'Pieta' Kim Di Duk Explains Inspiration For Film, English Translation [VIdeo]

"Pieta" director Kim Di Duk explained the meaning and inspiration behind the South Korean film Kim Di Duk that won the golden lion at the Venice Film Festival.  The english translation text of what he said at the festival is provided below.  

Director Kim Di Duk:

In Korea, Greek tragedy is well known, there are many plays, they continue to be performed in theaters.  For example, Electra, but I think that the stories of the Greek tragedies belong more to the field of human feelings and relationships between families.  

In this film, I particularly want to speak about extreme capitalism and the consequences it can have and has in interpersonal dynamics, and in which way these human relations are then transfigured, transformed, and completely modified also in a negative sense.  

About the title, I have been twice to the Vatican and I saw the masterpiece by Michelangelo. and obviously I have nothing to say about the beauty and the value of the work of art. but what I refer to is the embrace of the Virgin Mary who as the mother embraces her son, who died on the cross, and I brought with the image of this embrace for many years. which is the image of an embrace for all human kind. An embrace for pain and suffering inherent in the entire human race. thus representing an understanding and a sharing of this pain.  This is the reason why I chose this title for my film.  

There are three main characters in my film.  Two actors and also money that is the third protagonist.  I don't agree with the statement that money doesn't seem important.  To the main character, because in fact due to money, the two protagonists, mother and son, end up meeting each other.

To answer the question about pity, about feeling pity for the torturer and the victim, that is if it should be the same: in every one of us, there is a part of victim and a part of torturer.  Depending on the situation, everything can change. But we are victim and torturer simultaneously.  

Director Kim Ki Duk received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.  When he received the award, he broke out into a Korean song.  Click here to find out the lyrics and translation to the song he sang.