From Subtitles To Indies: Darcy Paquet Captures The Best Of Korean Cinema
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Puckett, who grew up in Massachusetts, said, “The movies I've seen have been better than I expected. “And yet I would go on the Internet and look for information, and there would be nothing in English. So I decided to make a site about Korean cinema, better than nothing.
Launched in 1999, Koreanfilm.org is so "better than nothing" that it has become a source of useful movie news in English for moviegoers around the world. The site became the hallmark of Puckett's journalism career, providing Korean cinema coverage for publications such as Cine24 and eventually translating subtitles for award-winning Korean films such as Bong Joon-ho and Hirokazu Korea's Parasite . Or a broker.
"I got lucky with the timing," Puckett said. “I started writing about Korean cinema when Korean cinema reached the whole world. It was a time when the world had a great thirst for knowledge about Korean cinema, and few could impart this knowledge.
Paquet began his career as a translator, editing English translations and occasionally translating with a Korean friend. "Ten years ago, I felt my Korean was at the same level as when I was drawing my first drawing," he said. And even today many people appreciate my work.
He has worked with many CEOs in Korea over the past decade and notes that each experience is unique.
"I think executives are very sensitive to the nuances of translation and understand how important it is," says Puckett. “Bong Joon Ho is very practical when it comes to acting. He sent me four pages of notes before he started and a few more letters after he finished. Then we sat in front of the screen for two days, going through translation lines with the producers and other people from CJ. It was a very intense process. It is very helpful and interesting, I can always ask anything that interests me.
Directed by Kore Eda, The Broker presented a special challenge because the script was originally written in Japan. According to Paquette, Kore-ida understands some Korean, but mostly works through a translator, suggesting improved subtitles.
"The biggest issue for me as a broker was tone," says Puckett. Because I think Cory Eda is a director who can really walk the line between being too sentimental and being too sentimental and knows how to stay on the right side of the line. And it is very easy to find this error in translation. You have to be very specific about where you place the volume. That was the biggest problem with the film."
According to Puckett, subtitling is different from any other type of translation. “Audiences can hear the actors speak, they can feel great emotions from the screen. Translation should complement this. I follow the performance very closely when I comment. It often seems to me that I am interpreting the performance, not the text. You also have to be aware of things like time."
When an actor reacts to certain information, the actor must ensure that the audience interacts with the actor at the same time.
"In general, I think a lot about character relationships and how characters develop through the story," Puckett said. “Speech reflects everything in the character's mind. I should try to figure out what's on the surface and make sure I reflect as much as I can.
New Korean Movie Pack . in the year
"I think Korean filmmakers are aware of international audiences these days," says Puckett. "And directors like Park Chang Wook and Bong Joon Ho make films for international audiences in Korean or English."
But perhaps the biggest change is the growing number of independent films in Korea. To celebrate these independent films, Puckett founded the Wildflower Film Awards, an independent film festival.
"The independent sector is very dynamic," he said. "Making at least 100 films a year with an amazing acting career. Every year there is new exciting talent, but they are definitely overlooked to some extent. Every year is a time to celebrate the success of these filmmakers."
The package will participate in the London Korean Film Festival, which runs until November 17. He signed up as an expert, participated in a Q&A post-screening of The Broker, and introduced two independent films. One of his films is called Hot Day, Cold Night.
"There are so many independent films these days that show how ordinary people struggle with money and this film does it with humor," he said. “He has real advantages, but it's not ironic. or negative heat."
It represents a lonely island in a distant sea.
"It's about a young woman, a talented artist, but she leaves art and goes to a Buddhist temple," says Paquette. “It's about his relationship with his father. He asks many questions about important things in life.
In his ten years with Korea Packet, Hong Sang-soo has appeared in several dramas and films, including the 2020 film The Woman Who Run Away. His part-time acting career was an accident.
"I lived in Korea and met a lot of directors," he said. “Working with subtitles, and as a journalist and at film festivals. Finally, I urgently found a director who wanted a foreign actor and entered the theater. So when other directors see it, it's, oh, Darcy. When they need cheap foreign actors they call me which no one asks.
He is very happy to participate in the London Film Festival to introduce Korean cinema to a wider audience.
"Each festival has its own program and its own relationship with its audience," says Puckett. “A festival like this can delve deeper into the different styles of Korean filmmaking. I think he knows what's new and exciting in Korean cinema.
