Hong Sang-soo Goes High Definition

Every summer we’re mired with big budget spectacles that spend more per minute than some smaller indie films do on their entire production. This is especially true for international cinema. Case in point: Korean auteur and art-house darling Hong Sang-soo has just started production on his latest film with a budget south of $100,000. That’s less than what it costs to cater something like The Dark Knight for a week. The tentatively titled Without Even Knowing Properly is the filmmaker’s ninth feature and his first jaunt into the world of Hi-Def (HD) moviemaking. Like always, it is being produced by his own Jeonwasa.

Featuring Hong regulars Kim Tae-woo, Eom Ji-won, and Go Hyun-jung, the story follows a film director Gyeong-nam (Kim) who is invited to join the jury at the Jecheon International Music Film Festival where he meets a fest programmer Hyeon-hee (Eom). From there he heads to Jeju Island to give a lecture and crosses paths with the wife of one of his old colleagues (Go). Knowing the director there will be plenty of sexual trysts along the way. The production will actually film at the upcoming JIFF in August.

Hong has never been one to make big films so the micro-budget should have no affect on the project. His sparse directing style – he’s like the Hou Hsiao-Hsien of Korea, but with more tits – and unflinching observations into the complex nature of relationships between men and women has made the 47 year-old writer/director a favorite at film festivals everywhere, though it has translated to little box office success at home. His last film Night and Day was in the running for a Golden Bear at the Berlinale last February and got high notices, but died at South Korean theatres.

Production will run through September 9th with plans to have the film complete before the end of the year and ready for the next festival cycle.