Netflix CEO Loves Korean Movies…Now Is The Golden Age Of Storytelling (Full)

Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, said on the 21st that he praises Korean films and said he will continue to serve as a link between Korean creators and the public.

CEO Sarandos had a chat with director Park Chan-wook at a movie theater in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and said, “The level of Korean films is amazing. There is no one to follow.”

“It’s been years since I fell in love with Korean movies,” he said, referring to the Netflix movie Okja (2017) directed by Bong Joon-ho.

CEO Sarandos plans to stay in Korea for two nights and three days. During his visit to Korea, he will hold a press conference in Korea to reveal investment plans and meet with high-ranking officials including Prime Minister Han Deok-soo.

About 100 film students, including students from film-related departments, attended the conference titled “Netflix and Park Chan-wook with Future Filmmakers.” Lee Dong-jin, a film critic, hosted the show.

“What we do at Netflix is ​​choose and support storytellers as much as possible so they can create the story in the best possible way. Supporting great artists is what Netflix is ​​all about.”

Director Park Chan-wook is involved in the production of the Netflix film “Battle, Ran”. Actors Kang Dong-won, Park Jung-min, and Cha Seung-won starred in this film during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592.

CEO Sarandos said of “Jeon, Ran,” “I’m looking forward to it more because it’s a movie that will be born in the hands of a master with a theme close to Korean history.”

He said, “Netflix works with greats like director Park Chan-wook, but about a fifth of the movies are new director’s debuts.” .

CEO Sarandos pointed out, “Now is a world where you can watch whatever movie you want to see with just a tap of the keyboard.”

“I also feel very optimistic about the future of cinema. I think it’s great to see a movie on the big screen with strangers in a dark cinema, but now there are more options.”

He also said, “If you want to film, just pull out your phone and do it. If you put it on YouTube, the world will see it, and if you work with Netflix, the world will see it.”

In response to the question “How to find a balance between popularity and the creative spirit of experimentation”, the CEO of Sarandos said, “It is possible to catch both”, and quoted the Korean series Netflix ” Squid Game” as an example.

“‘The Squid Game’ is probably the most watched drama series in the world,” he said.

When asked, “What was your most memorable decision as CEO?” he replied, “It was to make an original film and drama series for Netflix. Our goal is to bring good stories from all over the world and show them to audiences around the world.” replied.

Director Park Chan-wook urged film students to watch lots of good movies, saying, “Nowadays there are a lot of good streaming companies, so if you go there, you can easily watch a lot of good movies. , from old movies to the latest movies.”

He said: “Our taste in films must also be confined within narrow limits, but we are now in a time when we suddenly learn of films that did not interest us at home. It is getting late, but when I open Netflix or Watcha, there are a lot of my movies among the recommended movies,” he laughed.

He also confessed, “There was a time when I only watched movies in the cinema, but now there are times when I can watch movies in different ways.” I also let go.

In response to the question “What is the power of making a good film?” , isn’t that narrow?” “I think it’s a good movie to expand that,” he said.

Regarding the individuality of Korean films, he said, “Many emotions are simmering in a single work” and “I think the time has come for such characteristics to touch the universal emotions of humanity and gain a international recognition.”

In addition to producing “Jeon, Ran,” director Park told The Current Situation that he is involved in directing American production company HBO’s “Sympathizer” television series and producing a new film by director Lee Kyung-mi.