By Sa Eun-young
Staff Reporter
Camera d'Or winner, Israeli film director Etgar Keret, 40, describes his success at the Cannes Film Festival this year as ``a little bit like a fairy tale." He won the prestigious award for best first feature for the film ``Jellyfish,'' together with his wife, Shira Geffen.
Keret was in Korea to attend the 12th Pusan (Busan) Interntional Film Festival (PIFF) and he showed great enthusiasm for the international fiesta.
``The film festival was amazing. I've been to the biggest film festival but it is as great as Cannes. It is huge and has wonderful movies,'' he said in an interview with the Korea Times at a Seoul hotel Tuesday.
Speaking of wonderful movies, PIFF was the stage for the Asian premiere of ``Jellyfish,'' which helped Keret see his film from a new perspective.
``It's the first time I saw an Asian audience seeing my film and the way they look at things is obviously different. There are cultural differences, like there are places where in Europe they laugh, and here they don't, and the other way around,'' he said.
The writer-turned-director, who was humble and down-to-earth despite his noted achievements, shared that he felt more at home as a writer. Keret is also internationally acclaimed as a writer of unconventional short stories.
He stepped into filmmaking when he read the script for ``Jellyfish,'' which was written by his wife, because he wanted to make sure it wasn't changed to belong to a certain genre_ when it doesn't really fit a category at all.
``My prime incentive to direct was really my wish that the screenplay would be realized as I imagined when I read it, and that it won't be changed into something that is less unique'' Keret said.
The critically acclaimed ``Jellyfish,'' which will be screened here next spring, draws on absurd happenings in modern-day life in Tel Aviv, which Keret hopes will be a chance for people unfamiliar with Israel to go beyond a cliched view of Israeli society.
The film is like an ``urban, modern day fairy tale. So it really doesn't take place in a concrete time with concrete issues. Although very local, at the same time it makes it very universal,'' he said.
Although more comfortable with writing, Keret showed affection for filmmaking, saying that the wonder of film is that it is a collaborative work with the ability to hit chords with the lives of so many people.
``It's not only about imposing your will or creating your piece of art like it is in a book, but it's about listening from the people you work with and learning from them how to improve.''
For both aspiring writers and filmmakers, he says that there is no need for great professional knowledge.
``They sometimes hide their unique voice in the attempt to do things the standard way. (But) I really think that what each person has to offer in the art is his unique take on things and that is something that should not be lost,'' he said.
Keret appreciates Jewish humor, which he prefers to the cynical and condescending type of humor that can often be found in films.
``The Jewish sense of humor's foundation is really love and warmth. When you hear the joke, you laugh, but at the same time you really appreciate how much love they have for the people they make the joke on,'' he said.
In the same way, Keret's works hold a sense of love and optimism, portraying a heart-warming view on the lessons of life.