Im Kwon-taek is revered as the godfather of Korean cinema. With an oeuvre of over a hundred films across different genres, he is still active in a career that has spanned over half a century. His achievements have been recognized with awards from around the world including a French Légion d’honneur, a Fellini Medal from UNESCO and many others from major international film festivals. All these honors have distinguished him as a remarkable artist, a master of cinema whose intensely Korean works have universal resonance.
Born in the 1930s, Im has lived through the drastic transformations of Korea, with its political and cultural experiences that are reflected in his filmography. He began working in the film industry in the 1950s, and after making around 50 films in different commercial genres, his career took a turn in 1973 with his realist film, Weeds. From there, he made more serious films that closely examine the history and identity of the Korean people faced with the waves of foreign invasions and influences, such as The Genealogy (1979), Gilsotteum (1984), Sopyonje(1993) and The Tae Baek Mountain (1994). These works elevated not only his career, but also that of Korean cinema.
In 1981, Im’s Mandara, a film about two Buddhist monks, first introduced him to overseas audiences. Thereafter, many of his major works became widely appreciated, receiving accolades worldwide while making important creative breakthroughs. Notably, Surrogate Mother (1986) won Korea its first-ever award at the Venice International Film Festival with Kang Soo-yeoun as Best Lead Actress. Gilsotteum and The Tae Baek Mountain were invited to compete in the Berlin International Film Festival. Sopyonje was a box-office milestone as the first local film to record over a million admissions in Korea. Chunhyang (2000) was the first Korean film to compete in Cannes and two years later Chihwaseon (2002) earned Im and Korea its first Best Director prize at the festival. All these achievements distinguish Im as a pioneer and a major force in bringing international attention to Korean cinema and the many talents with whom he worked.
His latest work Revivre (2014) is a story of a middle-aged man who tends to his dying wife but also fantasizes about a much younger woman, and succinctly describes the sensibilities of present-day urbanites. His films are both timely in their accounts of human behavior, and timeless in their profound understanding of human nature – a combination that renders his work forever new.
“It is an honor for the Asian Film Awards Academy to present Director Im Kwon-taek with the Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Dr. Wilfred WONG Ying-wai, Chairman of the AFA Academy, “Director Im’s experience and achievements as a filmmaker are without a doubt legendary. His obvious belief and perseverance in perfecting the art of cinema to interpret day-to-day stories in a universal context, and showing a new vision of human experience are inspiring to all filmmakers.”
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