[Shorts Competition Section] Hosanna
“
Hosanna is the most controversial work among Korean short films in 2014,” said film critic AHN Si-hwan who was a judge in the Korean shorts category during the
Jeonju International Film Festival. Living up to its reputation,
Hosanna , directed by
NA Young-kil, has become a triple crown winner. The film took home the Jury’s Special Choice Award in the Korean shorts category during the 15th Jeonju International Film Festival, the Jury’s Special Choice Award in the Extreme Nightmare category at the 13th Mise-enscene Short Film Festival, and the Passionate Staff Award at the 40th Seoul Independent Film Festival. Moreover, the 37th Clermont- Ferrand International Short Film Festival invited the film to its International Competition section.
The 65th Berlin International Film Festival has invited Hosanna as the only Korean entry in its international short film competition. The title Hosanna means “save us” in Hebrew. A young savior boy ‘Seop’ reminiscent of Jesus appears in the film. This boy heals the injured and sick with his flesh and blood, and even revives the dead. But they do not appreciate their new lives. Rather, they fight, kill and finally choose to be killed or die. What on earth does salvation mean, and what can saviors do in this kind of world? Hosanna makes the audience question this serious issue.
NA Young-kil
“Salvation is a topic of this era that goes beyond religion.
Among the Korean films which received invitations from the Berlin International Film Festival, only Hosanna was invited to the competition section. How do you feel about this?
I feel as excited and happy as I did in the past when I heard that the film was invited to other film festivals. I heard the news from the distribution team at the School of Film, TV and Multimedia at the Korea National University of Arts while working on a feature film as a staff member. The news really revitalized me so much that I did not feel tired at all. The thought of people of different cultures watching my film at a major film festival excites me and makes me nervous at the same time. I hope that another film of mine will visit Berlin someday.
Before Berlin, your film was invited to the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. What do you think has made your film receive such international attention?
I have been so grateful for this attention and interest in my film that I have not seriously thought about that yet. Probably, its topic of “salvation” is a universal matter worth discussing regardless of religion.
What made you choose salvation, not an easy topic, as the theme of your film?
Salvation has been my lifelong theme. When I was young, I was mesmerized by Lord Shiva in India. I was more curious about the abandonment and accommodating of Shiva’s believers than about Shiva himself. The character and providence of Jehovah, the god of Christianity has many things that humans cannot understand through reason. The production of Hosanna began from the question, what should I do in a world which I cannot control, without any connection to a specific religion?
How was your experience taking part in film festivals with Hosanna last year?
I had a very meaningful and pleasant time in all of the three domestic film festivals that invited the film. That time let me feel some consolation more than anything else. This is because at every moment of the film production work from preparation to completion, anxiety haunted me, compelling me to think, “Can this film mean anything good to anybody?” I hope that these honors and results can be a consolation to the actors and crew members as well as me.
What is your next project?
I am planning to make a short about a father who lost his son, beginning in March or April.