Kong, Su-Chang (R-Point)
South Korea is a nation with many problems which has led to a new wave of edgy, risk-taking films. One such filmmaker is Su-chang Kong, who recently exploded onto the international scene with his intense war/horror hybrid, R-Point. The director recently took the time to speak with Dread Central about what it was like to create a genre film under some of the toughest conditions imaginable.
Andrew Kasch: What inspired you to set a ghost story against a Vietnam back-drop?
Su-chang Kong: I was making a film based on the Vietnam War, which explains for the Vietnam back-drop. If I was trying to portray a different war, then the background might have been different. Why the Vietnam War in particular? Well, the War is certainly a painful part of Korean history and still is being debated on in Korean society today.
AK: The derelict mansion used in the film has to be one of the creepiest places I’ve ever seen. What’s the story behind it? How did you find the location?
SK: We looked around the Indochina Peninsula for two years and found it. It used to be a casino during the French colonization period.
AK: Did you interview any war veterans while writing the screenplay?
SK: Yes, countless interviews.
AK: Have you heard any stories involving strange or supernatural occurrences from the battlefield?
SK: I’ve heard lots of stories, but I experienced none while shooting.
AK: How difficult was it to shoot R-Point?
SK: The awful weather had all the cast and staff suffer in Cambodia. The temperature reaching 40 degrees Celsius, the humidity, wild beasts and venomous snakes, endemic diseases…at all times we were facing the crossroads of life. What was worse, the shooting schedule was delayed and therefore we had more burdens finance-wise and effort-wise. Each day during the shooting was war for us. I’ve heard that a director’s debuting feature will always face considerable adversity. I stand to that theory 100 percent.
AK: What’s up next for you?
SK: Screen quota reduction has become a serious problem in Korea right now. This film couldn’t have been made if there were no screen quota policies to support it. I hope filmmakers in America can assist us on this matter.
Special thanks to Su-chang Kong and Sean Keeley from Tartan for making this interview possible. R-Point is now available on DVD from Tartan Films, so be sure to check it out and show your support for South Korean cinema.
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