Volkswacht Bodensee - Japan's 'master of horror' Kurosawa highlights 'B-movie' appeal

Celebrated Asian filmmakers including South Korea's Bong Joon-ho, the Oscar-winning director of "Parasite", admire 69-year-old Kurosawa, whose works are renowned for their keen observations and psychological depth.

Kurosawa received the BIFF Filmmaker of the Year award on Wednesday, joining previous winners such as renowned Hong Kong actors Tony Leung and Chow Yun Fat.

Genre-bending director Bong said in a video message he was a "long-time, diehard fan" of Kurosawa and recited a long list of films he has admired for years.

Film experts say Bong's work, particularly his 2003 crime thriller "Memories of Murder", has been heavily influenced by Kurosawa.

Jason Bechervaise, a professor at Hanyang University in Seoul, cited Kurosawa's 1997 horror movie "Cure" for "its extraordinary atmospherics and intensity".

"It shaped how Bong approached tackling the gruesome crimes... and its blend of genres," he told AFP.

Kurosawa is showcasing two new films, which he described as "genre B-movies", at BIFF: the violent thriller "Cloud" and "Serpent's Path", a French-language remake of his 1998 crime drama of the same name.

"There aren't many directors in Japan who create genre films like I do," Kurosawa told reporters on Thursday.

"It is regrettable as it's difficult to see such young directors in Japan."

Kurosawa said of Bong: "He has become so famous and a global master that it feels like he is up in the clouds, an untouchable figure."

He quipped about watching Bong's video message: "I thought, '(Bong) still considers me a friend'."

- Cinematic moments -

BIFF's chief programmer Nam Dong-chul said Kurosawa was "the director who most innovatively creates suspense in films".

"Even through a simple conversation between two characters, he generates incredibly chilling moments and deeply frightening instances, evoking a sense that something terrifying is about to unfold," Nam told AFP.

"Throughout his extensive filmography, he has crafted works that, rather than being mere genre films, reveal the essence of humanity through genre cinema."

"Serpent's Path" was remade because the 1998 original, which he worked on with scriptwriter Hiroshi Takahashi, made him feel it was not entirely his own.

"The script he created was exceptionally well-written and unique. I felt that the original movie was, in a sense, more influenced by Takahashi's style than my own," Kurosawa said.

He said he'd like to see more young talent in Japan explore genre cinema and its benefits.

"I believe that capturing moments that can only be conveyed through film is (what defines) the B-cinema genre," Kurosawa said.

When immersed in a movie like that "your eyes are completely glued to the screen, as if you're stuck to it, and you find yourself wanting to watch it again".

I.Stoeckli--VB