Im Kwon-taek (born May 2, 1936) is one of South Korea's most renowned
film directors. In an active and prolific career, his films have won
many domestic and international film festival awards as well as
considerable box-office success, and helped bring international
attention to the Korean film industry. As of spring 2015, he has
directed 102 films.Im Kwon-taek was born in Jangseong, Jeollanam-do
and grew up in Gwangju. After the Korean War, he moved to Busan in
search of work. He then moved to Seoul in 1956, where Jeong Chang-hwa,
director of Five Fingers of Death (1972), offered him room and board
for work as a production assistant. Jeong recommended him for
directing in 1961.Im's directorial premiere was with the 1962 film,
Farewell to the Duman River (Dumanganga jal itgeola).Before 1980 he
was known primarily as a commercial filmmaker who could efficiently
direct as many as eight genre pictures a year, helping to fulfill the
quota for domestic pictures set by the government . His desire to make
more artistically satisfying films began to show itself with his 1978
film Jokbo (Genealogy or The Family Tree), but the turning point of
his career came with the 1981 film Mandala. From this point his films
have been regarded as art-house cinema, and have been regularly shown
at international film festivals, and have won numerous awards.
film directors. In an active and prolific career, his films have won
many domestic and international film festival awards as well as
considerable box-office success, and helped bring international
attention to the Korean film industry. As of spring 2015, he has
directed 102 films.Im Kwon-taek was born in Jangseong, Jeollanam-do
and grew up in Gwangju. After the Korean War, he moved to Busan in
search of work. He then moved to Seoul in 1956, where Jeong Chang-hwa,
director of Five Fingers of Death (1972), offered him room and board
for work as a production assistant. Jeong recommended him for
directing in 1961.Im's directorial premiere was with the 1962 film,
Farewell to the Duman River (Dumanganga jal itgeola).Before 1980 he
was known primarily as a commercial filmmaker who could efficiently
direct as many as eight genre pictures a year, helping to fulfill the
quota for domestic pictures set by the government . His desire to make
more artistically satisfying films began to show itself with his 1978
film Jokbo (Genealogy or The Family Tree), but the turning point of
his career came with the 1981 film Mandala. From this point his films
have been regarded as art-house cinema, and have been regularly shown
at international film festivals, and have won numerous awards.
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