FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES Presents In ... - Central-Kino

small number of characters and it takes place over a short period of time. The constant tension
almost suffocates. Something is about to explode, like a kettle of boiling water with the lid on
tight. A story that takes place in a confined space becomes a small universe unto itself.
“I also liked the fact that it was not a story that revolves around dialogue,” the director
continues. “That was an advantage for my first English-language film. My Korean language films
have not been dialogue-oriented either, so I was already comfortable with telling the story in a
more visual way.”
The script fits well into the director’s existing oeuvre, according to co-producer Wonjo
Jeong. “Director Park’s films are very reflective,” he says. “They deal with right and wrong, and
where the line lies between them. His characters are torn between their choices. And every choice
has consequences. He subverts the conventions of narrative, and in doing so, draws us into the
questions about social class, ethics, morality and religion.”
Park also cites the influences of filmmakers such as David Lynch, David Cronenberg and
the sleek, sexy stylized world of Brian De Palma as well as writers Edgar Allen Poe, M. R.
James, and Wilkie Collins.
“In STOKER, which is a microscopic observation of these people and their universe, he
tells a bigger story about the world at large,” continues Jeong. “The characters are flawed, much
as we are all flawed. By putting them in such extreme circumstances, he’s reflecting experiences
that everyone goes through in life, but in such a vivid and dark mirror that we want to look more
closely.”
AN UNUSUAL FAMILY
Casting Stoker
Over the past two decades, Park Chan-Wook has established a rotating troupe of actors
with whom he works regularly in Korea. He has developed an intensely collaborative method of
working hand-in-hand with his favorite performers to flesh out and fully define the unusual and
original characters that people his films. For his first American movie, he had to put together a
new creative family of actors with the same kind of sensitivity, intelligence and talent.
“I am especially excited for audiences to see this film for the performances by these
wonderful actors,” says the director. “They are each at different stages of their lives and careers,
and are rather different kinds of actors from each other. Seeing how they come together so
successfully is worth experiencing.”
For Park, STOKER is primarily a coming-of-age story for India. “She is an introverted
girl confined in a suffocating house, unable to mix with anyone outside,” he says. “She is very
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