KOCHI: Author MK Chandrasekharan has written 39 books in Malayalam. His biographical fiction on Changampuzha Krishnapillai (Gandharva Spandam) and Mother Teresa (The Mother) are widely read, so are his various short story collections and film reviews. He has also written a well-received book on the legendary Bengali film-maker, Satyajit Ray. It is a surprise then that his latest book is on Kim Ki-duk, a South Korean filmmaker noted for his art-house cinema. The book is titled ‘Loka Cinema, Korean Samvidhayakan Kim Ki Dukinte Sambhavanakal’.
Chandrasekharan says he saw one of the first films of Kim at the Ernakulam Public Library. Thereafter, with the help of a friend Ajay Kumar, he got access to his other movies which he liked very much. “There is quite a following for South Korean films in Kerala,” says Chandrasekharan. “In fact, many Mollywood directors are remaking them.” In the book, Chandrasekharan has done an in-depth review of 10 Kim Ki Duk films. These include ‘Bad guy’, ‘The coast guard’, ‘The isle’, ‘3-Iron’, ‘Samaritan girl’, ‘The bow’, ‘Breath’ and ‘Beautiful’.
Regarding the film, ‘The net’, Chadrasekharan says, “It is about a fisherman named Namchul Woo who lives on the border of North and South Korea. The film reflects a fearful state that common man lives through. Namchul is not just a Korean fisherman but represents many of his kind across the globe.” Kim’s most noted film, ‘Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. and Spring’ (2003) has been included in the late legendary film critic ‘Roger Ebert’s Great Movies’. In a 2016 international critics’ poll conducted by BBC, the film was listed as 100 greatest films since 2000.
The movie is a coming-of-age story of a Buddhist monk which traces his life from childhood to old age. The film became controversial because Kim showed cruelties inflicted by a boy on an animal. The scene was excised when it was shown in some countries. But Kim defended the movie, “The way I see it, animals are part of the cycle of consumption. I don’t see why I should not depict it.” Chandrasekharan has also written a biographical sketch on the director. For Korean film enthusiasts, this book is a must-read.