There is a funny story heard in connection with the Kerala International Film Festival. A Malayalee arrives at the house of Korean director Kim Ki Duk. On the way home, a picture is hung in the living room. It reads – ‘Beena Paul is the treasure of this house. And a picture of them. There are some undeniable truths behind this comedy which has been sung like the song of the generations coming to the fair. The story of a Malayalee who cherished a filmmaker who came from a distant land as his own. The name Kim Ki Duk is heard by the Malayalee audience mainly at the Kerala International Film Festival. Focusing on films from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the festival naturally attracts viewers to Kim Ki Duk, one of the most important directors in contemporary Korean cinema. Two decades after the fair, Kim Ki Duk has become a favorite not only of the audience but also of the Malayalam community.
Rest in Peace, Kim Ki-duk, darling of #IFFK delegates #Kerala #cinema #KimKiDuk pic.twitter.com/nDzhAfVG41
— International Film Festival of Kerala (@iffklive) December 11, 2020
Malayalees are the ones who have been waiting for years and recording the cycles and seasons and often frozen like snow statues in the wonders he creates. It’s been a decade since festival film lovers started reading IFFK with the name Kim. Bina Paul, the Artistic Director of the Fair, introduces Kim Ki Dook to Kerala through a retrospective section at the 2005 IFFK. Along with those films that mix hysteria, delusions, and sexual prevalence, Kim Ki Dook soon won the hearts of the Malayalees. Kim became ‘Kimmettana’ for the funny IFFK audience. Kim Ki-Duk’s films have won awards at prestigious venues such as Venice, Cannes, and Berlin. Two of his films have been nominated for Oscars from Korea.
But it is doubtful if there is another place that loves Kim Ki Dook so much. The Malayalee loves Kim Ki Duk so much. Kim Ki-Duk has been among the audience that has embraced all of his films with open arms. Kim arrived in 2013 with her film ‘Mobius’. Arriving in the capital, Kim was greeted with admiration by moviegoers. Kim Ki-Duk ended up seeing the locals waving at him from the bus and the car. It is doubtful whether Kim’s pictures have so many fans even in Korea. Malayalee Kim was honored with a short film titled ‘Dear Kim’. The film is directed by Babu and he writes a letter to Kim Ki Duk, a film lover in Kerala.
