The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Fund us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • Tumblr

  • RSS


Cannes Film Festival 2016

Agassi (The Handmaiden) press conference: Park Chan-Wook raises questions about literature, history and sex

Agassi (The Handmaiden) press conference: Park Chan-Wook raises questions about literature, history and sex
16 May 2016
Jasmin Valjas
Jasmin Valjas
Avatar
Jasmin Valjas
16 May 2016

The literary inspiration, historical context and the very explicit sex scenes of Agassi (The Handmaiden) were the top subjects of the film premiere’s press conference. Most questions addressed regarded the subversive elements of Park Chan-Wook’s third offering to be screened at Cannes.  

No surprise that the hot topic was the unanticipated lesbian love story the film contemplates. Actresses Kim Min-Hee and Kim Tae-Bi both showed a very positive attitude when asked whether it was difficult to play the very erotic scenes, considering that homosexual relationships, especially between women, still remain a taboo in Korea. Kim Min-Hee in particular recalls focusing on her childhood memories of playing with her girlfriends rather than worrying about reception. Not at all reluctant to take these roles, both she and Kim Tae-Bi affirmed they were much more interested in the evolution of their characters and in conveying “the character’s feelings”. Male counterparts also play an essential part in the story, as actors Ha Jung-Woo and Cho Jin-Woong as well as the director himself, confirmed. Park Chan-Wook explained how he wanted to lend greater importance to the men in the story, declaring that they all have a feminine dimension, citing a recently read Balzac to support his realisation that “all great men have a female sensitivity”. 

Embed from Getty Images

Agassi is set during the Japanese colonisation of Korea and Park Chan-Wook elaborated extensively on his research on the historical context: the 1930s, a time that is “often said to be a good time in the history of Korea”. Many Koreans sided with the invaders for economic interest or even personal admiration. The director declared an interest in the latter: “Probably, however, some were truly fascinated by the Japanese, and they are more frightening. I wanted to look into these characters that were so fascinated (by the Japanese).” Addressing those who were perplexed by what was interpreted as “multicultural orientalism”, Park Chan-Wook reassured them with the great attention he put into setting and decor, explaining how his idea was “a story that transcends nationalities”, a clear example being the coexistence of Western, Japanese, and Korean traditional architecture as well as attire.   

Embed from Getty Images

The filmmaker also insisted on wanting to adopt an original approach, rather than showing stereotypes depicting the two countries. Adding another note on his creative process, the director added that “this was also an opportunity to show how Korea started becoming more modern, how modernity influenced the Korean people”. The literary source of Agassi also raised several questions on Park Chan-Wook’s love for European literature (the film is adapted from the novel Fingersmith by Welsh author Sarah Waters), to which he professed his love for all literary production, independent of country.

Jasmin Valjas

Read our review of Agassi (The Handmaiden) here. 

Embed from Getty Images

Related Itemsinterviewpress conference

More in Cannes Film Festival 2016

Cannes 2016: Ken Loach wins Palme d’Or, Assayas and Mungiu best directors ex aequo

Joseph Owen
Read More

Cannes 2016: Awards predictions and highlights from the festival

The editorial unit
Read More

Elle

★★★★★
Jasmin Valjas
Read More

Pericle Il Nero

★★★★★
Jasmin Valjas
Read More

Fai Bei Sogni (Sweet Dreams)

★★★★★
Jasmin Valjas
Read More

Dog Eat Dog

★★★★★
Joseph Owen
Read More

Forushande (The Salesman)

★★★★★
Jasmin Valjas
Read More

The Last Face: Press conference with Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, Charlize Theron and crew

Joseph Owen
Read More

Interview: Nicolas Winding Refn on the secrets behind The Neon Demon

The editorial unit
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Tickets

Theatre tickets

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Marighella
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Babylon Beyond Borders at the Bush Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Can-Can! at Union Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Johnstons of Elgin autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Jeremy Loops and James Hersey at the Roundhouse
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Miló Maria autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Come From Away at Phoenix Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Hanger autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • STEVE O SMITH autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Pringle of Scotland autumn/winter 2019 collection catwalk show for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Cold Pursuit
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Capernaum
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “I’m only brave because I’m incredibly fearful”: Charlotte Rampling on receiving the Honorary Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement at the 69th Berlin Film Festival
    Berlinale
  • What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael: An interview with director Rob Garver
    Berlinale

Instagram

Something is wrong.
Instagram token error.
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Fund us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2018 FL Media Ltd

Agassi (The Handmaiden): An interview with director Park Chan-Wook
Cannes Film Festival 2016: Loving | Review