Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Christopher Nolan brings 'The Odyssey' to Korea, champions big screen experience for fans
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan, second from left, poses with actors Charlize Theron, left, and Matt Damon, right, and producer Emma Thomas during a press conference for their movie "The Odyssey" at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
By Lee Hae-rin
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan said his long-awaited first visit to Korea with his new film "The Odyssey" is an opportunity to reaffirm why movie theaters still matter and continue to offer a collective experience and universal human themes that streaming platforms and small screens can never replace.
At a press conference held in Seoul, Monday, ahead of the film’s Wednesday release here, Nolan, who said he has “wanted to come to Korea for a very long time,” described cinema as a uniquely shared yet intimate art form.
“When you read the original book, it’s experiential. But going to the theater and sharing it with other people is both a personal and a collective experience,” he said. “The way the camera tells you the story is something other mediums can’t provide. I think it’s an experience only theaters, only films, can offer."
The film follows the 10-year voyage of the Trojan War hero Odysseus (Matt Damon) as he struggles to return home to Ithaca, confronting inner conflict and moral dilemmas that Nolan believes still resonate today.
Asked what message he hopes audiences will take away from the film, Nolan said he prefers to leave interpretations open.
“For me, movies work best when you let audiences come to them, experience them and find their own answers,” he said. “I hope people in Korea experience the film as it is … I’d like them to enjoy it as a great adventure story.”
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan, left, speaks during a press conference for his movie "The Odyssey" at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, Monday, with actor Matt Damon attending. Yonhap
Emma Thomas, who produced the film and joined Nolan for her first visit to Korea, highlighted what she sees as cinema’s fundamental power to unite.
“For me, movies and watching movies, it’s about connections with people,” she said. “The story of this movie is about connection and about the impact that we have on each other, whether that be thousands of years ago or today.”
Damon, who again plays a man fighting to return home after similar roles in Interstellar and The Martian, called the decision to shoot the entire film on IMAX a “tremendous undertaking” that forged deep bonds on set.
“There were hundreds of crew members working with us, people who’ve given their lives to making movies. Watching them work with such passion, I thought, ‘Everybody is here because they want to be here.’ It was an honor to work with a crew like that.”
From left, Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron and Emma Thomas attend the press conference for "The Odyssey" in Seoul, Monday before the film's local release. Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Charlize Theron, who plays the sea nymph Calypso, described theaters as a place where individual experiences turn into dialogue.
“I hope the film gives you a really good experience and sparks great conversations. People will have very different opinions about who Calypso is — some will see her as more villainous, others as a tragic hero. Hearing those different reactions is exciting for me,” she said.