[Limelight] K-Movie Began with 'Haryuinsaeng' for Him

'The General's Son', 'Seopyeonje', 'Chwiwhaseon'... Taeheung Film Company Former CEO Lee Taewon
Im Kwon-taek's Work 'Haryu Insaeng' Real Model... Pioneer of Korean Film Revival and Globalization
Jeonju Film Festival Retrospective, Korean Film Museum 'Great Heritage' Exhibition
A Film Seen Through Materials... Screening of Restored Footage of Unfinished Work 'Biguni'

Exhibition view of movie posters produced by Taeheung Film Company (Photo by Lee Jong-gil)

Korean cinema regained its freedom in 1984. The so-called ‘Yushin Film Law,’ which regulated films opposing the regime or those with strong political and social themes, came to an end. With the restrictions lifted, production companies sprang up like mushrooms after rain, increasing to over 250 by the mid-2000s. At the heart of this rapid growth was Taeheung Film Company. It broke box office records in Korean cinema with films like The General's Son (1990) and Seopyeonje (1993), and entered the world's three major international film festivals with Hwaeomgyeong (1993), Chunhyangjeon (2000), and Chihwaseon (2002).

The brilliant achievements have been reappraised following the passing of former CEO Lee Tae-won last October. The Jeonju International Film Festival, opening on the 28th, will hold a retrospective on Taeheung Film Company. Eight films, including Chihwaseon, Seegimal (1999), and Geumhonga Geumhonga (1995), will be screened to revisit the history of Korean cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. Programmer Moon Seok said, "Taeheung Film Company led the Korean film industry during its darkest times and contributed to its globalization. We want to honor former CEO Lee and recognize his contributions to the development of Korean cinema."

Estimate for Production and Installation of Signage at the Open Set of the Movie 'Haryu Insaeng' (Photo by Lee Jong-gil)

The concrete legacy can be experienced at the Korean Film Museum. Until September 25, a special exhibition titled Great Heritage: Taeheung Film 1984?2004 is being held. Eighty-five items that fully capture the hardships and glory of Taeheung Film Company are being revealed for the first time. These are rare donations evaluated from among 2,179 items transferred from Taeheung Film Company to the Korean Film Archive. Taeheung Film Company donated materials twenty-five times starting in 1985, before the Film Archive was established as a special corporation. In 2018 alone, when the company sold its Hannam-dong headquarters and moved to Sindang-dong, the amount reached 2.5 tons.

This exhibition feels like a film seen through its materials. Various efforts embedded in the production and screening processes are contextualized. Visitors can glimpse the situation at the time through various fields such as production, distribution, and promotion, allowing a detailed look at the films. For example, in the case of Chihwaseon, documents related to the installation of the open set are included. These are official letters Taeheung Film Company sent to the Namyangju Comprehensive Studio operated by the Korean Film Council, mainly promising to donate the set after filming. The set was created by MBC Art Center, reproducing the late 19th-century Seoul Jongno scenery with twenty-six tiled-roof houses, thirty-one thatched-roof houses, taverns, and alleys. Following advice from cinematographer Jeong Il-seong, the set was built considering the movement of characters and cameras, making it favored by historical drama production design teams. It is no longer in use. Booyoung Group, which took over the studio's operation rights, has postponed maintenance and effectively left it abandoned.

Exhibition of movie posters and on-site stills from Taeheung Film Company (Photo by Lee Jong-gil)

The exhibition hall also features restored footage of an unfinished film and the original screenplay. A representative example is Nun, directed by Im Kwon-taek, which was almost the founding work of Taeheung Film Company. Filming began in April 1984 with actress Kim Ji-mi’s head-shaving ceremony, but the Jogye Order strongly opposed it. They sent an official letter to the Ministry of Culture and Public Information requesting a halt to production, fearing it would insult Buddhism. Director Im and writer Song Gil-han revised the script, but the Buddhist community opposed expressions that touched on sacred aspects of Buddhism. These included scenes where the protagonist Su-gyeong becomes a nun, reminisces about love in the secular world, and offers her body to a truck driver to help orphans escape during the Korean War. A protest rally against production and a court injunction to stop filming were held, resulting in the cancellation of the shoot.

The tonsure ceremony scene in the movie 'Bikuni'

Later, writer Song recalled, "It was a story about freeing oneself from worldly attachments and suffering to complete oneself," adding, "I only wanted to depict Mahayana practice aiming for brightness together with sentient beings." Director Im also expressed regret, saying, "The war scenes were the most powerfully shot among all my works..." About 20% of the filmed 16mm footage was accidentally discovered in Taeheung Film Company’s warehouse in 2014. It was digitally restored and publicly screened in 2017 during Song Gil-han’s special exhibition at the Jeonju International Film Festival. The footage includes Su-gyeong’s ordination, head-shaving ceremony, and war and refugee scenes. The highlight is the scene where Su-gyeong, to shake off suffering and torment, jumps naked into freezing water in the dead of winter. Even without sound or cinematic effects, her trembling body and praying posture convey extraordinary determination.

Former CEO of Taeheung Film Company, Itaewon

After encountering the unfinished film materials and related anecdotes, it seems that Taeheung Film Company’s clear achievements are only part of the story. Every step was supported by former CEO Lee’s dedication. Nicknamed ‘Container’ for his busy activities, he produced thirty-six films. He discovered new directors, laid the foundation for globalization, and led the transformation and leap of Korean cinema. He is also famous for a confrontation with the late Gwak Jeong-hwan, founder of Seoul Theater and Hapdong Film, before the release of a direct-distribution film. At a press conference of the All-Korean Filmmakers’ Committee to defend the screen quota, he even shed tears while insisting on maintaining the number of screening days. Jeong Jong-hwa, head of the Korean Film Archive’s curatorial research team, evaluated, "Taeheung Film Company, led by former CEO Lee, was the pride of Korean cinema and the driving heart behind its development."

His enterprising life can also be glimpsed in Im Kwon-taek’s Downfall (2004). Former CEO Lee is the real-life model for the protagonist Choi Tae-woong (Jo Seung-woo). The film dramatizes his youth as a member of a Myeong-dong gang in Seoul. Afterward, former CEO Lee withdrew from film production. When asked about the reason at a past event, he said, "My era has passed." It is not a farewell forever. On the foundation he laid, juniors continue to sweep the world today.