I've always been a fan of Korean cinema but never really pursued it, as I wanted to pave my way here in the States. I figured, once I established myself here, Korea might take notice. And it did.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Korean cinema is very improvisational, and there is a unique power that stems from this.
Korean films have always been distributed to international audiences as arthouse films.
Some people cheer me on. Some people want me to do more Korean movies or TV series.
In Korea, I do different kinds of genres. So, like that, I would like to do a lot of good acting films.
My career in the movie business began in Hong Kong, my heart has always been tied to Asia, and it is immensely gratifying to see international recognition for Asian cinema as a whole.
In the mid 1990s the Korean film industry was really open-minded.
A lot of people are very interested that a Korean director has made a western. But when I look at the reactions of the audience, I realise the points at which people laugh are the same for a Korean audience and an international audience.
I guess the difference between the Korean hip-hop scene and the American hip-hop scene is that in the American hip-hop scene, you know, they have their Jay-Zs. They can become conglomerates through hip-hop. In Korea, it doesn't happen.
Actors, I think, are all the same. Both Korean actors and American actors are all very sensitive people, and they are all curious to know what the director thinks of them and how they are evaluated, and they try to satisfy the director. And they like it if you listen carefully to their opinions and accept them.
Obviously, I've made several films in Korea, so I'm very well accustomed and acclimated to Korean filmmaking.