Directors Li Yongzhou (top), Han Jiaren (left), Yan Tae-hsiung (second from left), Bae So-chi (second from right), Lee Tei-hoon (right)
The first kiss was taken away but the unusually calm Xiuzhi
"Introduction to Architecture" is the second feature film of South Korean director Lee Yong-joo, which makes him the creator of the highest-grossing romance film in the history of Korean cinema. On August 29, [Movie.com] interviewed director Lee Yong-joo, who came to Beijing for the 2012 Korean Film Festival, and his most urgent desire at present is that the film can be released in China. Director Lee also praised the actor Lee Doe-hoon who cooperated in this film, saying that he is extremely malleable, and through his eyes, he can know that he is a very "ambitious" actor, and will definitely become a pillar of Chungmuro (Note: synonym for Korean films) in the future.
I hope that "Introduction to Architecture" will be released in China and "very Asian" will seek recognition
The reason why "Introduction to Architecture" has won a win-win at the box office and word of mouth in South Korea, and it has been invited by Chinese and Japanese film festivals, director Lee Yong-joo believes that the film's story is "very Asian", and the audience will feel the same way. At present, director Li Yongzhou is still continuing to edit the DVD of "Introduction to Architecture", and there is no specific plan for the next step.
Movie Network: Coming to Beijing so quickly after the Shanghai Film Festival in June has proven that the film is popular with Chinese audiences. What is the reason why the director thinks the film has been so well received?
Li Yongzhou: In fact, when I made my previous work "Don't Believe in Hell", I didn't think about anything. Almost all the invitations after the shooting were from the European side, and the Asian film festivals did not go once. Later, when I was filming "Introduction to Architecture", I thought that if such a story continued to be expressed in the way of European and American films, everyone might not like it. Because the complex in the story is the feeling of "very Asian" and "very Korean", I feel that chinese and Japanese audiences can understand more, thank you very much for the invitation of the Chinese film festival, and then go to Japan again. I think the reason for the popularity should be this sense of identity, this "very Asian" complex. Just like when we watch Chinese movies and Japanese movies, the most important thing is "empathy".
Li Yongzhou, director of "Introduction to Architecture", was exclusively interviewed by [Movie Network].
Movie Network: Do you have any expectations for the screening of "Introduction to Architecture" in Beijing this time?
Li Yongzhou: I hope that "Introduction to Architecture" will be released in China as soon as possible, and I heard that it is also actively promoting. I would also like to know what Chinese audiences have to say about Introduction to Architecture. If such an exhibition event can be loved by the audience, it should also promote the release in China.
Movie Network: "Introduction to Architecture" is the highest-grossing romance film in South Korea at present, do you plan to continue to shoot such a love story in the future?
Li Yongzhou: The next step of the plan has not yet been determined. Although "Introduction to Architecture" has been released at present, it is still in progress by participating in film festivals and other means, and it is not over for me. I wish I could have spent a little more time tidying up. I'm still editing the Introduction to Architecture DVD, so at least I'll have to wait until this is done before I have time to think about the next step. There are no plans for the future.
Movie Network: A lot of people think that a lot of the plot of this movie is very touching. What does the director think is the most touching place?
Li Yongzhou: In fact, every scene is like my child. From Han Jiaren telling his father in the hospital that he and Yan Tae-hung are just friends, to Yan Tae-hung struggling with whether to leave his mother to go abroad and crying bitterly, to Xiuzhi waiting for Lee Di-hoon in an empty house in the first snow ten years ago, these are the most emotional scenes in the film, and the key scenes where the long-suppressed feelings suddenly erupt. When shooting, I also made a lot of effort to shoot well. Recently, when I come home from work in the evening, I still watch these scenes again and again.
Li Dixun is very malleable and will become the pillar of Chungmuro Road
The director commented that the male lead actor Li Dixun is very malleable
In the film, the love affair between Li Dixun and Pei Xiuzhi is quite moving
The male protagonist of "Introduction to Architecture", Lee Di-hoon, has emerged in Chungmuro in recent years through films such as "Highland Warfare", and director Li Yongzhou also praised Lee Di-hoon for his strong plasticity and "ambition", hoping to have the opportunity to cooperate with him again. Li Yongzhou, who majored in architecture, this film that combines architecture and love is not only a novel curiosity but also a great success, but the director said that he does not plan to continue to make architecture-related films in the future.
Movie Network: Next time if you have the opportunity to work with Li Dixun, what role do you hope to create for him? Please briefly evaluate Li Dixun.
Li Yongzhou: First of all, I can't say that I want to create a special role for Li Dixun. After watching Li Dixun's previous works, you will know that in the works of "Friendship Relationship", "Watchman", "Highland War", Li Dixun is a very malleable actor, of course, the acting skills are very good, more importantly, he is a very "ambitious" actor, you can see it by looking at the eyes. No matter what type of movie it is, it should be done well. There are also many people in South Korea who comment that he will become a pillar of Chungmuro in the future.
Movie Network: So in addition to Li Dixun, what kind of actors do you work with?
Li Yongzhou: Li Dixun is about to join the army. Just now we chatted and said that this walk is at least two or three years, and we can cooperate again after we are discharged from the army. Personally, I really want to work with him, but after I am discharged from the army, it may not be my turn, right? In the eyes of many directors now, he is a very popular actor. In Korea, I also have a lot of actors who want to work with, and there are many actors with good acting skills. But for me, I still think about actors who can have convenient time, have time to concentrate on making good movies, and now the actors are always too busy...
Movie Network: The director is from an architecture major, so there is such a love movie about architecture. Ever wanted to make some more horror, comedy or realism about architecture?
Li Yongzhou: Not at all. In fact, "Don't Believe in Hell" is also related to architecture, and the expression of that space, although it does not deliberately lean on the aspect of architecture, is indeed influenced by the profession, and many people at that time regarded it as an architecture-related film. Although "Introduction to Architecture" has "Architecture" on the title, I really wanted to make a film purely about "Architecture". But in the end, it is a story of missed first love. For me, architecture was my first love. The script of "Introduction to Architecture" was originally written before "Inferno't Believe in Hell", which is equivalent to the debut work. At that time, I also gave up architecture for film, but I still wanted to show my long-term feelings for architecture through stories. I still have a fascination and love for architecture, but after all, I am a filmmaker now, and it has been ten years.
Hope to come to China to shoot a drama The first time I came to Beijing is not strange
Childish, 18-year-old actress Pei Xiuzhi
Li Yongzhou gave Han Jiaren a large number of side shots, elegant and charming
Director Li Yongzhou was interviewed by [Movie Network], biting the straw and drinking coffee
As a newcomer director with only two film works, Li Yongzhou is modest and cautious, although he wants to come to China to make a movie, but he thinks he has no choice, but just waits for the opportunity with enthusiasm and dreams. Speaking of coming to Beijing for the first time, Li Yongzhou seemed excited, admitting that he did not feel strange, but felt full of humanity.
Movie Network: Now that many Korean directors have come to China to shoot movies, does Director Li also have plans to come to China to shoot movies?
Li Yongzhou: Of course, there are only a lot more. Director Xu Qinhao also just filmed "Dangerous Relationship" in China, and when I met him, I listened to him talk a lot about filming in China. As long as someone asks me to come, I am very willing.
Movie Network: But in China, the language is also different, and the film shooting habits are also very different, have you been fully prepared?
Li Yongzhou: You have to study hard. I felt that I had to learn to adapt to the environment here. First of all, the most important thing is to understand Chinese society, and you must have feelings for it in order to make a movie. If you just borrow a place to make a movie, it doesn't make any sense. This year is also the first time to come to China, tasted authentic Chinese food, turned through a few streets and alleys, but also had exchanges with local Chinese people, it is a start, maybe there will be a chance in the future, I am looking forward to it. However, now that I am still a new director, I don't really have any choice, and I don't know any filmmakers in China, so I don't know how to take the first step, so I have to open my arms and wait for the opportunity.
Movie Network: So how did you feel when you came to Beijing this time?
Li Yongzhou: This is the first time I came to Beijing, on the road I felt a sense of history, it didn't feel like it was the first time, I didn't feel particularly strange, I felt very humane. I really want to go and see Tiananmen Square and see how big it really is. I also want to see the film and television shooting base. When I was in Shanghai before, I also spent a day to go to the studio to restore the style of the old Shanghai in that way. South Korea does not have such a large-scale film and television base like a city, and it is really envious to shoot in the folk village.
Movie Network: Do you often watch Chinese movies in South Korea?
Li Yongzhou: Of course, I see a lot. When I was in middle school, I mostly watched Hong Kong movies, but after I went to college, I watched a lot of movies from Chinese mainland and Taiwan, and although I did feel the difference in style, I didn't distinguish too much, and I treated them as Chinese films. Zhang Yimou and Ang Lee's movies, I like them.
Movie Network: Are there any Chinese actors you like?
Lee Yong-joo: The dream of many Korean directors is Tang Wei. In the past, when she was filming "Late Autumn" in South Korea, I was good friends with director Kim Tae-yong, so I went to the set to see and greeted her. However, Tang Wei is such a high-level good actor, it should be difficult for me to cooperate. Of course, in addition to Tang Wei, there should be many good actresses in China, but there are very few who can be introduced to South Korea, and there are not too many Chinese movies released in South Korea. I've always been curious.
Movie Network: Several of the high-grossing films in South Korea this year, the genre is very diverse, but there are almost no films that come to China, what do you think is the reason? In what ways do Korean films need to improve in order to go abroad more?
Li Yongzhou: This should be decided by the Chinese film market. From a commercial point of view, perhaps these Korean films are not very suitable for the Chinese film market. In South Korea, "League of Thieves" has now exceeded tens of millions of viewers. That movie was really big in production. At present, the capital investment of many Korean films is getting larger and larger, and many blockbusters have obtained high box office. On the other hand, some simple love stories or very small life stories are becoming more and more difficult to make. Personally, I actually feel that these small and beautiful stories can resonate more in the Asian circle than Hollywood blockbusters. Although it is not satisfactory from the market now, there are many directors in South Korea who are also very sorry for this.