Mr blockbuster of Korean cinema, Kang Je-gyu
Of Kang Je-gyu's four films, three have been blockbusters. He's gunning for more
Tomorrow marks 14 years since Shiri opened in Hong Kong. The spy action-thriller, widely considered South Korea's first blockbuster, arrived here after ousting Titanic as the box-office record holder at home.
But Shiri's stars were so little known in Hong Kong that posters promoting the film highlighted its explosive action rather than its actors.
While making the movie I did feel it might do quite well, but I did not expect it to become such an explosive hit
These days it's a different story: Han Suk-kyu (The Berlin File), Choi Min-sik (Oldboy), Song Kang-ho (Memories of Murder) and Kim Yun-jin (credited on the American TV series Lost as Yunjin Kim) are now household names in Hong Kong and around Asia.
Similarly, its director, Kang Je-gyu, has gone on to win greater recognition. Even though his output is relatively sparse with just four features, one of those is Taegukgi, a 2004 war epic that also broke box-office records at home.
Kang was in town recently for special presentations of his latest film, My Way, at the University of Hong Kong, and Shiri as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival's Cine Fan programme.
The 50-year-old filmmaker also took part in a question-and-answer session with his Shiri audience. When he learned that a large percentage of the audience was watching the film for the first time, Kang was happy to explain its impact.