[Interview] Darden Brothers "Cinema Has Survived for 100 Years" [24th JIFF]

Jeonju Film Festival Opening Film 'Tori and Lokita'
Master Directors Jean-Pierre and Luc's First Visit to Korea
"We Like Directors Lee Chang-dong and Bong Joon-ho"

Luc (left) Jean-Pierre Dardenne [Photo by Jeonju International Film Festival]

Belgian auteur masters Jean-Pierre (71) and Luc Dardenne (68) have visited Korea. There is a familiar scene: the Dardenne brothers in tuxedos holding up trophies side by side at the Cannes Film Festival. Known as masters beloved by Cannes, these directors have competed nine times in the Cannes Film Festival competition section, winning the Palme d'Or twice for "Rosetta" (1999) and "The Child" (2005). They also won the Best Screenplay award for "Lorna's Silence" (2008) and the Best Director award for "The Kid with a Bike" (2019). The brothers came to the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival last year with "Tori and Lokita," which received a special 75th anniversary award.

On the afternoon of the 28th, at a hotel in Wansan-gu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, the Dardenne brothers said, "We are meeting and interacting with many people in Korea," adding, "We also tried traditional tea, which was very delicious."

"Tori and Lokita" was selected as the opening film of this year's Jeonju International Film Festival and was screened on the 27th. They said they did not get to watch the film with the domestic audience in Jeonju. Director Luc Dardenne said, "It is difficult for us to watch the films we make ourselves. At Cannes, it is unavoidable, so that is the only time we watch the film; otherwise, we do not."

The Dardenne brothers said, "We got to know Korea through films." Luc Dardenne said, "We really like director Lee Chang-dong. We have watched and liked all his works. He was born in 1954, so perhaps because we were born in similar eras. Through him, we got to know Korea."

He continued, "What I like about Lee Chang-dong's films is that they do not belong to a specific genre. It is also impressive how he portrays characters, cityscapes, and streets in a realistic way." He added, "We also like the works of directors Bong Joon-ho and Kim Ki-duk."

A Sublime Friendship That Protects Each Other

'Tori and Rokita' stills
[Photo by Yeonghwa Sajinjin]

The globally respected auteur masters, the Dardenne brothers, calmly depict stories of ordinary people living in absurd societies marked by poverty, discrimination, and alienation. "Tori and Lokita" tells the story of African refugee boy Tori and girl Lokita who come to Belgium and get involved in drug trafficking. The film focuses on the journey of the siblings, who want to protect each other, becoming each other's guardians as they live and struggle to survive.

=Why did you choose to address the immigrant issue?

We learned that immigrant children contract diseases while stowing away. The immigrant issue during the process of settling in a new country may be a clich?, but we wanted to talk about the problems of underage children.

=Why make such a film in this era? Can films change the world?

We ourselves do not really know why we make such films. Our films include marginalized groups, poverty, and children, but we do not want to highlight their presence. We just want to talk about how our society works. Except for propaganda films during past dictatorships, there are no films made to change the world. The influence of films may be limited. Especially in authoritarian societies, the reason films are not allowed to be made might be because of fear. Creative works like films and novels are also sometimes oppressed.

=Why do you insist on handheld shooting techniques?

Before shooting the film "The Promise" (1996), we made a film using conventional techniques rather than handheld. We were not satisfied with the result. We realized it was not the right method for us. We want to depict vitality and the movements of characters realistically. That is also why we use long takes a lot.

Still from 'Tori and Rokita'
[Photo by Yeonghwa Sajinjin]

=Why was it important to make a film about the 'friendship' of underage immigrants, and how did you want to portray it? Why did you ultimately depict friendship as hope?

The film is a story about friendship and can also be seen as the result of love that goes beyond great friendship. Immigrants can only survive with the help of others. We set the premise that there must be friendship between Tori and Lokita for them to survive. We did not want to tell the story by betraying friendship or having one of the lovers cheat. We wanted to talk about a sublime friendship that protects each other. Someone said it is like a math formula to find out if the friendship is genuine. You have to go all the way to know it is true friendship.

Do Not Watch with Prejudice Against Refugees

=The world is at war with prejudice. Various opinions about the refugee issue are circulating domestically as well. What message do you hope Korean audiences receive?

We ask Korean audiences to become friends with Tori and Lokita. Refugees are not enemies. Please understand that they are not trying to take something away from us. We know the reality is complicated. Regulations are necessary, and not all can be accepted. The important thing is that refugees are human beings like us, so please do not watch them with prejudice. They came to the country seeking a better life or to escape situations where war is causing death and killing in their homeland.

=Have you ever been offered to make films in other countries? If you were offered, what would you do?

If we were offered a large sum, maybe. There are two of us, and we do not split the money. (laughs) Looking at the 10 or so films we have recently made, we are people who do not go far or move much. We have mainly filmed in similar regions. We have not shot films on sets or tried various genres, and we probably will not in the future. However, we should avoid making the same style of films too often.

=You mentioned that diversity is important in the entertainment industry.

The Lumi?re brothers cannot be left out of this discussion. Films have consistently been made in two genres: realism and dramatic show. Elements such as subject matter, characters, and music come together to create stories. This art form has continued for over 100 years. We do not know what our films will be like 100 years from now. But it is fascinating that films exist in diverse forms. Isn’t film a genre that embraces much diversity? The cinema is a fascinating space. Anywhere in the world, it never closes throughout the year, whether there are 2, 10, or 100 viewers. It survived the COVID-19 pandemic with difficulty and has always been there. In that sense, "CINEMA" is the same.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.