NEW DELHI: Internationally acclaimed Korean film director and writer Im Kwon Taek was conferred the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ award at the inauguration of the International Film Festival of India at Panaji in Goa yesterday evening.
Regarded as the father of Korean cinema for his long and prolific career and his work on Korean themes and subjects, Im Kwon Taek has been honoured with several national and international awards.
In a brief acceptance speech after receiving the award from the Goa governor Mridula Sinha and information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu, Taek said he made some immature films at the start of his career. Now in his eighties, Taek who has made over 100 films said that he had felt embarrassed at the time, and then decided to make films based on Korea and its ancient culture.
Earlier, at a press meet, he said he personally felt that he had not created a masterpiece yet and this award is a message to make better films in the future.
His career spans more than five decades and he has made more than 100 films. In 2010, he directed his 101th feature, ‘Hanji’ and his 102th feature, ‘Revivre’ in 2014, which was presented in non-competition section of Venice Film Festival. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award at Asian Film Awards in 2015.
Talking about the Indian cinema, Im Kwon Taek said that he is fond of the work of Shah Rukh Khan and liked 3 Idiots and Slumdog Millionaire. To a question on influence of India on Korean films, he said that he too has made a film on Buddha and reincarnation. It would be a great opportunity to co-produce films with India, he added.
The director said he visited India 20 years ago to attend a festival in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). At that time, he felt like returning home due to cultural difference, but once back home he missed the distinct culture of India.
Born in 1934 in Jangseong, Jeollanamdo, Im Kwon Taek made about 50 films within a decade, when he studied a variety of film genres including melodrama, musical, action cinema, thriller and comedy from Hollywood and Hong Kong cinema. He was recognized as the leading director of Korean cinema in 1980s.
In 2000, he directed Chunhyang, the first Korean film in the competition of Cannes Film Festival and Chihwaseon (2002) that won the Best Director Award in Cannes.
