One of the most noteworthy sections of this year’s JEONJU IFF is the special exhibition “LEE Chang-dong: The Truth of the Invisible,” which shall provide an opportunity to look into the world of director Lee Chang-dong’s films so far. Although it may seem unnecessary to explain, Lee is one of Korea’s leading filmmakers, whose every film is watched by the world’s film festivals. In this special section, a documentary about Lee directed by French filmmaker Alain Mazars will make its world premiere, and Heartbeat, Lee’s latest short, will also be unveiled for the first time. In addition, all six feature films directed by Lee, which have been digitally remastered, will be screened for the first time in 4K.

This special section began with the news that French director Alain Mazars was making a documentary titled Lee Chang-dong, the art of irony to explore the master of film’s cinematic world. Deeply affected by Peppermint Candy at the Cannes Film Festival, Mazars has continued to watch Lee’s films and came to greatly respect Lee not only as a filmmaker but also as an artist. Lee Chang-dong, the art of irony is a journey and time traveling journey into the past with Lee, focusing on the essence of “dramatic irony.” Mazars tells onstage and behind-the-scenes stories of Lee’s films as he accompanies Lee to explore the filming locations of Lee’s work, from Huam-dong in Burning to Ilsan in Green Fish. The documentary also contains the voices of actors who starred in Lee’s films, including Song Kangho, Jeon Doyeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Moon Sori, and Yoo Ah-in.

Heartbeat is Lee’s first short film. It was created as a part of a project from a few years ago when the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Beijing Contemporary Art Fund (BCAF) commissioned world-class filmmakers to direct short films on the topic of “depression.” Capturing the expressions, gestures, and thoughts of a boy in a single take, this film addresses the subject of personal depression and sharply exposes the melancholy aspects of Korean society in about 20 minutes, allowing the audience to feel the breath of a master filmmaker.

Also noteworthy are Lee’s previous films, which will be screened in 4K. All of his feature films will be screened in 4K for the first time, with the exception of Burning, which was originally filmed in 4K digital format, and Peppermint Candy, which had been released in 4K after it was remastered. In particular, Green Fish and Oasis, for which digital versions did not exist at all, “can be viewed in clean film print developed for the first time.” (Lee Chang-dong).

Written by Programmer MOON Seok