Director Park Chan Wook’s Remake Of Critically Acclaimed 2000 Korean Film ‘Joint Security Area’ Premiers At An Art Center
A remake of South Korean film director Park Chan Wook's "Joint Security Area" was released last weekend at the art center operated by the film's producer, Myung Film, in Paju Gyeonggi Province, reported The Chosun Ilbo on Monday.
The film, which first came out in 2000, was converted to a digital format to enhance the quality of sound and picture. It is set to be screened every weekend at the art center and in additional venues soon.
"Joint Security Area" is a mystery thriller film that revolves around the story of the two North Korean soldiers who were fatally shot at the heavily protected border separating North and South Korea known as the demilitarized zone.
Park's film immediately became a box office hit and was considered the highest grossing movie in Korean film history during the time of its release. For the first week of its screening, almost 500,000 moviegoers in Seoul alone went to see the movie and at the second week, the film reached one million admissions.
By the end of the 20 weeks that "Joint Security Area" has been screening in cinemas, the film has reached a total of 2,499,400 admissions in Seoul, with an approximate nationwide admissions of 5.8 million. In 2001, the film even became one of the top grossing foreign films in Japan with a gross income of ¥1,160,000,000.
"Joint Security Area" was awarded Best Film at the 2000 Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 2001 Brand Bell Awards.
Park Chan Wook is among the top filmmakers in South Korea, with other renowned films, including "Thirst" and "The Vengeance Trilogy" comprised of "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" in 2002, "Oldboy" in 2003 and "Sympathy for ady Vengance" in 2005.
On Monday, The Guardian noted in their article that Park is starting yet another masterpiece on his own adaptation of the lesbian romance thriller "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters.
The story tells of a woman named Sue who grew up as an orphan and was taught to be a con artist. She fell in love with Maud, whom she was supposed to scam. Park's version of the story will be set in South Korea during the Japanese regime in 1930s, instead of the original setting in Victorian England.
