Time

Colour, 35 mm
Korea, 2006, 96 min
WP – World premiere
Section: Official Selection - Out of Competition

Synopsis

The girl Seh-hee and young Ji-woo are lovers who should simply be enjoying the gift of their mutual love. But the girl becomes obsessed about what destructive influence their passion might have as time passes. She is convinced that her partner will become tired of the face he sees daily, that Ji-woo’s feelings will lessen and he will eventually seek another woman. In order to prevent this happening, Seh-hee decides to have cosmetic surgery so she can become a “new woman” for him. Before the operation is to take place, she disappears without a word, and the frantic Ji-woo searches for her, but to no avail. He meets other girls but rejects them all until he falls under the spell of one of them, who continues mysteriously to elude him. Ji-woo eventually realises her secret and makes a radical decision. The story’s construction in this film prompts the viewer to consider that attempts to avoid the laws of life lead to loss of identity.

About the director

Kim Ki-duk (b. 1960, Bonghwa) is one of the best known Asian directors, partly also due to the Karlovy Vary festival, which follows his work closely. In 2002 the festival presented a profile of his work, and has since always screened his latest film. Kim Ki-duk is a writer-director of films whose visual refinement reflects his interest in the fine arts and his own experiences as a painter. His works are founded on the multiple confrontation of sharp contradictions, in a combination of lyrical atmosphere and naturalistic images; everything is subordinate to the aim of using film as an instrument for profound meditation on fundamental human issues. He debuted in 1996; the film The Isle (Seom, 2000), which enjoyed critical acclaim at Venice, was his fourth film. Thanks to his volatile and energetic talent, he sometimes makes as many as two films a year, thus Time is now his 13th film.