The Handmaiden on The Q&A Podcast

Host Jeff Goldsmith of The Q&A Podcast recently spoke with Park Chan-wook about the director's latest film, the stunningly beautiful, erotic psychological thriller, The Handmaiden.

Jeff always delivers fascinating, in-depth interviews with filmmakers working in the entertainment industry today, and ScreenCraft is a proud sponsor of The Q&A Podcast during this Awards season.

Park Chan-wook is a celebrated South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. He is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, which includes 2002's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, 2003's Oldboy and 2005's Lady Vengeance. His films are noted for their immaculate framing, black humor and often brutal subject matter.

Among Park's biggest fans is American director Quentin Tarantino. As the head judge at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, he personally pushed for Park's Oldboy to be awarded the Palme d'Or; it eventually garnered the Grand Prix, the second-highest honor in the competition. Tarantino also regards Park's Joint Security Area to be one of "the top twenty films made since 1992."

Park's latest film, The Handmaiden, is adapted from the novel Fingersmith by Welsh writer Sarah Waters. Park co-wrote the adaptation with Chung Seo-kyung, changing the setting from the Victorian era to Korea under Japanese colonial rule. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and currently has a 93% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are raving, describing the film as "visually sumptuous and absorbingly idiosyncratic."

The Q&A Podcast interview is done with the help of translator-producer Wonjo Jeong, and is well worth a listen for aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers everywhere. Enjoy!