| New Wave’ star offers encouragement to Asian filmmakers |
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| Written by Harris Badar | |
| Sunday, 05 October 2008 | |
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src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> The star of such New Wave classics as “Une Femme est une Femme” (A Woman is a Woman), in Busan for Asia’s pr ... BUSAN, South Korea: It is the first time Anna Karina has made it to South Korea in person, but the actress’s image has been deeply ingrained on the local consciousness since the 1960s. The star of such New Wave classics as “Une Femme est une Femme” (A Woman is a Woman), in Busan for Asia’s premier film festival, said she was surprised and flattered to find people here still talking about her films. “It is very flattering to be recognized because those films were quite some time ago,” said the 68-year-old Danish-born actress, who heads the jury of the 13th Pusan International Film Festival’s only competition the New Currents award. “I didn’t know about Busan before and I am amazed that people are still talking about those films. “But they were quality films, and that lasts. I was a very young girl then and I learned a lot from those people. [Directors] Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut and the others. And I am hoping I can use my experience here this week.” Karina was discovered in the early 1960s by the legendary French director Godard, to whom she was married from 1961 to 1967. She went on to star in more than 60 films, as well as more recently turning her hand to directing. Her latest effort—an on-the-road romance titled “Victoria”—is screening as part of the festival’s World Cinema section, and she said she was honoured both to have a film on the programme and to be chairing the New Currents Jury. “I have been told the selections this year are exciting,” said Karina, who will also chair a masterclass on her career during the festival. “We have a big job in front of us watching these films, but we hope to encourage all young filmmakers to keep working.” The New Currents award targets first- or second-time Asian filmmakers and offers two prizes of 30,000 dollars to the winners, to be selected this year from a field of 14 productions. Joining Karina on this year’s judging panel are Indian director Santosh Sivan, Korean actress Lee Hwa-si and the veteran German-based Italian producer Karl Baumgartner. Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf was also invited to join the panel but fell ill before her scheduled flight on Wednesday. Baumgartner has helped introduce European audiences to the works of directors such as Korea’s Kim Ki-duk, who won the Berlin Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for his Samaria in 2004. He said it was the New Currents jury’s duty to help young filmmakers understand the nature of the modern film market. “In the past you could find an audience if you made a good movie,” he said. “These days you have to be exceptional. It has to outstanding, or it is very complicated to convince distributors to take the film or audiences to go and see it.” The New Currents award will be announced on October 10, the final day of the festival. |
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