Masterclass on Screen Adaptation: A Conversation Between Chung Seo-kyung and Fruit Chan 

People say that the script is the beating heart of any film. In this rare meeting between two fiercely creative minds, Hong Kong’s premier indie filmmaker Fruit Chan and acclaimed screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung will share their unique insights into literary adaptations, what inspired them for their groundbreaking forays into the horror genre, and what their respective film industries can learn from each other.

Mrs. Li (Miriam Yeung) is an aging actress with a stalling career and a cheating husband (Tony Leung Ka-fai). To rescue her career, she turns to Aunt Mei (Bai Ling), whose famous dumplings are known for their rejuvenating abilities, for help. However, the horrifying contents and amazing effectiveness of Mei’s dumplings drive Mrs. Li to take extreme measures for the sake of eternal youth. Originally made as a part of the Peter Chan-produced omnibus Three... Extremes (2005) – which also features a short by Thirst director Park Chan-wook – this slow-burn adaptation of the novella by Rouge and Farewell My Concubine author Lillian Lee (who also wrote the script) is a chilling body horror film on human vanity about youth and beauty. For her creepy turn as Mei, Bai Ling won Best Supporting Actress at both the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Thirst  |  Director: Park Chan-wook

Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) is a well-meaning Catholic priest who volunteers for a vaccine experiment in Africa. In the process, he receives a life-saving blood transfusion that also turns him into a vampire. As his thirst for blood grows, so too does his desire for Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin), the abused wife of his childhood friend. Loosely based on Thérèse Raquin – Émile Zola’s novel about a doomed adulterous love affair – the deliciously macabre script by director Park Chan-wook and Chung Seo-kyung plays with traditional vampire film tropes for a provocative and darkly comical story of a repressed man’s carnal awakening and very bloody pursuit for eternal life. Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, Park’s thrilling take on the horror genre is also one of his sexiest films.

Instructors' Bios

Chung Seo-kyung

Chung Seo-kyung is regarded as one of the best film and television writers of Korea today. Her legendary and timeless works with Korean director, Park Chan-wook, have captivated audiences around the world. These films include The Handmaiden (2016), Thirst (2009), I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006) and Lady Vengeance (2005). She has been bestowed with screenwriting awards from the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards and the Sitges Film Festival, and has also been nominated for best screenwriting awards at the Asian Film Awards, Baek Sang Art Awards, San Francisco Film Critics Circle and several other awarding bodies. Her latest film collaboration with Park is Decision to Leave.

Fruit Chan

Fruit Chan entered the film industry in the 1980s and worked as an assistant director for several films. He is an all-round filmmaker – as a director, a screenwriter, producer and editor. In 1997, he directed the groundbreaking independent fiction feature, Made in Hong Kong, winning the Special Jury Prize at the Locarno Film Festival, and multiple Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards, bringing him international recognition and acclaim. He went on to direct the Handover Trilogy and the Prostitution Trilogy, which were screened at film festivals abroad and garnered many awards. His oeuvre includes commercial fare such as Dumplings (2004), The Midnight After (2014) and Coffin Homes (2021). He has also made a documentary, My City (2015), on the iconic Hong Kong writer, Xi Xi.