"The Taste of Money" savours film's sales to 15 int'l distributors

Poster of "The Taste of Money" [Cine De Epi]

"The Taste of Money," the second feature of director Im Sang-soo to go to the Cannes Film Festival, has been sold to 15 overseas distributors.

Cine De Epi, the pic's promoter, announced through a press statement Wednesday that 15 foreign distributors have acquired the distribution rights to "The Taste of Money" at the film market during the 65th annual Film Festival held in Cannes, France from May 16 to 27.

Some of the companies on the list are from the United States, England, France, Japan and Singapore, the officials said.

"The Taste of Money" is perceived as one of the most provocative film of the year in Korea. It triggered controversy and hype with its portrayal of the lives of the privileged in Korea with sex and money.

"No one can make movies like director Im Sang-soo does," said Jonathan Sehring, the president of Sundance Selects/IFC Films--the US-based company that has distributed Jeon Do-youn's award-winning film "Secret Sunshine" (2007) and Ha Jung-woo's "The Chaser" (2008).

"'Taste of Money' is perhaps the most decadent and sensational film that presents a smart commentary on wealthy and famous people," Sehring continued, saying that he is honored to continue the partnership with Im after his feature movie "The Housemaid."

Nationally, the film opened on May 17 and has grossed over 7.9 million Korean won (around 67.3 million U.S. dollars), occupying 33 percent of the domestic box office sales as of May 29, according to the Korea Box Office Information System (KOBIS).

Despite such commercial gains here, and its prospects not looking bad abroad, director Im's ambitious project to portray the dark side of the polarized class structure in modern Korean society has failed to appeal to the judges at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

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