BONG JOON-HO
Bong Joon-ho is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. His films include South Korean hits Memories of Murder (2003), based on a true-life serial murder case, monster movie The Host (2006), and his first English-language film, science fiction adventure Snowpiercer (2013). Though he displays a fascination for strong subject matter, his films are filled with (often black) humor and sudden mood shifts.
In 2000, Bong began shooting his first feature Barking Dogs Never Bite. Although now remembered fondly, at the time of its release in February 2000 it did not stir up much interest among audiences. Response from critics was positive but slightly muted. Nonetheless, the film was invited to the competition section of Spain's prestigious San Sebastian International Film Festival, and it would go on to win awards at Slamdance and Hong Kong.
Bong's second film, Memories of Murder, a much larger-scale project, was adapted from a popular stage play centred on a real-life serial killer who terrorized a rural town in the 1980s. It was released in April 2003and proved an immediate critical and popular success. The Host (2006) marked a step up in scale in Bong's career, and indeed for the Korean film industry as a whole. The big-budget ($12 million) work centred around a fictional monster that rises up out of the Han River to wreak havoc on the people of Seoul. The film received a rapturous premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Although local audiences were slightly more critical of The Host than attendees at Cannes, the film was nonetheless a major summer hit.
Bong's fourth feature film Mother is the story of a doting mother who struggles to save her disabled son from a murder accusation. It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at 2009 Cannes Film Festival to much acclaim. In 2010, Bong served as a jury member for the 27th Sundance Film Festival. He was also the head of the jury for the Caméra d'Or section of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and the 2013 Edinburgh International Film Festival.
2013 saw the release of Bong's first English-language film Snowpiercer, based on the graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jean-Marc Rochette and Jacques Lob. Set on a futuristic train where those on board are separated according to their social status, the action adventure was met with near-universal praise and strong ticket sales, both in South Korea and abroad.
FILMOGRAPHY
Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)
Memories of Murder (2003)
The Host (2006)
Mother (2009)
Snowpiercer (2013)
SOURCE: INTERNET
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