Cellist Yang Sung-won: "Completing" Beethoven On & Off Stage

(Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul)

Having recently released the country’s first recording of Beethoven’s complete cello sonatas, cellist Yang Sung-won and pianist Pascal Devoyon will give a rare marathon performance in Seoul, Nov. 4, along with shorter concerts in other cities. Before the two musicians begin their cross-country concert tour, Yang sat down with The Korea Times to discuss music and life, and stepping toward his dreams, in a coffee shop near a Seoul park. Tuesday.

Beethoven’s cello pieces are the first sonatas in the history of music to treat the cello as an equal partner for the piano. Recording the deaf maestro’s complete sonatas is meaningful in that one can ruminate the very essence of his life and works.

``For both Pascal and I, this kind of project (signifies) approaching one or two steps closer to our dreams. (Beethoven’s) pieces are like utopia -- you read about it, you study about it, perform it and you understand the piece. You can have your own utopia in your mind,’’ said the 40-year-old, with eyes glimmering. ``And when you’re performing it, the reality always walks along with us.’’

Yang is internationally renowned as a soloist and chamber musician, performing in prestigious concert halls in all corners of the world. A graduate of the Paris Conservatory and Indiana University, he currently lives in Seoul and teaches at Yonsei University School of Music.

``When the project came up (working with Pascal Devoyon) was an obvious and evident choice because our musical goals are in the same direction,’’ he said. Yang and Devoyon have been well acquainted, having attended music festivals together in France and Korea for the past six or seven years.

``And Pascal is somebody that I respect and admire a lot, as a pianist, as a musician and above all as a scholar as well,’’ said the cellist. Devoyon is a renowned pianist, appearing on stage with major world orchestras. He received the French government’s prestigious l’Ordre du merite as Chevalier in 2001 and currently teaches at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Beethoven’s five sonatas represent all of what is commonly considered his three periods, from the Classic period, when he was searching to find his own identity to get away from the shadow of Mozart and Hayden, and to have his own musical world; from the Romantic period, when Beethoven achieved his highest artistic goals; and finally the Spiritual period, ``where he really reaches out in his inner feelings and translates that into the art, which is called music,’’ said Yang.

When asked about what music means to him, he said, ``I was born in a musical family,’’ and explained that his father and older brother were both violinists. ``So from as far as I can remember back, we’ve had music in the house.

``Obviously, it’s my profession, but it’s a profession that I cannot live without.’’ Yet, he pointed out that as a performer it is a ``a constant challenge,’’ explaining that ``when the composer has completed his piece, for me that’s 50 percent complete. It’s exactly at the moment we’re performing it’s being complete… It’s our duty to be up to the level of the pieces we’re completing. In other words we try our best.’’

Despite having award winning recordings and a string of critically acclaimed performances under his belt, the cellist was very humble and emphasized repeatedly the importance of being earnest and keeping in shape.

Marathon Concert

Classical music buffs should not miss this occasion to spend almost half a day at an art hall, with two and a half hours -- plus alpha -- of Beethoven. Music critic Yoo Hyeong-jong will give the audience a brief historical background about Beethoven’s time and insight about the maestro as a human being. After an hour of the first two sonatas, a 15-minute intermission and the third piece, the audience can go on a one-hour dinner break to come back for the last two sonatas. The Mozart and Handel variations are ready as encore pieces, said Yang, if the audience is still willing to listen. So make sure to cheer on.

``There’s nothing to be scared of, to either digest the music they hear or rest a bit,’’ added Yang. ``We very much hope the audience will be actually witnessing the work being completed, and share with them -- I say share because we’re not just giving it to them, we’re playing for ourselves, too,’’ he said with a big hearty laugh.

The marathon performance will take place at LG Art Center, southern Seoul, beginning 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. Tickets cost 30,000 won-60,000 won. The hall is located near exit 7 of Yeoksam subway station on line 2. Call (02) 2005-0114 or visit www.lgart.com for reservations and information.

Yang and Devoyon will give three shorter performances outside of Seoul, Monday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., at Gimhae Art & Sports Center (www.gasc.or.kr); Wednesday, Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m., at Daegu Suseong Artpia (ssartpia.or.kr); and Tuesday, Nov. 6, 11:00 a.m. at Changwon Sungsan Art Hall (www.sungsan.or.kr). The repertoire will vary for each performance, so visit the Web sites for each respective concert hall near you. You can also call (02) 2187-6222.

Yang and Pascal will take their marathon concert to Japan next spring, but it will be a two-day concert this time.

John Cho Speaks About Being Asian in Hollywood

Oh my hotness John Cho, left, photo by moi, Hyo-won Lee for The Korea Times :)

BUSAN -- Korean-American actor John Cho, 35, is becoming a familiar name in the United States, especially for playing parts that don't have to be played by an Asian. Yet, there remains a challenging upward climb for Asian Americans in Hollywood, according to the star.

``First it's difficult being an artist, and it's difficult being an actor, period, and it's difficult being an Asian American actor. When I started acting… the community was largely Chinese American or Japanese American, so even then I felt like a minority in the minority,'' he told reporters during a private interview at a Busan hotel, Tuesday.

Cho was invited by organizers of the Asian Film Market, running in conjunction with the recently held 12th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival, as one of the guests of the Star Summit Asia.

``It's crazy now there are so many Korean-American actors,'' he said, explaining how amazing it is that the children of first generation Korean immigrants are entering the arts so fast. Asked if he is close with any of his fellow Korean-American actors, he said ``I avoid them. No, I'm kidding,'' drawing much laughter from the room. He said he is acquainted with actors Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh and his ``hero,'' comedian Margaret Cho.

Born in Seoul in 1972, Cho immigrated to the Los Angeles at the age of six. He stepped into the world of acting by chance in college, when he happened to be the same clothing size as an actor who wasn't able to play his part in a small production. Cho was majoring in English literature at U.C. Berkeley at the time.

Growing up in Los Angeles' Koreatown, Cho said he felt like a ``misfit'' and loved the theater because it was like a mecca for all people who didn't fit it. ``That's what I liked about (acting) then and that's what I like about it now,'' he said.

``I didn't think it was possible for Asians to be actors,'' he said. But things changed with his first professional role in a play called ``The Woman Warrior,'' written by Chinese-American Maxine Hong Kingston. ``When I met all these (Asian) professionals, it really opened a door for me.''

Yet, to this day there still exist deeply imbedded Asian stereotypes. ``I feel that there's a shift in the industry, that they're not seeing me as just my race; but they're seeing my personality and seeing me more as a person and an Asian in general,'' he said.

Cho was voted one of the 2006 ``Sexiest Men Alive'' by People magazine. ``I think that was a mistake… a typo… It's very nice, but it's difficult to take that sort of thing seriously. You know what, print `I am sexy,''' he told reporters, and the room burst into laughter.

In addition to popularizing the term ``MILF'' through his short but memorable appearances in the ``American Pie'' trilogy, Cho made a breakthrough in ``Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle'' by portraying a believable _ and funny _ Asian guy in a mainstream film. Harold is a dorky Korean-American investment broker coming to terms with personal struggles, being taken advantage of at work and having to deal with his parents' expectations to marry a Korean.

Some thought the film feeds upon Asian stereotypes, and to this, Cho said he saw it as being exactly the opposite. ``It was only a small segment of Asians who saw a nerd when it was actually an `everyman,' which is how they (the makers of the movie) wrote it and I approached it… I saw it as what Tom Hanks does (in his films).

``The least stereotypical part about the movie is having an Asian as a protagonist and not as a side character… Almost by virtue of being the main character, it negates being a stereotype,'' he said.

Despite Cho's comic roles onscreen, he was surprisingly serious _ though laid back and down to earth _ in person, and chose his words very carefully. ``People expect me to be funnier… be Mr. Chuckles. People treat me… like an old drinking pal,'' he said. ``It's actually a nice feeling because when you make people laugh, it makes them feel close to you,'' he told The Korea Times in a subsequent interview later on.

``I don't want to pat (Hollywood) on the back too much, because, although there's been progress, we have to measure it against where we should be and I still feel as though we're far behind where we need to be, even though there's cause to be optimistic,'' he said.

Cho pointed out the problem of actors agreeing to play an insulting or racist role in Hollywood, thereby endorsing those values. He said actors can advance change very simply and powerfully by ``saying no.''

``What if they audition 100 people and 100 actors said no. Then two things would happen: One is that they would know that what they wrote was offensive. They would know that. And secondly, they couldn't do it. So we take their tools away because we are their tools. So when we do stereotypical roles we are helping them, and so I think to turn that around, we should say no, and that's the most powerful tool that we have,'' he said.

Since his rise in popularity _ being one of the most searched names in Youtube, and appearing on popular TV shows like ``The Singles Table'' and ``Kitchen Confidential'' _ Cho has become a face for the Asian American community. Asked if he ever feels burdened about it, he said that he is sometimes ``jealous'' of white actors because ``they don't have to think about representing their race.

``We (Asian American actors) shouldn't have to do this. So it feels unfair. And yet, it is an opportunity. It just so happens that I'm in a position to, by some bizarre act of God, I'm in a position to change things… So I might as well do what I can,'' he said.



Mr. Cho in a scene from "West 32d"
(Courtesy of CJ Entertainment)

Cho also made his visit to Asia's largest film festival for his latest film ``West 32nd,'' in which he plays opposite Korea's favorite leading man Park Joong-hoon.

``This production was special because it was made by Koreans or Korean-Americans, so there was a real sense of family… To have an entire cast in a movie be Asian is unheard of, and to have an all-Korean cast is even more rare,'' he told The Korea Times.

His film ``Better Luck Tomorrow'' had tackled the ``model minority'' issue of Asian Americans being stereotyped as hard-working, social ladder climbers, who, unlike their black or Hispanic counterparts, don't need benefits such as Affirmative Action. The movie had even initiated a small campaign among Asian American college students in the New England area called ``Watch BLT (Better Luck Tomorrow).''

Cho played a troubled teenager in the movie, and about his own teenage experience growing up in Los Angeles' Koreatown, he said he was ``a little rebellious… but I don't know if it was more than normal,'' he said.

``You're trying to grow up and you don't want to be like your parents, and that gets mixed up with being Korean…They brought their values from Korea, and I accepted them because I didn't know anything more,'' he said about being Korean-American.

``But as I grow older, I feel more Korean every year, it's very strange,'' he said.

Although the media portrays the actor as a successful Korean American who set foot in Hollywood, Cho himself said: ``Maybe it's my neurosis, but I still don't feel settled,'' he said, adding that he would love to play roles he played as a child with his younger brother, like a cowboy or Superman.

`Lost' Star Daniel Dae Kim Feels Lucky About Success

Mr. Kim was uber nice, and much better looking in person. I was so glad to hear about the very understandable reasons for his strange Korean accent on "Lost." The interview had added dimension to it because his wife went to my school; they dated during college so he knew my school very well :)

Interviewing Daniel Dae Kim in Busan, during 2007 PIFF /Photo by Rachel Lee

Being an Asian American in Hollywood, Feeling Home in BusanBy Lee Hyo-wonStaff ReporterBUSAN -- For actor Daniel Dae Kim, who shot to international stardom through the hit ABC TV series ``Lost,'' the walk on red carpet at the 12th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival meant returning to his native town.

``I'll be honest. I was a little scared (walking down the red carpet). I'm used to it in the U.S. and Europe. But because I'm from here, it mattered a little bit more. I haven't felt that way in about four years… It was also the longest red carpet I've walked on,'' he said with a slight chuckle.

``I have very fond memories of this area -- my imo (aunt) still lives about half a mile away, my samchun's (uncle's) family lived up on the hill, and I was born in Seodaeshin-dong. I was telling my parents I was coming to Busan, and `Make your country proud,' they said,'' the 39-year-old said with a big hearty laugh.

Unlike his stern character Jin from ABC's hit TV series ``Lost,'' Kim was very down-to-earth and easy-going in person, flashing a bright smile every now and then. Voted one of the ``Sexiest Men Alive'' in 2005 by People Magazine, the actor's sharply chiseled features -- high cheekbones -- were just as charming in real person.

Kim had immigrated to the United States with his family as a baby, and grew up in New York and in Pennsylvania ever since. He said he is happy to back to the Haeundae area; he had spent about three months there in the early 1990s.

``Honestly, I feel like I'm home,'' ``It sounds so cheesy when I say it but I really feel a connection. You know, I'm so grateful, so 'bangaweo' (delightful and welcomed),'' he said, explaining that although he was raised in the U.S., he had to take off his shoes when he entered the house. ``My belief system comes from my parents, which is Korean,'' he said.

``The one thing I don't like about coming to Busan though, is that I've been trying to get ride of my saturi (local accent), and now I'm speaking with all my relatives and it's all coming back,'' he said, chuckling.

Ever since the ABC hit show started first airing, it was the talk of the town for not only starring two Korean actors in the main cast, but for also featuring dialogues in Korean. It naturally garnered much attention from Korean viewers, and sharp criticisms ensued when Kim spoke with a rather strange accent.

``I was criticized for my accent, and part of that is because of my Busan accent mixed with my American accent, so people thought I just did not know how to speak Korean at all… But you know, I like the saturi (accent),'' he said, agreeing that it's part of who you are. He added that his wife, with whom he's been married for 14 years, is from Seoul, so her relatives find his Busan-American accent hilarious.
After graduating from Haverford College, Kim made his acting debut in theatrical productions. He then went on to earn his M.F.A. from New York University and has starred in popular dramas such as ``ER'' and ``24,'' and has made guest appearances in ``Ally McBeal,'' ``The Practice,'' and ``Law & Order'' to name a few. Then came ``Lost,'' which would change his life forever.

``I know it's a cliche but I really do feel lucky. You know in the States, for Asian-American actors there aren't that many opportunities. To be on a show alone is lucky, but to be on a hit show that win awards and it's recognized all over the world, that's maybe once in a lifetime,'' he said.

Despite the initial negative feedback, the actor has become almost a household name here as the popularity of American dramas, called ``Mideu'' here, have skyrocketed in recent years.

``(Kim Yun-jin and I) are in a very fortunate position. I come to a place like this (PIFF), and I'm recognized by Korean fans, I consider myself very lucky,'' he said.

Kim's advice to aspiring actors is simple but to the point: ``Work hard. Because if you only get that opportunity once in your career, you have to be able to seize it, you have to be able to get that job because you may not get another chance. Because if you're not prepared, if you don't have the acting training, if you're not concentrating on yourself, that one chance might miss you and that will be the end,'' he said.

Having grown up in Easton, Pennsylvania, where there were virtually no Asians other than his family, Kim explained that he ``definitely had a sense of being an outsider growing up.'' But he would break stereotypes of Asian being quiet model students in high school: ``I did everything I could to fit in,'' said the actor, who was not only a football player but also class president.

Kim has won the Screen Actors Guild Award in 2006, and he was individually honored with an AZN Asian Excellence Award, a Mutlicultural Prism Award and Vanguard Award from the Korean-American Coalition, all for Outstanding Performance by an Actor.

Having been asked to represent the Asian-American community in many ways, Kim said that it was a great honor and privilege, saying ``Asian-American image is very important. When you're lucky enough to be in a position like that, you should do whatever you can to better it.''

Kim and family live mostly in Hawaii, the location for ``Lost.''

``Living in Hawaii is great. I love the fact that there are so many Asian people. I don't feel like a minority there. I think that it's the only place in the world where you can be Asian, be the majority and speak English,'' he said.

As for possibilities in the Korean entertainment business, Kim was very positive, though very careful, as he always is in choosing a good project where he can portray ``genuine, three-dimensional characters, rather than mere caricatures.'' But he also expressed concern about Koreans having negative impressions of ``gyopo'' or Korean-Americans dabbling in the Korean entertainment business and leaving poor images.

`Happiness’ Measures Cost of Love

"Happiness" (행복; Haengbok)
Directed by Hur Jin-ho (허진호)
Starring Hwang Jung-min (황정민), Lim Soo-jung (임수정)

This is one of my favorite movies. It features my favorite actor Hwang, and also beautiful music by violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill.

Love is pain, they say, and countless songs and stories croon about it time over time. Melodrama maestro Hur Jin-ho (``One Fine Spring Day,’’ 2001, ``April Snow,’’ 2005) does not disappoint in his fourth romance ``Happiness,’’ where he depicts love’s fleeting pleasures and lasting sting with poignant tenderness.

Things can’t get any worse for Yeong-jae (Hwang Jung-min), a heavy drinking, chain-smoking playboy: His nightclub goes bankrupt, his girlfriend deserts him and he might die from cirrhosis (point of interest: the club scene was shot in Apgujeong NB, which also closed its doors not too long ago).

He packs up everything and retreats to a rehabilitation center in the middle of nowhere, where he meets the most unexpected: true love. Eun-hi (Lim Soo-jung) suffers from fatally weak lungs, but despite her frail appearance she is stouthearted and takes care of the other patients. Yeong-jae and Eun-hi fall madly in love and move into a small house in the countryside. Each moment is filled with peace and Yeong-jae discovers a sweetness and profundity to life he never knew before.

Yet, ``for each ecstatic instant we must an anguish pay in keen and quivering ration to the ecstasy,’’ as Emily Dickinson wrote: As Yeong-jae regains his strength, he grows bored with country life and feels suffocated by Eun-hi’s devotion. Tempted by his friends and ex-girlfriend to return to the city, he leaves the woman that saved his life.

``Before, I couldn’t live without you, but now, you’re driving me crazy,’’ he tells her bitterly.

Actor Hwang Jung-min completely casts off his much-loved image as a passionately devoted husband in ``You are My Sunshine’’ (2005) as he trades in his boorish farmer clothes and potbelly for a dangerously sexy, chic urban look complete with a six-pack.

Although the film publicizes Hwang’s deterioration into a bad guy, his character, though contemptible at times, is far from being completely loathsome like Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Woody Allen’s ``Match Point’’ (2005) or Cho Jae-hyun in Kim Ki-deok’s ``Bad Guy’’ (2001).

``Happiness’’ is essentially a love story, but, at large, a realistic sketch of the human condition and a testimony of modern man’s dilemma. Weak-willed and lacking self-restraint, Yeong-jae is simply ordinary -- an antihero with completely normal, human flaws. You actually feel sympathetic for the guy who falls prey to the dark seductions of our oversexed, consumption-driven society.

The film is almost biblical in the sense that Eun-hi creates the prefect Garden of Eden for Yeong-jae, who is doomed to escape only to meet his downfall.

Even Su-yeon (Kong Hyo-jin), who leaves her dying boyfriend but later wants him back when he is recovered and with another woman, speaks to the no-strings-attached romance of our generation.

Lim Soo-jung personifies her character with such tenderness that you can never imagine anyone else playing the part. Compared with her previous role as a dying schoolgirl in ``…ing’’ (2003), the baby-faced actress makes a big step toward full-fledged ``womanhood,’’ and the snippet of the film’s love scene in its preview created quite a stir here.

Eun-hi is made of beauty in all its possible forms, with the tenderness of a guardian angel, devotion of a mother and the fervor of a passionate lover. Her almost too perfect character could have stopped short of being allegorical at best, but she becomes instantly terrestrial thanks to minute details that make all the difference. Any woman would be able relate to discreetly checking out one’s face in front of the man she pretends not to fancy.

``Happiness’’ is a memorable film that strikes both sense and sensibility -- leaving you to ruminate the nature of love while leaving a resonating vibe in your heart.

Coming to theaters Oct.3.

Middle-Aged Men Escape, Onscreen

A lineup of heartwarming family movies await audiences with Korea's thanksgiving holiday Chuseok around the corner. Among them, ``Bravo My Life,'' ``The Happy Life'' and ``Wild Hogs,'' show that one can never be too late to rock 'n' roll or hit the road on bikes. The latent spirit of youth awakens in middle-aged men, providing much laughter and tears for audiences of all ages, especially fathers.

White-collar Band Sings `Bravo My Life'

Four veteran actors, Baek Yoon-sik (``Art of Fighting,'' 2000), Park Jun-qu (``My Wife is a Gangster 2,'' 2003) and Ihm Ha-ryong (``Welcome to Dongmakgol,'' 2005) make breakthrough lead performances in ``Bravo My Life,'' now showing in theaters. Inspired by the true story of a group of white-collar rockers Gapgeunse (Grade A Earned Income Tax) Band, the movie traces the depressing retirement of Min-hyuk (Bae Yoon-sik).

Diligent but far from ambitious, 50-year-old Min-hyuk dedicated 30 years to his firm. Awaiting his retirement ``due to old age'' in 30 days, the man sighs deeply, saddened by the ``three tragedies of modern man: Having to retire while still young, breaking one's back to earn children's tuition fees and not even being able to die because of a longer lifespan.''

While Min-hyuk's employees prepare a special farewell gift for him, hidden talents of fellow workers are unveiled: Min-hyuk was once an aspiring rocker, with a flair for drumming, while Seung-jae and Seok-won turn out to be guitarists, and Jong-su is a saxophone player.

These four unlikely white-collar workers form a rock band and relive the glory of their youth, adding color and rhythm to their dull, monotonous lives.

Friends Celebrate `The Happy Life'

``The Happy Life'' thoroughly resembles ``Bravo,'' with four men reliving their youth by forming a rock band. Even one of the characters, Hyeok-su, also a gireogi father like ``Bravo's'' Seung-jae, and also has a pet turtle for company. Here, another set of four veteran actors, including one former child star, give life to colorful characters. ``King and the Clown's'' director Lee Joon-ik and male lead Jung Jin-young get back together in ``Bravo.'' Jung plays the role of an unemployed father, Gi-yeong, who lives on a daily allowance from his working wife while trying hard not to embarrass his teenage daughter. One day, he reunites with members of his college rock band Volcano at the funeral of their lead vocalist Sang-woo.

Former bass play Seong-wook lives a hand-to-mouth existence working two jobs while trying to maintain his upper-middleclass lifestyle. One-time drummer Hyeok-su makes a living selling secondhand cars to support his wife and children in Canada. Gi-yeong is inspired one day to revive Volcano: After much persuasion, the band regroups for the first time in 20 years, with the late vocalist's young son Hyeon-jun, played by grown up child-star Jang Geun-seok.

Although Volcano members manage to escape the mundane while onstage, they must face the anticlimactic moments of reality offstage. If an exciting rock performance is like a much-needed breath of fresh air for ``Bravo,'' it's like a sigh for ``Happy.'' While the drama culminates through the grand finale performance of ``Bravo,'' ``Happy'' shows how these men deal with ordinary life after tasting the sweet sensation of the stage spotlight.

Like ``Bravo,'' ``Happy'' celebrates friendship and family values, and shows that what is often called a mid-life crisis is but a small bump on the road. ``Happy'' will open across theaters Thursday.

Wild Hogs' Hit the Road

Four Hollywood favorites _ John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy _ shine in the sliver screen as four middle-aged, suburban biker-wannabes.

In Cincinnati, dentist Doug Madsen (Time Allen) is bored with his middle-class life and reminisces his reckless youth when he was known as ``the Golden Biker.'' The aspirant writer Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence) is miserable with his dead-end job and pressure from his wife. The computer geek Dudley Frank (William H. Macy) is painfully shy and unsuccessful with women. The wealthy Woody Stevens (John Travollta) is married to asupermodel, but his perfect life starts breaking apart unexpectedly.

Equipped with black leather gear and shiny motorcycles, four friends embark on an adventurous road trip, but ``a lot can happen on the road to nowhere.'' The movie provides endless laughter as these ``Wild Hogs'' get more than they bargained for when they encounter a New Mexico gang.

Showing exclusively at Cinus Theaters.

Inspiration of `My Father' Speaks About Family, Love

One of the most formidable people I've ever met.

Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Adopted by a loving American family at the age of six in 1979, Aaron Bates returned to Korea as an American soldier and began a search for his birth family. Years later, Bates was finally able to reunite with his ``biological'' father, who was a death row inmate.

But the fact that his father was a murderer did not bother him. Nor that they may be biologically unrelated.

``Love never fails, love conquers all,'' the adoptee told The Korea Times Tuesday at a Seoul hotel, while visiting for the release of the film inspired by his story ``My Father,'' starring Daniel Henney and Kim Young-chul.

``I try to see everything on the positive side. I couldn't wait to spend time with (my father). I said, well, this could be my last time. I didn't want to waste a golden opportunity,'' said the devout Christian, recalling the time he was about to see his father for the first time in 2000.

In 2003, a KBS documentary entitled ``My Father'' touched the hearts of many as it traced Bates' search. The film version has fictionalized parts ``but it captures the essence of my life,'' he said after watching the film the same evening.

``The only thing I asked (the makers of the film) is that they show the utmost respect to my father, to the victim's family, to my family and to have those positive results like adoption works, family values and love.

``The movie was truly heartfelt; I don't cry often but I choked up,'' he said. ``It was fantastic.'' Bates also met the lead actor, and said ``He's not just a pretty face. He's very emotional in his role, he really thinks about his role and really understands… The two actors (Henney and Kim Young-chul) were exceptional… The other actors are very important too, like the guy who plays So-young (Kim In-kwon).

``I'm still in awe this is really happening. It's a great privilege,'' he said. ``I hope (the movie) does wonders, not so much financially, but transmitting the message about love, forgive and forget, and you don't need to be blood to be part of a family,'' he said.

``Growing up, I was blessed in everything. It was just like being part of a (normal) family... When you love someone so much you don't see what their eyes, skin color are like. I'll never get rid of my skin color, my eyes… But if someone's really that keen about it, it bothers them, then I just don't associate with them. Those people are biased and they have their own prison _ they can't look outside the box,'' he said.

In the movie, James Parker could no longer date his Caucasian girlfriend because her parents thought he was ``different.'' Bates, too, broke up with a girlfriend because she did not want mixed-race children.

While stationed in the Unites States army base here, Bates was assisted by his KATUSA (Korean Augmentation Troops to the U.S. Army) buddy Kim So-young, to search for his family.

Kim also flew in from Canada for the movie premiere, and Bates said the character Joseph, modeled after his friend and played by actor Kim In-kwon, impressed him.

After Bates had left Korea and was undergoing special training in Washington, he received news about his biological father. He had to wait a few months to meet his father, until his training ended and he got special permission from the army to return to Korea.

Before the reunion the two corresponded through letters. Bates knew his father was in prison, but it was en route to the reunion, at the Gwangju train station, that he learned his father was on death row. ``It was shocking. Yes, he is a murderer. But we have a story because of our situation. I want to emphasize, though, that (the movie) is not about him. It's more about the relationship,'' he said.

``When people dwell in the past, it consumes you,'' said Bates, an optimist who does not feel anger about past evils. ``The fact that I could see my dad, that I could hold him, knowing that my search was not in vain, and if he died tomorrow, if he were executed tomorrow, I was very satisfied to know that I was able to hold my father. Not only for my sense of self-gratification, also for (my father).

``(My father) is in prison, he's in despair.'' Bates explained that the man suffers ``two imprisonments'' from his own guilt and physical detention. ``But now he has hope. If I were in that situation, I would love to see my son for the last time, and knowing that everything's OK.''

``My Father'' depicts the reunion, as it was in real life, a hectic affair with incessant camera flashes and reporters asking the bewildered young man to bow to the father in the traditional style, hug him and say I love you.'

``Yes, it was (theatrical)… But looking at the bright side of things, if it weren't for (the media) I wouldn't have been able to hold my dad for the first time; it would have been behind the glass.'' The media attention allowed the two to meet in a special room.

Yet, the KBS documentary also revealed a DNA test that showed Bates was not biologically related to his father. Bates' father Seo was married to Bates' biological mother at the time she gave birth to him. Although they may not be blood-related, he said, ``When you love someone so much, it really doesn't matter.''

``I went to see my father (last Monday), but they wouldn't let me, saying I'm not his real son.'' Fortunately, before leaving Korea in 2001, Bates had listed his name under the family registrar. Only when he presented the paperwork did the prison grant his visit. ``Everything happens for a reason,'' he said.

When asked about what enabled him to share his extraordinary yet very private story, Bates said, it was so that he could ``share with people… My life is beautiful. I'm an adopted kid, I have a loving family, adoption works, to give hope to kids like me. The media is a very powerful tool.''

Bates has been out of the military since 2002, and now works as an insurance agent. His incredible life experience does not end with ``My Father.'' The man stands firmly on two feet despite suffering a disc problem last year, which usually results in one being confined to a wheelchair. He lives in Arizona with his wife and nine-month-old son.

>>Read the movie review of "My Father."

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2007/09/141_9821.html

`My Father’ Paints Many Faces of Love

Among e-mails from readers were those from a Belgian woman whose young son is a Korean adoptee. She wanted to watch the film.... which is highly recommended for everyone, not just people of a certain familial background.

They say here that familial love flows downstream like a river, from parent to child. The depths of parental love for one's own child are universally deemed unconditional and immeasurable. While one cannot quantify love, love can also travel upstream, from child to parent, with great momentum.

``My Father,'' directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk and starring Daniel Henney and Kim Young-cheol, explores the multifaceted meaning of family, love, forgiveness and acceptance.

Inspired by a true story, the ``faction'' film (a combination of fact and fiction) traces the incredible journey of an adoptee searching for his birth family. Adopted by a loving American family at the age of five, the 27-year-old James Parker (Henney) joins the United States army and is stationed in Korea where he searches for his birth family. With the help of his KATUSA (Korean Augmentation Troops to the U.S. Army) roommate and buddy, Joseph (Kim In-kwon), James makes a television appearance and is able to locate traces of his past.

James finally finds his birth father Nam-cheol (Kim), the only surviving member of his biological family. But the highly anticipated reunion is far from touching, as it takes place in a local prison, under the chaotic flashes of cameras and reporters incessantly asking the bewildered young man to hug Nam-cheol and say ``I love you.'' The father is in his 10th year on death row for the murder of two people.

Despite all the odds, James learns to fully accept his father.

``Father'' is like a cup of coffee: The story is deeply rooted in the bitter-sweetness of reality, touching upon heavy, controversial issues from adoption -- Korea, while being a top global economy, is the fourth largest ``exporter of babies'' -- to local troubles with the U.S. army and the death penalty. Yet, the film possesses a deep, smooth aftertaste, filled with the aromatic moments of life as it fathoms the meaning of family and friendship.

The cinematography captures this dual nature, as a soft ray of sunlight fills stark, barren prison cells with warmth. Jo Geun-hyeon, art director of visually striking films like ``A Tale of Two Sisters'' (2003), transforms mundane spaces like the army base and squalid street corners into places resonating with life.

While the most gripping aspect of the film is the father-son love between James and Nam-cheol, the profound love in James' adopted family is equally touching. Families take on many forms, but love transcends all, blood-related or not. The strong, family-like friendship between James and Joseph is also heartfelt.

Henney, dubbed ``Korea's heartthrob'' with his chiseled, modern-day Prince Charming image molded through appearances in ``My Name is Kim Sam-soon'' (MBC, 2005) and ``Seducing Mr. Perfect'' (2005), has found his breakthrough role as an actor.

The model-turned-screec star gives a surprising performance as he delivers the complex emotional state of his character, through jerking tears, frustrated bursts of anger and awkward embraces with his father.

The contemptible yet sympathy-provoking Nam-cheol is brought to life by veteran actor Kim Young-cheol. The star of epic TV dramas like ``Taejo Wanggeon'' (KBS1, 2000) delivers, with much finesse, his first lead role on the big screen. The 54-year-old took off about 22 pounds and even had his teeth ground up to become a prisoner.

Noted in the international film circle through shorts, director Hwang Dong-hyuk makes his feature film debut. In addition to anticipating more three-dimensional roles from Henney, film buffs can expect more full-length movies from the up-and-coming director.

>>Read my interview with Aaron Bates, the inspiration of the true story.