Jia Zhangke to take flight

Jia Zhangke, well-known by the Korean audience for his films "The Pickpocket" and award-winning "Still Life", is set to take flight again with two new films.

The director held a press conference at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival on Monday ahead of his master class, presenting his documentary "I Wish I Knew" and feature "Flying Duck" which he would take part in as producer.

The helmer and cast of "Duck", including Baek Seung-hoon, Korean actor Choi Joon-suk, Chinese actress Ni Hong-jien, along with Busan Film Commission Chairman Park Gwang-soo were also present at the event.

"Wish", about the changes Shanghai undergoes in time for the 2010 Expo, is fiction turned into reality, Jia said.

"A book was written in 1910, predicting the process of Shanghai's industrialization and that it would host the World Expo. Now it has come true," explained Jia who added he would complete the story, now half-way done, after interviewing more than 60 residents there.

The Chinese director also presented "Duck", but as a producer of his X Stream Pictures teaming with Busan-native Baek.

"It had been my dream to work with a filmmaker from Busan because of my experience being invited to the PIFF with 'Pickpocket'," Jia said of the opportunity to work with Baek. Jia's debut feature "Pickpocket" had won the New Currents Award at the PIFF in 1998.

Baek only mentioned the rough outline of "Duck", saying it is a comic road movie about the friendship between a Korean and Chinese person. He explained that he wrote the scenario thinking of his friendship with a Chinese student while studying at China's Beijing Film Academy.

"It's a young movie. The director, staff and the actors are all young," Jia said of "Duck". "It will attain another miracle."

Filming will start November with release set for May next year.


Reporter : Wee Geun-woo eight@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr, Jang Kyung-Jin three@10asia.co.kr