Lee Sang-il reflects on the state of Korean cinema and cross-cultural influences in East Asian film

Lee Sang-il, the director behind the Japanese film National Treasure, shared his views on Korea’s film industry in a recent interview. He noted that domestic theaters have fluctuated as Japanese animation has surged in prominence.

“It’s a bit sad,” he said. He added that when he started making films in his twenties, there was a strong momentum in Korean cinema. As a filmmaker working in Japan, he also admitted feeling envious of Korean filmmakers.

There were times when Japanese filmmakers believed that Japanese directors should learn from Korean directors such as Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, Kim Ji-woon, and Lee Chang-dong. These remarks illustrate a complex cross-cultural dialogue within East Asian cinema, underscoring Isang-il’s nuanced perspective on both Korea and Japan.