Kim said coming to Kerala was a memorable experience in his life: Bina Paul

Kim Ki-Duk, the South Korean filmmaker whose movies held a special place in the minds of Malayali film aficionados, passed away at the age of 59 due to Covid-19 related complications in Latvia on Friday. The filmmaker, noted for his idiosyncratic and provocative art-house themes, won accolades for movies such as Spring, Summer, Winter… and Spring, 3-Iron, Samaria,

Samaritan Girl

and Arirang.

He had visited Kerala as part of the

International Film Festival

of Kerala (IFFK) in 2013 and singing at its concluding ceremony is still remembered fondly by his fans in the State.

Bina Paul, editor and vice chairperson, Chalachitra Academy who introduced Kim Ki Duk to Malayali movie buffs talks about the filmmaker and his followers in Kerala.




"Kim Ki-Duk's visit to IFFK in 2013 might have been the most memorable one by any filmmaker. Many years ago, I happened to watch Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, and I told its then-chairman TK Rajeevkumar that we can do a retrospective of this young filmmaker. From then on, his fanbase in Kerala kept on growing and there used to be a huge rush for his movies when they are screened.

Back then, I had gone to Busan Film Festival and one day by sheer serendipity, he got into the same lift in my hotel. I was unaware that he didn't speak English. I introduced myself and told him he is much loved in Kerala. He didn't understand me but gave me his contact through which we corresponded to bring him here.


When he came here, I think it blew his mind. The first he went for a morning walk, there were people in buses screaming his name. That was the year, we screened Arirang. After the movie, at the Q&A session, one lady came running and kissed him. He was always surrounded by fans here and I got a letter from him after he left, saying, 'Coming to Kerala was the most memorable experience of my life'.


Over the years, his films changed and also there were a lot of sexual allegations. But it did not affect his following here. So, in later years, I had my own reservations. But whenever IFFK dates are announced, I would be asked 'Kim Ki-Dukinte padam undo? Entha Kim nte puthiya padam kanikathe?' It became a necessity even though the films weren't critically acclaimed.


When we last screened his film at the Nishagandhi audi, it was packed. He had a fan following that is usually reserved for stars."