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Korean auteur IM Kwon-taek’s 102nd film was loved by the world the moment it was born. Not only is it based on work by famous Korean author KIM Hoon, but IM also cast his favorite actor, AHN Sung-ki. The combination of the three men which led to the creation of the film excited the world. With a wife suffering from an incurable disease bringing her closer to her last breath, the husband in his 50s falls in love with a young and beautiful woman. IM, who is turning 80 this year, drew the irony between life and death in Revivre , a film  hat had to be made. Revivre “is an intimate study of the dissipating and diseased bodies in contrast to the beautiful and plump,” said one of the critics. No one else could have expressed the sad reality of the human body that slowly disappears as IM has done. Following their collaboration in Mandara (1981), Village in the Mist (1983), The Tae Baek Mountains (1994), Festival (1996) and Chihwaseon (2002), AHN Sung-ki and IM Kwontaek have built a special trust with each other. AHN plays OH Sang-moo in the film, while KIM Gyu-ri of Low Life (2004) also reunites with IM as CHOO Eun-jo.

 

 

 

 

What attracted you about the original novel by KIM Hoon?
After making over a hundred films, I longed to make a new work that’s different from what I’ve done in the past. I’ve always dealt with the lives of people and also tried my best to put in cultural aspects in my work. But with Revivre , I wanted to break free from the stories I’ve done and create something new. When I was reading KIM’s novel, I thought this work would be best for me to start anew.

 
What are some characteristics in Revivre that are different from your other 101 films?
I think the number of years that a director has lived work as an influence to their work. I’m not saying that the older they are, the works become more mature. I’m simply saying that we just have a deeper way of looking at the world, with our years of experience. I think Revivre was a story that could only be told with age.

What is the message you wanted to send through the film?
The protagonist suffers due to lust. As I get older, I realized that humans crave and lust endlessly. To face these inner struggles is the basis of sustaining a human life. To overcome the forces and to live rationally is what life is. I wanted to show that life through Revivre .

You’ve worked several times with actor AHN Sung-ki and he plays the protagonist once again. His performance is phenomenal, but I heard you also had great trust in the actress, KIM Ho-jong.
The more I work with AHN, the more I see him as a great actor. As for KIM, she expressed pure realism in scenes that needed to persuade the audiences. She fully undresses in the film. I thought that the naked body, bare, embarrassed and apologetic to the person that takes care of her in which she longs to hide, was beautiful. I think the only reason why the film came across as realistic was due to KIM’s acting.