Korea’s Yi Seung-jun to Direct Olympics Film ‘Crossing Beyond’
South Korean director Yi Seung-jun has been appointed to direct “Crossing Beyond,” the official film about the Winter Olympics.
Yi, whose 2011 “Planet of Snail” won the best film award for a feature-length documentary at IDFA, began preliminary shooting in the weeks before the Winter Olympic Games got under way late last week. The games are being held in Pyeongchang, South Korea and run until Feb. 25.
“The storyline will follow select athletes from diverse backgrounds as they navigate the 2018 Games, preparing themselves physically and mentally to take on the world’s leading athletes and represent their home countries to the best of their ability,” said the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage in a statement.
“Through the powerful stories of the athletes, the film explores an aspiration that we all share, to cross beyond the reality and to move forward to a better future,” said Yi. “I didn’t want to make a typical sports film. In the middle of research, we found this poem (by Ham Min-bok). ‘Flowers bloom on every border, this line inspired us instantly and provided a strong perspective.
Gary Byung-Seok Kam (“Breathing Underwater,” “Planet of Snail”) produces the film, with Kim Ok-Young serving as executive producer. The film is due to be completed in fall 2018.
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