South Korean Filmmaker Kim Ki Duk Takes On Big-Budget Filmmaking After Signing A 30 Million-Dollar Deal With A Chinese Production Company

South Korean maverick filmmaker Kim Ki Duk is best-known for his low-budget films, which has brought him international recognitions, The Associated Press noted Oct. 5. Kim has proven that filmmaking is not about the money when he produced an inter-Korean story entitled "Poongsan."

Korea Times noted on August 14, 2011 that the 200 million-won ($17,000) project was filmed in just 30 days. Juhn Jai Hong was asked by Kim to direct the film, and without hesitation, the former grabbed the opportunity despite few setbacks.

"I wanted to show that it is possible to make a film with passion rather than money," Juhn says. "When Kim Ki Duk gave me the scenario, Kim Ki Duk Film had nothing. It had no budget; it didn't even have an office."

He adds, "But when he asked me to direct, I said of course. I was worried whether the two actors would agree to take part in such a project, but they gladly said yes."

Meanwhile, the South Korean director is ready to take on big-budget filmmaking as he signed a deal with a Chinese production company to produce a war film that revolves around Buddhism.

"I received an investment of about $30 million from China and am preparing the film," says Kim, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter Oct. 5. "It's about three times the total budget of the 20 films, combined, that I shot in Korea."

The film, "Who is God (working title)," is described as an epic war film that will feature how politics influences religion.

"This movie is not just targeting the Chinese market. The subject will interest the US and Europe as well. I want to talk about how politics manipulates religion," he says.

Kim, who has been working on the script of the film for about a decade, reveals that he is willing to change the content of "Who is God" for the Chinese audience.

"There are many Hollywood movies about the Crusade and other religious conflicts, and I imagined something similar may have occurred in Asia as well as Buddhism crossed Indian borders," Kim says.

Kim Ki Duk Film producer Kim Soon Mo also reveals that the Chinese authorities are still evaluating the film's script.

"It's possible that the script may be altered as we heard is common in China. Censorship issues are something we need to work with," the producer says.