Director Kim Ji-woon: "'Gomijip' Movie Contains Meaning, Not a Satire of the Current Era"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Director Kim Ji-woon said he wants to talk about an unbreakable spirit with his new work, Geomi Jip (Spiderweb).

At the press screening of the film Geomi Jip held on the afternoon of the 14th at Megabox COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Director Kim said, "While making a film, I go through the process of crafting the story and emphasizing the theme," adding, "I wanted to talk about 'the important thing is an unbreakable spirit.'" He then revealed the theme, saying, "It is about a person who achieves their dream to the end with an unbreakable spirit."

He said, "Living constantly in a world full of contradictions and irrationality, one encounters countless obstacles and hardships. I talked about how one realizes their dream through that process."

Geomi Jip, which opens on the 27th, is set in the 1970s and tells the story of a director (Song Kang-ho) who believes that the film Geomi Jip, already shot, will become a masterpiece if only the ending is changed. He pushes forward with filming amid censorship and conflicts between actors and producers who do not understand the altered content.

Centered around actor Song Kang-ho, the ensemble cast includes Im Soo-jung, Oh Jung-se, Jeon Yeo-bin, and Jung Soo-jung. Director Kim Ji-woon emphasized, "I wanted to make an ensemble film like foreign films, especially American films. I want to say through Geomi Jip that ensemble comedy is a fun genre."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the play-within-a-play setting, Director Kim joked, "There is also a premium of being able to watch two films with one ticket."

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of theatergoers has decreased. Director Kim Ji-woon confesses his love for cinema in Geomi Jip. He said, "After the pandemic, films stopped and Korean cinema shrank, leading to a crisis. I redefined cinema. I thought about how to find a breakthrough for Korean films. I put that meaning into Geomi Jip and wanted to show it through various questions."

About the world in Geomi Jip, Director Kim Ji-woon drew a line, saying, "This is not a film about the present era." He added, "It is a film that humorously conveys satire and customs of the times. It has nothing to do with current affairs. At that time, censorship of popular art films was severe, and it is a story about people overcoming adversity and obstacles to realize their dreams."

Director Kim also expressed confidence, saying, "When I debuted with Joyonghan Gajok (The Quiet Family) in 1998, I also heard a lot that it was unfamiliar. There must be audiences waiting for new and unique films, and this is a unique and distinctive film."

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