Juhn Jai-hong (; born 1977) is a South Korean film director. He directed ''
Beautiful'' (2008) and ''
Poongsan
''Poongsan'' () is a 2011 South Korean action thriller film directed by Juhn Jai-hong, starring Yoon Kye-sang and Kim Gyu-ri (actress born August 1979), Kim Gyu-ri.
Poongsan, whose real name is never revealed, is a mysterious messenger who crosses ...
'' (2011).
Career
Early life
Juhn Jai-hong was born in
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, and began receiving vocal lessons in the third grade. He moved to the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
at the age of 15 and after graduating from the prestigious
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, often referred to simply as LaGuardia or "LaG", is a public High school (North America), high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts, near Lincoln ...
, he continued studying the art of singing in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
,
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. Juhn said, "I pursued the path of an
opera singer
Opera is a form of Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a lib ...
for more than 20 years. I had completed my studies, but felt that classical music limited my expression. I also studied drawing as well, and I felt that cinema was the perfect way to express all these things together." He then studied business management at
Webster University Vienna, because he thought it was related to directing, "A director must lead the entire project and all of his cast and crew — it's all about management."
After making the decision to pursue filmmaking, he moved back to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, paid for a
hand-held camera and started shooting
short film
A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
s. He said being in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
was a great advantage because there were so many venues to shoot and getting
permits was relatively easy. From 2004 to 2007, Juhn shot a total of 14
short film
A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
s, among which ''Color'' competed at the 2005 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. He said, "I had no fear. I had no knowledge about movies, which was what actually enabled me to do it."
Kim Ki-duk protégé
Juhn wanted to direct an array of movie genres and styles, like his favorite directors
Ang Lee
Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and List o ...
and
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Jean-Pierre Jeunet (; born 3 September 1953) is a French film director and screenwriter. His films combine fantasy, realism, and science fiction to create idealized realities or to give relevance to mundane situations.
Jeunet debuted as a direc ...
. And after being "completely enraptured" by ''
3-Iron
''3-Iron'' () is a 2004 romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Kim Ki-duk. An international co-production between South Korea and Japan, the film stars Jae Hee as a young drifter who develops a relationship with an abused house ...
'', Juhn called South Korean director
Kim Ki-duk
Kim Ki-duk ( ; 20 December 196011 December 2020) was a South Korean film director and screenwriter, noted for his Idiosyncrasy, idiosyncratic Art film, art-house cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit ...
his "idol," saying, "He changed my life." He met Kim by chance at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
, and told him how he wanted to learn filmmaking from Kim, that it would be better than attending a film school. Kim agreed, so Juhn went back to New York, packed his belongings in eight hours and
headed to Seoul. It was his first time in his native country in 14 years.
As Kim Ki-duk's protégé (along with
Jang Hoon and
Jang Cheol-soo), Juhn honed his directorial skills as an
assistant director
The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
on Kim's films ''
Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' (2006) and ''
Breath
Breathing (spiration or ventilation) is the neuroscience of rhythm, rhythmical process of moving air into (inhalation) and out of (exhalation) the lungs to facilitate gas exchange with the Milieu intérieur, internal environment, mostly to flu ...
'' (2007). He was also a crew member on ''
Rough Cut
In filmmaking, the rough cut (also known as the first cut or editor's cut) is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still ...
'' (2008) and helped with the online marketing of ''
Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensation (psychology), sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around ...
'' (2008). In between, Juhn worked on his short film ''Fish'' (), which was later invited to compete in the short film section of the
64th Venice International Film Festival
The 64th annual Venice Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, was held from 29 August to 8 September 2007, at Venice Lido in Italy.
Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou was the jury president for the main competition. Italian actress Ambra ...
.
''Beautiful''
During the post-production for ''Fish'', Kim handed him a synopsis and gave him two months to write the script.
Based on Kim Ki-duk's original story, Juhn wrote, directed, and
edited his feature film debut ''
Beautiful''. Calling it "a dark fairytale for adults that is deeply rooted in reality," Juhn made a film about a woman who becomes the object of men's obsessions and abuse due to her beauty. Played by
Cha Soo-yeon, she attempts to uglify herself, from
binge eating
Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. It is a common symptom of eating disorders such as binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an exc ...
to
starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, de ...
. Along the way, a police officer (
Lee Chun-hee
Lee Chun-hee (born February 19, 1979) is a South Korean actor.
Career
Lee Chun-hee made his acting debut in the movie ''A Good Lawyer's Wife'' in 2003 and has since starred in several big screen roles such as ''The Aggressives (2005 South Kore ...
) constantly watches her, but his sympathy also turns into lustful desire.
''Beautiful'' premiered at the Panorama section of the
58th Berlin International Film Festival, and won the Grand Prix at the 2008 Fukuoka Asian Film Festival. Kim, who produced the film, said "it was good." ''Beautiful'' displayed artistic sensibilities and thematic trappings that are automatically identified with Kim, such as explicit expressions of fascination and loathing with the human body, and an examination of ethics and morality through violence. Local critics gave Juhn the nickname "Little Kim Ki-duk" or "Kim Ki-duk Two," but he said the comparisons to his mentor didn't bother him, since he was "still young and have much to learn."
''Poongsan''
Juhn said when he came back from
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, "''Beautiful'' opened on three screens and disappeared after two weeks. I felt like a loser." Despite his debut film having been invited to international film festivals, Juhn struggled without new projects in Korea.
In 2011, Kim handed him another story idea, because Juhn said Kim "wanted a young director to bring a fresh perspective to inter-Korean issues." ''
Poongsan
''Poongsan'' () is a 2011 South Korean action thriller film directed by Juhn Jai-hong, starring Yoon Kye-sang and Kim Gyu-ri (actress born August 1979), Kim Gyu-ri.
Poongsan, whose real name is never revealed, is a mysterious messenger who crosses ...
'' follows a mysterious messenger (played
Yoon Kye-sang
Yoon Kye-sang (; born December 20, 1978) is a South Korean actor and singer. He began his career in 1999 as part of the K-pop boy band g.o.d (South Korean band), g.o.d, then left the group in 2004 and pursued an acting career. He made his acting ...
) who delivers letters and cherished memorabilia to separated families in
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and South Korea. Things take an unexpected turn when the taciturn young man is commissioned with the task of transporting the beautiful lover (
Kim Gyu-ri) of a high-ranking Northern official who escaped to the South.
Unlike the perception that he was an
arthouse
An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...
filmmaker, with ''Poongsan'', Juhn hoped to make a film that was first and foremost popcorn entertainment — something young, fun, and edgy. He said, "The film is essentially about
reunification, something that any Korean would want. But as much as it's a somber subject, I wanted to keep the film itself touching yet entertaining, something that anyone can enjoy." He hired Tim Starnes as music director, and Juhn's own voice was featured in
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
's ''
Die Lotosblume''. Juhn fought to cast Yoon, a former
pop idol
''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...
, in the lead role, saying he liked Yoon's "piercing gaze" in the film ''
The Moonlight of Seoul'' and felt they were both "trying to challenge stereotypes."
The action film was shot in 25
take
A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.
Film
In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each ...
s in just 30 days, including wire action sequences, water stunts, and
CGI — all on the low budget of (). The entire cast and crew took part in the project with no
guarantee
A guarantee is a form of transaction in which one person, to obtain some trust, confidence or credit for another, agrees to be answerable for them. It may also designate a treaty through which claims, rights or possessions are secured. It is to ...
. Though used to shooting fast and economically, Juhn admitted filming ''Poongsan'' had been difficult, "like trying to climb
K2 without
oxygen
Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...
," but that he had "wanted to show that it is possible to make a film with passion rather than money." Critics and film industry professionals were later impressed with the production values.
Again produced by Kim, Juhn's sophomore film received critical acclaim and mostly positive audience feedback. Despite competition from Hollywood film ''
Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' (which occupied 70% of Korean movie theaters), ''Poongsan'' was successful at the box office. It came in third on its opening weekend, drawing over 280,000 viewers,
and earned in total.
Juhn also made a
cameo in Moon Si-hyun's feature directorial debut ''Sins of Fathers'' (2011). Moon was another of Kim Ki-duk's protégés, and she and Juhn had known each other since they were studying filmmaking in New York.
According to Juhn, "Kim Ki-duk always says that I must transcend him. It's an extremely burdensome task, but what can I do? All I can do is just to strive forward."
''Gifted''
In December 2012, Juhn confirmed that he would direct a
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
of 2010 French action-thriller ''
Point Blank'' starring
Ryu Seung-ryong. But Juhn later had creative differences with production company Yong Film regarding ''
The Target'', and in September 2013, a press release from distributor
CJ E&M
CJ ENM Entertainment Division (), formerly known as CJ E&M, is a South Korean entertainment and mass media division (formerly company) of CJ ENM. In July 2018, the company merged with the parent company's subsidiary CJ O Shopping, with the latte ...
stated that he had been replaced by ''
Death Bell'' director
Chang.
Four years after ''Poongsan'', Juhn returned with his third feature film, which he wrote, directed,
shot and
scored. In ''Gifted'', Kim Beom-joon played a jobless man who develops an appetite for
serial killing.
His next project will be a
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
based on the
webtoon
Webtoons () are a type of episodic digital comics that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones
A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allo ...
'.
Filmography
* ''Color'' (
short film
A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
, 2005)
* ''Fish'' (
short film
A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
, 2007)
* ''
Beautiful'' (2008)
* ''
Poongsan
''Poongsan'' () is a 2011 South Korean action thriller film directed by Juhn Jai-hong, starring Yoon Kye-sang and Kim Gyu-ri (actress born August 1979), Kim Gyu-ri.
Poongsan, whose real name is never revealed, is a mysterious messenger who crosses ...
'' (2011)
* ''Gifted'' (2014)
* ''One Step (2017)
* ''The Cursed Lesson'' (2020)
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juhn, Jai-hong
South Korean film producers
South Korean film editors
South Korean film directors
South Korean screenwriters
Living people
1977 births