Min Kyu-dong

Last updated
Min Kyu-dong
Born (1970-09-12) September 12, 1970 (age 53)
Incheon, South Korea
Education Seoul National University - Economics
Korean Academy of Film Arts - Filmmaking
Occupation(s) Film director,
screenwriter,
producer
Years active1998-present
SpouseHong Ji-young
Korean name
Hangul
민규동
Revised Romanization Min Gyu-dong
McCune–Reischauer Min Gyutong

Min Kyu-dong (born September 12, 1970) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and producer. He made his feature directorial debut in horror film Memento Mori (1999), followed by romantic comedies All for Love (2005) and All About My Wife (2012), queer films Antique (2008) and In My End Is My Beginning (2013), melodrama The Last Blossom (2011), and period drama The Treacherous (2015).

Contents

Career

Min Kyu-dong studied economics at Seoul National University, and upon graduation, he entered the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). In 1999 Min made his first feature Memento Mori , alongside KAFA classmate and co-director Kim Tae-yong. Considered the most influential Korean horror film of the 2000s, Memento Mori has attained a modern-day classic status among Korean cinephiles. [1]

After pursuing further film studies in France, Min returned in 2005 with his sophomore effort and solo directorial debut All for Love . Similar to Robert Altman's Short Cuts and Richard Curtis's Love Actually , Min utilized a large ensemble cast to weave a multitude of stories into a single narrative. About a diverse group of couples and singles who experience love or tragedy in the span of one week in Seoul (the Korean title translates to "The Most Beautiful Week of My Life"), the film was a box office success. [2]

In 2008, Min explored homosexual eroticism in Antique , a screen adaptation of the popular Japanese manga Antique Bakery by Fumi Yoshinaga. The film, about four pretty boys with hidden pasts working in a French pastry shop, was invited to the Berlin International Film Festival. [3] [4]

For his segment in the 2009 omnibus film Five Senses of Eros , Min continued his fascination with queer cinema. Using illusive and phantasmal cinematography, he brought a more experimental and dramatically edgy take on two women involved in a mild S&M relationship after the death of the man they both loved. [5] [6] A feature-length director's cut of In My End Is My Beginning was later screened at the 2009 Busan International Film Festival, [7] then released in theaters in 2013. [8]

Based on the semi-autobiographical TV series by writer Noh Hee-kyung (previously adapted into a novel and a stage play, the Korean title translates to "The Most Beautiful Goodbye/Farewell in the World"), Min confessed that he "cried a lot while writing the screenplay" of The Last Blossom. A moving story of a devoted mother diagnosed with a terminal illness whose family comes together for the first time to give her the support they've always denied her, the film received rave reviews from moviegoers and critics for its delicate depiction of family love. [9] [10]

In 2012, Min wrote and directed a remake of the Argentinean film Un novio para mi mujer ("A Boyfriend for My Wife"), which centers on a timid husband who hires a professional Casanova to seduce his seemingly perfect but fearsome wife. The romantic comedy All About My Wife became Min's biggest commercial hit yet. [11]

Inspired by the Arabian Nights , Min directed the wrap-around sequences that "introduce" each segment by bridging the four short films of omnibus Horror Stories with a tale about a kidnapper who can go to sleep only when he listens to scary stories from his young female victim. [12] Horror Stories was the opening film of the 2012 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. [13] For the sequel Horror Stories 2 , Min again directed the wrap-around sequences, this time structured around three mysterious insurance claim cases. [14]

In 2015, Min directed the period drama The Treacherous (2015), set during the reign of Joseon king Yeonsan, considered the cruelest tyrant in Korean history. Min said he had always been interested in historical events, and that he wanted to talk about current social issues through them; he also said he wanted to feature Yeonsan from a new perspective by focusing on the relationship between the king and "treacherous subjects who wear the mask of faithfulness." [15]

In 2020, he created the anthology science fiction project SF8 . [16]

Personal life

Min is married to Hong Ji-young, director of The Naked Kitchen . [17]

Filmography

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipientResultRef.
2000 Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Director [lower-alpha 1] Won
2001 Fantasporto International Fantasy Film AwardNominated
Paris Film Festival Grand PrixNominated
Slamdance Film Festival Grand Jury PrizeNominated
2005 Chunsa Film Art Awards Best Screenplay [lower-alpha 2] Won
Special Jury PrizeWon
2006 43rd Grand Bell Awards Best DirectorNominated
Best Screenplay [lower-alpha 2] Nominated
2012 21st Buil Film Awards Best Screenplay [lower-alpha 3] Nominated
33rd Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Screenplay [lower-alpha 3] Nominated [18]
2013 49th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Director Nominated [19]
Best Screenplay [lower-alpha 3] Nominated
201838th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards Top 11 FilmsWon [20]
39th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Director Nominated [21]

Notes

  1. ↑ with Kim Tae-Yong
  2. 1 2 with Yu Seong-hyeop
  3. 1 2 3 with Heo Sung-hye

Related Research Articles

<i>Memento Mori</i> (film) 1999 South Korean film

Memento Mori is a 1999 South Korean horror film, and the second installment of the Whispering Corridors film series. It is a sequel to 1998's Whispering Corridors, and is also set in an all-girls high school, but the films are otherwise unrelated. Memento Mori was one of the first Korean commercial films to depict lesbian characters. However, prevailing Korean attitudes constrained its potential to be widely viewed, even more so as the controversial themes targeted the teen demographic.

<i>All for Love</i> (2005 film) 2005 South Korean film

All for Love is a 2005 South Korean romantic comedy film. It was Min Kyu-dong's solo directorial debut. The film was the 10th highest grossing Korean production of 2005 with 2,533,103 sold nationwide.

Kwak Ji-min is a South Korean actress. She is best known overseas for her leading role in the Kim Ki-duk film Samaritan Girl, for which she won Best New Actress at the 2004 Busan Film Critics Awards.

<i>Maundy Thursday</i> (film) 2006 South Korean film

Maundy Thursday is a 2006 South Korean film directed by Song Hae-sung based on a bestselling novel by Gong Ji-young. Starring Gang Dong-won and Lee Na-young, the film is about a convicted murderer awaiting execution, and the bond he forms with a suicidal young woman who starts visiting him in jail every Thursday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gong Hyo-jin</span> South Korean actress (born 1980)

Gong Hyo-jin is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading role in the film Crush and Blush (2008), as well as for her popular television series Sang Doo! Let's Go to School (2003), Thank You (2007), Pasta (2010), The Greatest Love (2011), Master's Sun (2013), It's Okay, That's Love (2014), The Producers (2015), Don't Dare to Dream (2016), and When the Camellia Blooms (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Kang-woo</span> South Korean actor (born 1978)

Kim Kang-woo is a South Korean actor. He is best known from his roles in The Taste of Money and The Missing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Tae-yong</span> South Korean filmmaker (born 1969)

Kim Tae-yong is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. After his feature directorial debut Memento Mori (1999), he helmed the critically-acclaimed Family Ties (2006), and the English-language remake Late Autumn (2010).

<i>Five Senses of Eros</i> 2009 South Korean film

Five Senses of Eros is a 2009 South Korean omnibus film with five short films depicting love and desire, but in different styles and genres. The shorts are: His Concern, directed by Daniel H. Byun; I'm Right Here, directed by Hur Jin-ho; The 33rd Man, directed by Yoo Young-sik; In My End Is My Beginning, directed by Min Kyu-dong; and Believe in the Moment, directed by Oh Ki-hwan.

<i>All About My Wife</i> 2012 South Korean film

All About My Wife is a 2012 South Korean romantic comedy film directed by Min Kyu-dong, about a timid husband who hires a professional Casanova to seduce his seemingly perfect but fearsome wife, hoping this will make her divorce him. Starring Im Soo-jung, Lee Sun-kyun and Ryu Seung-ryong, the movie was released in theaters on May 17, 2012.

<i>My Rosy Life</i> South Korean TV series or program

My Rosy Life is a 2005 South Korean television drama series starring Choi Jin-sil, Son Hyun-joo, and Lee Tae-ran. It aired on KBS2 from August 24 to November 10, 2005 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.

<i>Horror Stories</i> (film) 2012 South Korean film

Terror Stories is a 2012 terror omnibus film made up of four short films by five South Korean directors.

Kim Dae-seung is a South Korean film director and screenwriter.

E J-yong is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. His feature films include An Affair (1998), Untold Scandal (2003), Dasepo Naughty Girls (2006), and Actresses (2009).

<i>In My End Is My Beginning</i> 2013 South Korean film

In My End Is My Beginning is a 2013 South Korean film starring Uhm Jung-hwa, Kim Hyo-jin, and Hwang Jung-min.

<i>Horror Stories 2</i> 2013 South Korean film

Horror Stories 2 is a 2013 horror omnibus film made up of four episodes by four South Korean directors. It screened at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival and Sitges Film Festival in 2013, and won the Silver Raven prize in the International Competition at the 2014 Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.

<i>The Treacherous</i> 2015 South Korean film

The Treacherous is a 2015 South Korean period thriller film directed by Min Kyu-dong.

Portrayals of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters or themes within South Korean film and television make up a relatively small part of the overall body of South Korean motion picture media. The topic has consistently generated discussions both in academia and in the public LGBT movements. As the South Korean LGBT rights movement emerged in the 1990s, film portrayals of queer characters and non-heterosexual relationships grew more common. South Korea has historically not been an LGBT-affirming country, which bleeds into the culture, justice system and general public sense. However, recent study conducted in Chonnam National University states that the attitudes toward homosexuality are becoming increasingly positive.

<i>SF8</i> South Korean television series

SF8 is a South Korean science fiction anthology television series. It is a movie-drama crossover project between MBC, the Directors Guild of Korea, the OTT platform Wavve and the production company Soo Film. The director's cuts of all episodes were released on Wavve on July 10, 2020 while MBC TV aired one episode a week from August 14 to October 9, 2020.

References

  1. ↑ Paquet, Darcy (23 May 2007). "An Interview with Kim Tae-yong". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  2. ↑ Paquet, Darcy. "All for Love". Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
  3. ↑ "Antique". Finecut. Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
  4. ↑ Han, Sang-hee (20 January 2009). "Film Antique to Visit Berlin Film Festival". The Korea Times . Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  5. ↑ Lee, Hyo-won (2 July 2009). "5 Directors Explore Sensuality in Eros". The Korea Times . Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  6. ↑ Shin, Hae-in (1 July 2009). "A mixed bag of pleasures in omnibus Eros film". Yonhap . Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  7. ↑ Elley, Derek (27 October 2009). "In My End is My Beginning". Variety . Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  8. ↑ Kim, Hyun-min (22 March 2013). "Fatal Love, Hatred and Sympathy - In My End Is My Beginning". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  9. ↑ Cha, Hyo-jin (6 May 2011). "The Most Beautiful Farewell in the World". Worldyan News. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 2013-02-10.
  10. ↑ Ki, Sun-min (19 May 2011). "Portrait of iconic mother still resonates". Korea JoongAng Daily . Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 2012-11-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ↑ Jung, Hyun-mok (11 June 2012). "Director Min Kyu-dong says it's all about communication". Korea JoongAng Daily . Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ↑ Lee, Hye-ji (20 July 2012). "PREVIEW: Horror Stories Return of authentic Korean horror film". 10Asia. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  13. ↑ Kwaak, Je-yup (18 July 2012). "Horror takes stage as PiFan opens". The Korea Times . Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  14. ↑ Jang, Sung-ran (13 May 2013). "Return of Horror Film Geniuses, HORROR STORIES 2". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  15. ↑ Baek, Byung-yeul (19 April 2015). "Historical film tells story of Joseon tyrant". The Korea Times . Retrieved 2015-04-30.
  16. ↑ "From Moon So-ri to Hani, Drama and Movie Blending Project "SF8" is Gathering Its Troops". HanCinema . April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Hong Ji-young Looks on the Brighter Side of Adultery". The Chosun Ilbo . 1 May 2009. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  18. ↑ Ji, Yong-jin (4 December 2012). "PIETA Wins Best Picture at Blue Dragon Awards". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
  19. ↑ Hicap, Jonathan M. (5 April 2013). "49th Baeksang Arts Awards nominees revealed". Manila Bulletin . Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
  20. ↑ [공식]이성민·한지민 '영평상' 남녀주연상…'1987' 작품상. Sports Chosun (in Korean). October 22, 2018.
  21. ↑ 청룡영화상 후보 발표, ‘1987’ 최다·‘공작’도 9개부문 후보. Newsen (in Korean). November 1, 2018.
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