Park Chan Wook

Park Chan Wook, a renowned South Korean director, was born in Seoul, South Korea on August 23, 1963.

Park was inspired by Minjung artist Oh Yoon's painting 'The Lemures' from 1984 when creating the narrative framework of the black and white video.

Park curated the show 'City Mass Culture' in 1992, presenting an installation titled 'Life and Death of the Images' composed of newspaper images of self-immolating protesters juxtaposed with souvenir photos of factory workers.

In 1995, Park Chan Wook appeared as an uncredited bus passenger in the film 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'.

Park cofounded the monthly magazine Forum A in October 1997 with a group of artists, curators, and critics, aiming to expand art discourse in the country by printing art criticism and translations of texts on art abroad.

Park was part of the artist collective Seongnam Project, which focused on the relationship between art and public space in Seongnam, South Korea's first planned city. The group presented an installation at the Seoul City Museum of Art, exploring the connection between art and public space.

The film 'Judgement' was produced in 1999, with Park Chan-wook involved in the production.

In 2000, Park Chan-wook worked as a production assistant for the film 'Joint Security Area'.

The writer wrote the screenplay for 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance' in 2001.

During his residency at Akademie Schloss Solitude in winter 2002–3, Park presented a series of photographs and texts on miners and nurses who migrated to Germany from the 60s to the 80s, incorporating interviews from the Korean immigrants and explanations of working conditions.

Park's 2003 film, Oldboy, depicts the story of a man imprisoned for fifteen years and then released without explanation. He is given five days to uncover his captor's identity and the reason for his imprisonment, or his new love interest will be killed. The film received critical acclaim, won the Grand Prix award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, and gained a cult following, solidifying its status as a modern classic.

The film <Old Boy> won the Best Film award at the Korea Film Award in 2004.

Park's 2005 film, Lady Vengeance, follows the story of an innocent woman seeking revenge against a child-killer still at large after being released from prison. The film was well received by critics and South Korean audiences, grossing $7,382,034 in its opening week and competing for the Golden Lion at the 62nd Venice International Film Festival.

I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK was released in 2006. It is a film with a screenplay by the renowned writer.

In February 2007, Park won the Alfred Bauer Prize at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival for his film, I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK.

Crush and Blush was released in 2008. It is a film with a screenplay by the renowned writer.

Thirst was released in 2009. It is a film written by the renowned writer.

Park created several feature films and short films on Korean folk religion and shamanism after making Sindoan, including Anyang, Paradise City. This demonstrates his sustained interest in religious themes in his work.

60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero was released in 2011. It is a film written by the renowned writer.

Day Trip was released in 2012. It is a film written by the renowned writer.

Park appeared on a panel discussion about the film Stoker at the Freer Gallery of Art in the Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art. He discussed the production process and the appeal of the script.

In 2014, Park fully explained the concept of 'Asian Gothic' in a paper presented at the Special Symposium of the Korean Society of Art History. He described 'Asian Gothic' as the resurgence of grotesque gothic imagery in contemporary Korean culture, reflecting local trauma and the reconfiguration of tradition in the contemporary moment.

The film adaptation of Fingersmith, which became The Handmaiden, ended production and later premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim.

The Handmaiden was released in 2016. It is a film written by the renowned writer.

In 2017, Park presented the same black and white video at Art Basel Unlimited, which references major traumatic events in Korean history, including the Dongak Peasant Revolution, the Korean War, the Gwangju Uprising, and the sinking of the MV Sewol.

Park directed a TV miniseries adaptation of The Little Drummer Girl, which aired on BBC One and featured renowned actors such as Michael Shannon, Florence Pugh, and Alexander Skarsgård.

Belated Bosal exemplifies Park's shift towards Buddhism in his work, influenced by events such as the Fukushima nuclear accident and the sinking of the MV Sewol ferry. His interest lies in visual and literary culture around Buddhism rather than Buddhist doctrine itself.

A South Korean horror film directed by Park Chan-wook.

A24 optioned Viet Thanh Nguyen's novel The Sympathizer for a TV adaptation, with Park Chan-wook set to direct.

Park was awarded Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for his work on the film Decision to Leave.

The TV series 'The Sympathizer' is set to be released in 2024.