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| ▲ Ted Sarandos (C), co-CEO of streaming giant Netflix, and director Park Chan-wook (R) attend a talk program for film students at a movie theater in Seoul on June 21, 2023. (Yonhap) |
Korean director-Netflix CEO
Director Park Chan-wook advises film students to see classic movies
By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- Director Park Chan-wook, who has garnered international acclaim for his distinct storytelling style and visually stunning films, advised film students Wednesday to watch a wide range of classic films to become a skilled filmmaker.
"When you study films, it's important to watch lots of older films, not just contemporary movies," Park said during an open interview and talk program he had with Ted Sarandos, visiting co-CEO of the streaming giant Netflix.
The show was held at a movie theater in Seoul with about 100 films students attending. It was also streamed live on YouTube for journalists and international movie fans.
Sarandos agreed, saying: "As director Park said, watch the older films because it will inform so much of what you do, and now you have the tools and the access to do that at your one push of a button. This is the best time in the history of storytelling to be telling great stories. So you've got a great advantage in that way."
He arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for his first trip to the country as a Netflix co-CEO. During his three-day stay, he will also hold a press conference and meet ranking South Korean government officials, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
Park has been working as producer and co-writer on "War and Revolt," his first collaboration with the global streaming giant.
Set against the chaos of the Japanese invasions of Korea in the 16th century, the historical film tells the story of two childhood friends who meet again as adversaries during the war, according to Netflix.
"It's a large-scale period film project, and I'm pleasantly working on it, as Netflix has pledged to support it well," Park said, adding he has been given as much freedom from the platform as possible so far.
Sarandos showed his strong affection for Korean films.
"We fell in love with Korean cinema years ago," he said, emphasizing South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's Netflix film "Okja" (2017) was the platform's very first international film.
"From that point, I really felt like I've got a crash course on the current state of Korean cinema storytelling. And the level of artistic achievement from Korea is unparalleled."
When questioned what makes a great film, Sarandos stated he thinks movies "thrilling the audience they were made for" are great movies.
Park answered a good film is one that expands people's narrow-mindedness.
"Everyone has limited experiences. A good film is one that expands those limitations. It can show exotic landscapes or reveal different professional worlds," he said.
He then cited Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron's Netflix movie "Roma" (2018) as a good example of such a movie.
The two also shared their views on the future of the global film industry.
Sarandos said while he still enjoys watching movies in a darkened theater, the options for viewing films have expanded with the increased number of streaming platforms.
Park, however, expressed complex feelings about the trend of movie theaters becoming less popular.
"It's not a bad thing that people can choose to watch movies at home, or on their computers," he said. "But I just wish they wouldn't watch them on their phones. Personally, I find it is the most difficult thing to stand," he added, driving laughter from the audience.
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