GERMANY/SOUTH KOREA: SOUTH KOREAN MOVIE "JSA" ON THE WORLD'S LAST COLD WAR FRONTIER INVITED AT THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Record ID: 842712

  • Title: GERMANY/SOUTH KOREA: SOUTH KOREAN MOVIE "JSA" ON THE WORLD'S LAST COLD WAR FRONTIER INVITED AT THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
  • Date: 12th February 2001
  • Summary: (REUTERS) (FEBRUARY 13, 2001) BAHNHOF FRIEDRICHSTRASSE, FORMER EAST WEST TRANSIT POINT CU/GV WATCHTOWER ALONG BERLIN WALL GV BERLIN WALL VARIOUS NIGHTSHOTS OF DIRECTOR AND CAST ARRIVE FOR "JSA" PREMIERE AT BERLINALE PALAST
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY / BORDER BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA
  • City:
  • Country: Korea, Republic of Germany
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVAAZ6BOEMHXCXBNKUD18ZYEVA9R
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: "JSA" - a remarkable South Korean movie focusing on life along the world's last Cold War frontier is breaking box office records in Seoul. The extraordinary real-life 'Joint Security Area' at Panmunjom is practically the last vestige of the old Cold War - an Asian Check-Point Charlie where North and South Korean sentries try to face one another down across their border - a white line on the ground - which even shadows mustn't cross. But all divisions can be crossed with friendship.
    The International Film Festival in Berlin invited director Park Chan¬Wook and his cast to tell the story of "JSA" to Germany, a country that continues to deal with the errors of war, a divided past and a reunification that has not been free of trouble.
    "Joint Security Area" or "JSA" - looks well on its way to becoming South Korea`s top-grossing movie of all time.
    In just 47 days, 4.7 million movie-goers have flocked to see the home-grown movie which focuses on a familiar theme - the division between North and South Korea.
    But while the theme may be familiar, JSA is a movie with a difference - for the first time it portrays friendship between opposing troops along the world's last Cold War frontier - albeit an ill-fated friendship - in the truce village of Panmunjom.
    The timing of the film couldn't have been better, coming on the heels of the historic June summit between North and South Korea which has radically improved relations between the two nations, raising hopes that the 50 year division of the Korean peninsula may finally come to an end.
    Not only popular in Asia, "JSA" has been invited to screen at the International Berlin Film Festival, where German audiences get the chance to take a look at a story that is not too far off from their country`s historical past.
    Director Park Chan-wook says "First of all, I think a movie like this should have been made before. Because of problems like freedom of expression and commercial viability it has not been made until now. The division between North and South Korea is such an important issue in our country, it should have been talked about earlier. Perhaps it`s a little too late. I wanted to make this movie to remind young moviegoers to remember."
    In the film, two North Korean soldiers are killed and one South Korean sentry is wounded in a fire-fight. A Swiss General and Swiss-Korean Major are assigned to investigate the incident.
    The investigation reveals an illicit friendship between four young soldiers - two from the North and two from the South that flourishes despite the tensions after North Korean soldier 'Oh' (correct) saves the life of his South Korean counterpart 'Lee' by warning him about a landmine.
    The friendship is sealed when the two exchange alcohol and cigarettes.
    In reality, any form of social contact between the two sides is strictly forbidden.
    In the movie South's Lee and North's Oh start exchanging letters and finally Lee pays a secret visit to the to the North Korean check point - where he is welcomed like a brother.
    From then on, North Koreans Oh and Jung, and South Koreans Lee and Nam meet up each night - until tragedy strikes when another North Korean officer puts an end to the meetings.
    South Korean actor Song Gang Ho who plays the North Korean soldier in the film says, initially the role scared him: "As an actor I was very scared to play the role at first and I was ashamed to admit that. I the beginning after I had already said yes to the role I thought oh no I can`t do it because this character was so new. I had never experienced this kind of life before and so I was scared but then I looked forward to playing the role and accepted it."
    After "JSA"`s screening in Berlin, the cast threw a big party at in an appropriate German location. The Traenenpalast used to serve as meeting point between East and West Germans and as such was significant for Park Chan-wook.
    "What seems more like destiny than the screening itself is that we had the party at a place (Traenenpalast) where people from east and West Germany, before the country was reunited used to meet and that I think is quite significant."
    Berlinale director Moritz de Hadeln said he partly chose to invite the movie to be screened at this year`s festival because it treats a timely subject matter.
    "Politically, it`s also an extremely interesting film. I guess that 2 years ago such a film would never have been made, or allowed to be made. I think it`s very typical of the present dialogue between North and South Korea. Those who have seen the film were probably surprised that the North Korean soldiers were shown as respectfully as the South Korean soldiers. It`s a bid for Berlin also because we have lived through this, not this kind of situation of course but this was a divided town. It has some very good actors in it, the whole story might be invented but it sounds like true."
    JSA was two years in production at a cost of 2.8 million U.S. dollars, the bulk of which was used to make a set representing the DMZ.
    ---ENDS---
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