On the Emerging Korean Cinema: An Interview with Tony Borg

Judge Joel Pearce

September 5th, 2005

Asian cinema is hot right now, but that no longer means only films from Hong Kong and Japan. South Korea may be the new kid on the block, but its film industry has been releasing numerous gems every year. Few people know this better than Tony Borg, President of Tartan Films USA. Even though it's only been a year since the American branch of the company opened its doors, the Tartan Asia Extreme line has already released an impressive array of Korean hits. In conjunction with their release of Oldboy this fall, Judge Joel Pearce had a chance to discuss the newfound popularity of Korean films in an email interview with Mr. Borg.

DVD Verdict: Tartan Video USA has quickly become a heavy-hitter in the foreign release industry in North America. What are your criteria when choosing what films you will pick up for release?

Tony Borg: Tartan USA has the luxury of coming from a parent company like Tartan UK, who has a great pedigree and relationships in Asia and Europe. It's allowed us to build our library not only with good horror films or the occasional award-winner, but with a collection of the very best films coming out today. While we're still growing as a company here in the US, and growing awareness about Asian and World cinema, it's paramount to make sure we continue offering films of the caliber of Oldboy, A Tale of Two Sisters, and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. They're not just great Asian films, they're great films period.

Verdict: Is the competition for film rights getting tougher with the popularity of Asian films and DVD in general?

Borg: Absolutely. When our owner, Hamish McAlpine, looked into the North American rights for some Asian films last year, he was amazed to find so many of them unclaimed. Now, there are a lot of players in the market, either looking for the next breakout Asian hit or the next remake.

Verdict: For those who haven't been following the Korean new wave, what's so exciting about the recent Korean film industry?

Borg: It's funny. We'll read a lot of reviews of our Korean films and see people categorize them under J-horror. Not only is it a misnomer because of the cultural difference, but it would be very unfair to Korea's current cinema scene to say it's all about horror. Park Chanwook and Kim Ki-Duk have raised the bar internationally for Korean directors and opened a lot of people's eyes to the visually-stunning work coming out of Korea now. Like Japanese films, there's a mixing of the spiritual culture, the folklore, and the blunt reality of Korean life in the shadow of the Korean conflict that has fueled a lot of filmmakers to create unique visions. You can't watch a film like A Tale of Two Sisters and not think you're watching a very distinct vision of what could have been a very pedestrian horror film in another director's hands.

Verdict: Why do you think this sudden growth in interest in the Korean film industry is happening now?

Borg: From Hollywood's standpoint, Asian films are hot right now. Between the remakes and the successful DVD releases of the originals, Asian cinema is still only beginning to see its potential growth here in the US. I think Korea is the Asian country with the best body of work at the moment so its only natural that interest in those films is high.

Verdict: Why do these Korean films have so much potential in North America?

Borg: There's a lot of theories out there about why people aren't going to the movies anymore. I'm sure it's a multitude of reasons but one of which has to be that the caliber of movies Hollywood is churning out is not up to people's standards anymore. You can only spend ten dollars and be disappointed so many times before you give up. That opens up the door for International cinema, much of which is deeper and more textured than Hollywood fare. If you're a horror fan, but tired of the same old slasher movie, you can find a unique Korean horror film like H or Acacia that won't fit with standard conventions. If you love Tarantino films but don't want to wait for the next one, Oldboy or Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance will be a welcome sight. People are beginning to realize that Hollywood isn't the only place in the world where a good action, horror, or drama film can be made.

Verdict: While recent Korean films obviously have borrowed freely from Hollywood ideals and trends, Hollywood is now being impacted by the Korean film market as well. Why are there so many Korean remakes in the works?

Borg: Ultimately, its about money. Remakes of great Korean films are easy answers for producers desperate to minimize their risk. If you know a film was a hit before, odds are it can be a hit again. If that stops being the case soon, you can bet Hollywood will move on to the next trend.

Verdict: Although great things are coming out of the Korean market, they are still often overshadowed by films from Japan and Hong Kong? Do you think this is beginning to change?

Borg: Absolutely. The Cannes Film Festival recently invited two Korean films, Oldboy had a big impact theatrically and on DVD, Park Chanwook's latest film, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, is breaking box office records in Korea and people are eager to see it here. Japan may still have the advantage as the "first-mover" here but people are only identifying Japan with horror at the moment, while Korea's output is more diverse. I think when more Korean films are remade, like Oldboy, A Tale of Two Sisters, and Phone, it will do even more for Korea's reputation.

Verdict: Oldboy is one of the biggest Tartan Video releases this season. Where does this hit film fit into this recent rush of Korean films? What makes it so special?

Borg: It's certainly our biggest title and it shows in the reaction we've been getting from press and consumers. Oldboy is just one of those films that if one person sees it, they have to go out and tell ten people, who then go out and tell ten more people. Even if you don't love it, it's a water-cooler movie that people want to talk about, whether it's the octopus scene, the creative dentistry techniques or the ending of the film. When it's all said and done, people will look back on Oldboy as being one of the most important Korean films ever made, from a world cinema standpoint.

Verdict: What favorites do you recommend for people who have missed out so far on the Korean new wave?

Borg: I usually tell people who aren't familiar with our films, check out Oldboy and the horror film A Tale of Two Sisters. They act as a good starting point for Korean cinema and quite simply are two of the best films anywhere from the last few years. If you're a fan of film, I'd be shocked if you weren't impressed by both.

Verdict: What Korean titles should we be watching for under the Tartan Asia Extreme label over the next few months? Are you able to give us any hints?

Borg: Theatrically, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is currently in theaters, we'll be releasing the horror film R-Point in January and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance will make its eagerly-anticipated debut in early 2006. On video, we're releasing Unborn But Forgotten and Spider Forest just in time for Halloween, and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance will be out in November.