On Saturday, November 29th, at 1:20 p.m., The Killers was screened in Venue 1 at NTT CRED Hall.
The film consists of four short episodes created by four graduates of the Film Department at Seoul Institute of the Arts: directors Kim Jong-kwan, Roh Deok, Jang Hang-jun, and Lee Myung-se.
This project was brought to life when director Lee Myung-se invited the other three alumni to collaborate.
What the four episodes share in common is that each director created their own interpretation of Ernest Hemingway’s short story “The Killers” as the motif for their piece.
Additionally, there are elements that connect the four episodes—such as references to Edward Hopper’s painting Nighthawks, the use of a set inspired by it, and actress Shim Eun-kyung appearing in different roles across the stories.
Our guest for the talk session was director Kim Jong-kwan, who helmed the episode Metamorphosis.
He has participated in talk events at the Hiroshima International Film Festival in previous years with Josée (2021), Shades of the Heart (2022), and A Distant Place (2023).
While Kim’s past works have often explored themes such as human drama, melodrama, love, memory, and the delicate fluctuations of emotion, Metamorphosis stands out as an exception. Drawing inspiration from films he watched in his childhood, he created a work rooted in horror motifs such as vampires and blood.
Despite its horror elements, the film is crafted to be approachable, incorporating moments of gentle humor that bring a smile to the audience.
As for the connection to his previous works, he noted that he made a conscious effort to maintain a style in which the story unfolds through dialogue between two characters within a single space.
Speaking about lead actress Shim Eun-kyung, Kim shared:
“She is very unique, so it took some time for me to adjust. Directors use actors as tools, so her uniqueness became a very stimulating presence for me.”
At the end of the talk session, he left the audience with this message:
“Each time I participate in the Hiroshima International Film Festival, I’m surprised—and delighted—to see it grow in scale. I hope to return next year with a feature film I plan to produce.”