You know what they say when you get spun in a spider’s web. The more you resist, the harder it is to escape.
At least that is what Director Kim (Song Kang-Ho) discovers in the ensemble comedy ‘Cobweb’. Directed by Kim Jee-Woon(I Saw the Devil, A Tale of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life) , the film takes audiences back to the wild days of Korea’s film industry in the 1970s. Director Kim has become imprisoned by his insecurities regarding his latest picture, ‘Cobweb’. Kim feels that if he can reshoot the ending, it will become a cinematic masterpiece and save his plateauing career. As a last act of desperation, he extends the shoot for two more days. What follows is a tumble down the rabbit hole into insanity, where all the juiciest drama happens when the cameras stops rolling.
https://vimeo.com/870719247?share=copy
We took part in Cobweb’s’ virtual press conference for global media. Check out some highlights above.
Acclaimed director Kim Jee-Woon is back with a cinematic tour de force that isn’t afraid to spin you up in its seductive web. His stature and storied legacy as a filmmaker is reflected by the awe-inspiring cast he has assembled, including Song Kang-Ho, Lim Soo-Jung, Oh Jung-Se, Jeon Yeo-Been, Krystal Jung, Jang Young-Nam, and Park Jung-soo. Kim’s magnetic troupe of actors fill the screen with kinetic energy, matched by his masterful ability to weave the camera from scene to scene. ‘Cobweb’ has been globally celebrated for its absurdist comedy, meta-narrative, and pageantry, with an elusive premiere at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival. At the film’s heart is a reflective narrative about what it means to tell stories, especially concerning the after-effects of the global pandemic. Kim Jee-woon had a few words to say about the film and its significance at this point in his career:
“I created the film Cobweb while mired in pessimistic thoughts that the world would never go back to how it was before the pandemic. The main character of this film, Director KIM, is captivated and inspired by a dream that leads him to the baseless belief that if he just shoots two more days of a film that has already wrapped, it will become a masterpiece…Surrounded on all sides by antagonistic forces, including pressure from state censorship, he tries his utmost to make his vision a reality despite the ups and downs of his ridiculous and tear-streaked efforts.
What is film? What does it mean to make films? What is creativity, and what exactly is originality? Through these questions raised by Director KIM in the midst of his hilarious and tragic struggles in ridiculous circumstances, we too are able to look back and consider our own lives. After all, to make a film is to look back on one’s life.”
Special thanks to the good people at Umbrella Entertainment for letting us take part in virtual press conference. Make sure to check out ‘Cobweb’ in cinemas this Thursday, October 5! If you’ve been riding the wave of Korean cinema in the last few years, you can’t miss this one!
