INTERVIEW French filmmaker zooms in on turbulent inter-Korean relations

Filmmaker Pierre-Olivier Francois is seen shooting a documentary in the coastal town of Wonsan, North Korea, in 2016. Courtesy of M. LeLidec

By Kwak Yeon-soo

• Published Jun 25, 2020 4:45 PM KST
• Updated Jun 25, 2020 5:56 PM KST

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Filmmaker Pierre-Olivier Francois, 49, first visited South Korea in 2000 as a broadcast journalist to do follow-up stories on the 2000 inter-Korean summit.

His personal ties with South Korea date back to as far as 1981 when his parents adopted his brother from the country, and deepened in 1983 when they adopted his sister. However, he knew very little about the country before his first trip to Seoul.

The director remembers being stunned by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's polite manner toward South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, cracking jokes and expressing his willingness to move toward a common future.

Francois was also surprised when his interpreter in Seoul told him that she had thought North Koreans would have red horns on their heads until she saw Kim Jong-il on TV.

All of this triggered his interest in the Korean Peninsula and its incredible, tragic history, divided into the Republic of Korea in the south and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the north.

Over the last 20 years, Francois has visited South Korea 15 times and North Korea eight times. One of the reasons was to make the film “Korea: A Hundred Years of War.” He has interviewed key officials and collected rare footage of the past and present of the two Koreas.

Interestingly, the director incorporates diverse “poomsae” movements from taekwondo when doing scene transitions in order to add layers to the film.

“I discovered that taekwondo incarnates a lot of Korean spirit with having names like Kumgang, Dangun and Koryo,” he said, adding that a poomsae called “juche” had to be shot by a foreign martial artist because it is still forbidden in the South.

Below is an excerpt from an interview with Francois on his filmmaking processes and thoughts on inter-Korean relations. It has been edited for clarity and readability.

Q. What prompted you to produce “Korea: A Hundred Years of War”?

A. “Korea: A Hundred Years of War” is an upgraded version of the first film we made in 2013 called “Korea, the Impossible Reunification?” In both films, major witnesses and experts of both Koreas tell stories of the divided history. The 2013 film had quite an impact in Europe and beyond because it gave a very Korean perspective to it, which was quite unknown in the West. In 2018, we decided to include new developments with the arrival of Kim Jong-un, Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump and high hopes around the PyeongChang Olympics. In “Korea, A Hundred Years of War,” one can see many ups and downs, hopes and disappointments linked to inter-Korean relations. I think the key strength of this documentary film is that the past helps us grasp the present and vice versa.

Q. You have visited North Korea many times and built various connections with North Koreans. Do you think you've seen the real country behind its propaganda? Do you think their perceptions of South Korea have changed over time?

A. It is a question I have asked myself a lot during my initial trips to North Korea. Then I came to the point that what we call “propaganda” is, in fact, a part of real North Korea. The military parades and Arirang mass games are a part of the social life. I have also been to rural areas, farms, mountains and private flats. So I saw many other aspects of what you might call “the real North Korea.” I would say that 20 years after the “Sunshine Policy,” North Koreans know much more about South Korea than before ― ranging from K-pop and TV dramas to fashion and politics. I think they are also much more aware about the complexity of South Korean society.

Q. Compared with the first time you went to North Korea, have you been granted more freedom of movement?

A. Definitely. The first time we had to ask our minders for everything. Now people are much more used to interacting with foreigners. In the last few years, they seemed to have more individual space to enjoy their daily lives. My last trip was in summer 2018 when I filmed quite a lot of scenes for another documentary film called “Have Fun in Pyongyang,” which touches on the daily lives and entertainments of North Korean civilians. We filmed quite a lot in Pyongyang and in the countryside, in Wonsan, Kumgang, Mount Paektu and other places. I loved filming singing contests in the countryside, people having fun at beaches and rehearsing for parades. Many interviews with North Korean civilians were really interesting. I am not sure this would have been possible a decade ago.

Q. I heard North Koreans were concerned about being portrayed negatively, and so you had to show them the final product. How did you persuade them to share their side of story? Have you ever been chastised for asking sensitive questions or filming too much?

A. It was not my point to show North Korea in a good or bad light. I am telling facts, and we said from day one we would make the film we wanted without any outside interference, including all questions about the Korean War, the famine in North Korea and human rights issues. The problem was to convince North Koreans to participate. Their fear was that whatever they say or do, their side of the story will not be taken seriously. They felt most Western films only portray North Koreans as the “evil” guys. So the most important thing was to establish trust. I said I would crosscheck every information I got and would listen to all arguments, including theirs. It took us a lot of discussions, but we ended up interviewing very unique, high-ranking officials. It was the first time the DPRK would grant such long interviews to a Western documentary team. Although they didn't agree with everything we said, they felt their point of view was honestly represented.

Q. In your opinion, what's the biggest thing South Korea gets wrong about North Korea?

A. That's a tough question. Maybe South Koreans should be careful not to think they are bigger, richer, more open and better than North Koreans. One does not choose where one is born. And I think both sides underestimate how similar they are. Of course, when they look at each other, people in both countries mainly see the differences (in fashion, language, habits among others). But as a foreigner who has been traveling quite a lot in the world, I can tell you that South and North Koreans are quite similar in many ways.

Q. What crossed your mind after watching news on North Korea blowing up the inter-Korean liaison office on June 17?

A. Following inter-Korean politics for 20 years, I have learned to mistrust the most optimistic and the most pessimistic predictions. Of course, it is sad and symbolically harsh, though it is less dangerous than any kind of cross-border shooting. It could mean that for whatever reasons ― internal problems, a change of policy toward the South, disappointment that the promises of earlier summits weren't implemented or maybe all of those factors have faded the moment of engagement. I still hope South Korean tourists can visit North Korea again, businesspeople can cooperate and separated families can meet again. I fear that the momentum is lost. Who knows when the next leaders of both Koreas and the United States will be trying to resume talks again.

Q. Like you mentioned in the film, most South Koreans (especially the younger generation) are not optimistic about reunification. Do you think peaceful reunification is possible?

A. I don't see anybody who wants a forced reunification. Nobody wants war. So there is no other option than a peaceful reunification. The only other possibility would be to change the constitution and to let the two countries become like Germany and Austria today ― quite different but with a common past, similar language and culture. It is up to Koreans, from both sides, to decide.

“Korea: A Hundred Years of War” is currently playing in arthouse cinemas nationwide.