?"

These are questions I often ask myself.

Some say I am a cinema kid, others say I'm a manic fan.

These are words that describe people...

...who are obsessed with everything cinema.

Sometimes they say film is like a journal.

Some would say it is a life...

...or a visual aid to describe reality.

But I think it is a process to help us find out more about our own lives.

It's a way of understanding various aspects of human life...

...through a progressive process.

I hope my audience will feel the same way.

Film, I don't think, just provides the vehicle...

...for how people justify social morality or social norms...

...or the one that always determines a winner and a loser...

...or the one that always ends with good triumphing over evil.

I would like to give it substance too.

I want people to realize this.

I often wonder whether people live in that boundary...

I often wonder whether people live in that boundary...

...between reality and fantasy.

I really wanted to convey this feeling in my film.

It's because of this that certain scenes come out the way they do.

Therefore, while continuing to make films...

...I will continue thinking about how to create new images.

And through that relationship...

...I would like to create something completely new and original.

This film, 3- Iron...

...through unique actions, poses a question:

"Is it possible for a person to hide himself from someone?"

My other movies, like Bad Guy, or my current feature, The Bow...

...have different elements that create different images.

I hope that all my films can be differentiated...

...from all the other films that are out there.

I also hope people realize that films like mine can exist.

While conducting several interviews for 3- Iron...

...I heard that I really made a film.

That is what cinema is all about.

Compared to some realistic movies, mine is something different.

What is the distinction between film and the real world?

I think my film kind of answers this question.

I have also said this in many of my interviews.

The life in which we live...

...when we look at it closely...

...there may not be any problems...

...but it is constantly changing according to various situations.

Well, if the sea is always clear like crystal, that wouldn't be right.

The sea has various forms because of the wind and waves.

When you watch my movies, like The Isle...

...Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, or The Bow...

...you will see lots of water.

That is because water can be a representation...

...for various things in our lives.

In this regard, my films are simply...

...as I mentioned earlier...

...trying to blur the distinction...

...between good and evil.

That logic doesn't apply to me.

I think good and evil go together, and through this process...

...my films can create something new.

The logic behind my films is neither horizontal nor vertical.

I believe a small, horizontal society exists...

...in a big vertical world.

In other words, my ideal world...

...is a society where each individual has his own voice...

...and these individuals are treated equally without discrimination.

On the one hand, society is getting more and more horizontal.

Under power, people start losing their voices.

We are now living in a society...

...that doesn't respect independence.

This logic is applied by the United States...

...and powerful European countries.

In furthering globalization...

...these countries are making the whole world horizontal.

When you look at this aspect closely...

...it is totally one-sided and generalized.

I hope my films represent the voice of the minority...

...and preserve its traditional elements.

Through my work...

...I hope the whole world can be vertically equal.

I keep this idea in my mind when I make most of my films.

And I think this idea makes my films somewhat different than others.

In Korea...

...I am recognized as being the director...

...that is often being noted in international awards.

As a Korean director, I became established...

...in a very short span of time.

I've been invited to most international film festivals.

Since my very first film...

...l've been going to these international film festivals.

My last five or six films have been entered in the Cannes, Venice...

...and Berlin film festivals.

Because of that, people call me the "film-festival director."

But the reality is, it's not easy to enter these festivals.

There is a lot of competition among well-known films...

...and only a few are selected from among those films.

So it's a great compliment in that regard.

Film festivals are very important to me.

Through these festivals, my name became well-known.

The producers, filmmakers and reporters...

...began to pay attention to me.

As a result, it paved the way for me...

...to distribute my films in Europe and the U.S.

I really appreciate being recognized by these international festivals.

These kinds of international festivals actually...

...don't celebrate the star system or blockbusters.

Fortunately, these festivals try...

...to recognize well-made, original films.

When you see this scene...

...it shows Koreans' sentiments and attitudes...

...toward their own traditions.

It shows that right here.

Who, in this age, would just allow some stranger...

...to walk in and sleep like that?

I wish we lived in this society.

I wish we'd realize at the door that this stranger is not a criminal.

I hope people can just take a rest...

...without considering other people's eyes.

These kinds of social aspects, to me...

...are another way of viewing our lives.

Nowadays, our society creates such a thick barrier between people...

...making people feel scared and turning people against each other.

There's always a huge lock in front of our gates.

I wish people wouldn't be this way. Maybe I am too naive...

...but I think maybe people can share their time and space.

I hope my film can provide enough space to share common feelings.

I've talked about the international film industry...

...and many other things. I may have touched on some sensitive issues.

But I would like to talk about my feelings...

...on the Hollywood system and films.

I like American films and directors...

...like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese...

...Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen.

I enjoy their films.

But there are a lot of running themes...

...films that deal with the FBI or NASA, or action films.

Nowadays, Korean people don't watch Hollywood movies...

...like they used to because they've reached the limit.

Hollywood movies are either about the military...

...the FBI, the police, seizing power...

There is always authority and superiority underneath.

The protagonist is always solely into materialistic needs.

Heroes in those movies are always depicted...

...as being able to resolve problems...

...but in reality, that doesn't happen.

In spite of unrealistic portrayals...

...most Hollywood movies sweep over the whole world...

...and dominate people.

That is the reality that we have so far.

In Korean movies, there is a screen quota system.

This is a regulation requiring people...

...to see a certain amount of Korean movies.

The United States was actually pressuring against this.

The reason why they are against this rule...

...is because they consider it a violation of free competition.

If that's the case, I'd like to ask them what the best way is...

...for a minority group to save their own culture.

One way to solve this problem is through the mass media, like films.

In order to save minority culture...

...I think people need to set a regulation on the United States...

...the country that dominates others through capitalism.

If we don't do it, then everything will be dominated...

...as one narrow culture.

Diversity is the key to preserving the minority's right.

Through theatrical performances, poems, music and so on...

...the minority culture can flourish.

I personally think the United States...

...should at least give some consideration to that...

...if they really understand what free competition is all about.

Anyway, I think there are positives and negatives about Hollywood films.

There are many famous Hollywood directors...

...and at the same time, their movies tend to go for commercialism.

I'm against this approach of the Hollywood system.

Nowadays, FBI and police stories are...

...slightly out of fashion in the world...

...in the world of cinema.

Therefore, Hollywood has remade many Asian films...

...like The Ring or other Korean films.

This phenomenon indicates...

...that the Hollywood film industry...

...is trying to find a different formula.

Many Asian directors are being introduced into Hollywood.

Asian stories such as Kill Bill are being made.

Audiences are able to watch genres like Asian martial arts.

The Asian element is being embodied.

If you see Tom Cruise's Last Samurai...

...it is a mixture of Asia and America.

...it is a mixture of Asia and America.

In doing so, the film industry is being converted.

But I don't think this is an honest approach.

To me, those movies seem so fake and materialistic.

Instead of showing some humanistic aspects...

...these movies are only trying to make money.

The movies seem to be made specifically geared towards that.

I think Hollywood directors, and the industry as a whole...

...when using Asian elements or themes...

...need to carefully apply them, and with good intent.

When doing a remake of an Asian film...

...instead of just using big stars for commercial success...

...they need to have an honest approach.

That is what I think.

This is all I'll say about the current trend in Hollywood films.

I often think about where international film is going.

Commenting on 3- Iron is actually limiting.

It's not that broad, since it's only one film, and as I watch certain scenes...

...I talk about the entire world of cinema.

Here, we see the protagonist who has become a ghost.

He has successfully tricked everyone in jail...

...and successfully hid from everyone.

And in doing so, he goes back to every home he's invaded.

In the earlier scenes...

...all the homeowners were on vacation and so on.

But now we see that he can enter...

...these same homes without being caught.

It's like this until the end.

This part is to appeal to the audience...

...and sway them.

This scene depicts the protagonist terrorizing...

...the policeman who tortured him.

Through this scene, it brings catharsis to the audience.

The audience wants the protagonist to take revenge on the policeman...

...as if we ourselves were the ones who were victimized.

There was a funny incident when filming this scene.

The golf ball hits the wall and then him.

So no matter where the policeman hid, the ball kept finding him.

I attend many film festivals in Europe and the U.S.

Tomorrow, I'll be at the San Francisco Film Festival.

The types of films that are showcased at festivals...

...are more artistic than commercial.

That is fortunate.

I think you won't be able to see as broad a spectrum...

...if you only watch commercial films.

Through movies that are played at film festivals, like my films...

...smaller films are able to come out on the market.

It is an entryway.

I am lucky that there are festivals like...

...Cannes, Berlin, Venice...

...Shanghai movie festivals, Tokyo festivals, and so on.

A variety of movies that are done by more independent directors.

It shows that films that aren't commercial can exist.

That is how the system works.

Due to this aspect...

...European movies are introduced...

...to the American film market.

In New York, Lincoln and Angelika theaters...

...show many good movies.

Same thing happens in L.A.

I think this aspect is very important.

If there were no theaters like the ones I mentioned here...

...I don't think my films would be able to be released.

Regarding this, I think there is a future for our movies.

I often think about when the right time is...

...to retire from making movies.

I think about this a lot. Even recently, I've thought about this many times.

The Bow is my 12th movie.

That's a dozen.

One year consists of 12 months.

Thinking about it that way, I thought:

"It would be nice to neatly retire after this movie."

That thought came to mind.

I don't know whether I will go for the 13th movie or not.

I am still debating this.

The reason is, we get tired of seeing the same actor.

Once-loved actors get tiring to watch after seeing them repeatedly.

When you constantly see them, it seems like they only see money.

I think movie directors are also in the same spot.

If I made films without changing my pattern, people should get bored.

Because of this thought, I contemplate quitting the business.

The important thing is...

...I hope people will continue to watch my films and say:

"At least Kim's films are worth watching."

If I keep creating something new, I want to hear that.

This scene shows how...

...the protagonist sneaks into each house without getting caught.

Wherever he goes, he won't get caught.

The reason for this is to persuade the audience in the final scene.

The audience will notice that the protagonist tricks others perfectly.

Toward the end, the protagonist will go to the female character's house...

...and live there for a long time.

You'll be able to believe this can happen.

In some ways, it's a way to trick the audience.

Anyway, I think movies need to continue even if I don't make them.

It's an important part of culture.

Film, I think, is an important element...

...of breaking down our stereotypes.

Not all movies, but certain movies can do that.

I am very happy to be making a living as a director.

I tried many different things.

I worked at several factories.

I didn't go to school much.

My current résumé shows that I graduated from elementary school.

When I was working at a factory...

...my supervisor said, "Don't be sad that you didn't go to school.

Working here can be an opportunity...

...to study life and to establish a philosophy.

Through this work experience, you will learn a lot."

His words still comfort me, but unfortunately...

...Korean society still cares about which school you went to.

Many people think higher education will do everything for them.

Since I don't have a higher education...

...I suffered greatly from an inferiority complex.

However, when I began to make films...

...I started wondering if I would be making my films...

...from different angles if I had a higher education.

I now appreciate my past.

When I received the director's award in Berlin...

...I said, "I appreciate my past."

I appreciated that I had that past.

I am able to express my thoughts the way I do...

...because of my unstructured past.

The thoughts I have become stories for my films.

By capturing those thoughts on film...

...it becomes a movie.

This is now the last scene. In this last scene...

...the protagonist has become a ghost completely.

Actually, he doesn't exist, or doesn't exist anywhere.

In doing so, he gradually becomes the owner of the house.

On one hand...

...the audience can easily miss something. I'll explain here.

What will happen to the husband?

We can only sympathize with the protagonist.

We only focus on the person who saves the victim...

...not so much on the victim.

I started to be concerned at the end of the film: "What about him?"

Well, what am I supposed to do with the husband?

He is a fool. His wife was taken by the protagonist...

...his own house was stolen by the protagonist too.

Well, I don't want to be like that.

My greatest sympathy goes out to the husband.

That is the reason why I made this film as a multi-layered narrative.

This can be a dream by the husband...

...Sun-Hwa or Tae-Suk, three different possibilities.

Well, this is the scene.

The husband comes out...

...she says, "I love you." But think about it carefully.

This woman, Sun-Hwa...

...actually, Tae-Suk isn't behind her.

Only her husband is. If this is a dream created just so...

...he can just hear her say "I love you"...

...we'd have to reevaluate the husband objectively.

Does it start and end with the husband as the protagonist?

Then the film will turn out to be different.

The audience might not agree with me...

...but that is how I view the film.

I hope my film can be viewed in many ways.

Based on the viewer's background and experiences...

...things can be seen differently. That's what I want.

This film has three endings.

Well, at least three, when you closely look at it.

Among these three, the audience...

...will choose the one that they can relate to the most.

Anyway, this movie was such an adventure for me...

...and this ending is the best, I think.

I wanted to make this the movie-poster shot.

But in Korea, this wasn't the poster shot...

...because the marketing people had their own ideas.

But in the U.S., this is the poster shot.

It's the one with the three-shot.

I really like the U.S. Poster version.

I took a couple back to Korea.

I hope the U.S. Audience will enjoy this film.

Not only enjoy it...

...but also understand the meaning behind it.

This is not just a film to enjoy...

...but to ask ourselves: "Am I living in reality or a dream?

Are there people around me who think this way?

Are there ghosts living among us? Are there believers?"

I hope they question many things and feel something different.

I have many thoughts when making a film...

...and I think it's great I have these thoughts.

I think this is also another aspect of films.

The movies that have been made in the past...

...have a distinct hero and goodness.

A do-gooder with a real human element is key.

However, my film is different.

At least, I believe so.

The running time of this movie is about 90 minutes.

I've been saying whatever popped into my head: My perspective on films...

...my views, thoughts and emotions on everything...

...and my perceptions about the world of film.

A movie is all about characters...

...and the many layers of a character.

When characters collide and have conflict...

...that becomes a story.

I hope more new stories come up...

...than repetitive ones.

We don't know if this character really exists.

I can create this character in real life...

...just imagine someone behind me.

That thought makes me very happy.

My films do not make any sense.

I make films so I can make sense of something that didn't.

While watching this movie, we see many images.

Even I can't comment on all of them.

The image of that photo, why is it back there?

Why is the scale at zero?

I believe the weight of our souls is nonexistent.

So both of them have been dreaming...

...because the scale reads zero.

"It's hard to tell that the world we live in is either a reality or a dream."

We constantly encounter obstacles...

We constantly encounter obstacles...

...we have to face alone.

Instead of blaming someone else for making us miserable...

...maybe we are the ones to blame...

...for our own misfortunes.

Instead of not having any belief in ourselves...

I think underestimating ourselves is what makes us feel miserable.

We need to motivate ourselves.

I think there are two categories: A subjective and an objective me.

If I don't differentiate the two me's...

...there is no way I can look back at myself.

The former is just me.

The latter is the one that constantly...

...looks at me from the other side.

This is the main point of the movie, or the ghost, if you will.

There are many different ways of looking at myself.

I used the characters in this movie...

...to express my thoughts on our existence.

I had this in mind when making this film.

I'm honored this will be seen in the U.S.

Given this opportunity, I hope you were able...

...to understand me a little better.

I'd like to thank the distributor, Sony Classics, and everyone involved...

...in putting this DVD together. I hope everyone will have a happy life.

It was a pleasure to be with you all. Thank you.