CCF Night 2016 Mini Interview
Italy
Luigi Scognamiglio, CEO of ‘OM’
Q. You have a cosmetic brand in Italy. Koreans are very interested in
cosmetics. Why do you think that is?
A. Because Korean woman are really, the most beautiful in the world.
Australia
Katrina Sedgwick, Director of the Australian Centre
Q. What was the most impressive culture that you discovered in Korea during the
last three days?
A. There’s been
so many impressive things, but I was really thrilled to go to the ‘Arumjigi culture keepers foundation,’ because there, the traditional and the modern were brought together
in an entirely unique and exciting way.
India
Vir Sanghvi, Journalist
Q. Which Korean food did you enjoy the most during the last three days?
A. That’s a hard question actually, because
I loved it all. I suppose the obvious answer would be the beef because I’m a Hindu. I think what’s impressed me most
is kimchi, because the whole culture of fermentation, culture used in both
senses, is I think something Korea’s given the world.
It’s good for health, it’s very
complicated. I think I’ve learned from Korea.
Russia
Irina Prokhorova, Owner and Editor-in-chief of New Literary Observer
Q. When you go back to Russia, if you can write about one thing about Korea,
what would you write about?
A. You know, today, we tried to formulate 3 or 4 words about Korea – our first impressions, so I tried to summarize.
So, it’s vibrant, ambitious, elegant, and
sophisticated.
Malaysia
Rosnan Rahman, Traditional Dance 'Makyung' Performer
Q. You’re an expert in Malaysian
traditional dances. What’s your feeling when you saw
Korean traditional dances?
A. Korean traditional dances have very graceful movement, at the same time,
very highly active elements also, and the important thing, the dancers have the
skill. We can see that is true from percussion and fans. I really admire the
way they dance.
Japan
Junko Yoshida, Journalist
Q. Since you write a lot about music and musicians, who’s your favorite Korean musician?
A. It is difficult to choose one, because I think musicians in Korea, they go
directly to the core of the music. I don’t know why,
but 정명훈 and 조성진 also.
I like so many kinds of generations.
Singapore
Benson Phua, CEO of Esplanade
Q. What was the most impressive art you discovered in Korea the last three
days?
A. Actually, in many ways, my quote answers this question. Because I saw salt
here. It’s you. Art
is you. It is real, it’s authentic, it’s deep, it’s original, and there’s nothing that needs to be fabricated because it’s part of how we live. And this needs to be discovered. The world
needs to know about Korea.
Australia
Paul Bassett, World Champion Barista
Q. Your Paul Bassett Coffee Shop is so famous. It’s like your name is Star-Bucks. How does it feel to be famous in
Korea?
A. It’s beyond my wildest dreams. I have to pinch
myself every time I come here. I think the greatest privilege is being able to
being part of help, developing grow the specialty coffee industry here, which
is great, and I’m really happy to be a part of.
Turkey
Beyhan Murphy, Choreographer, Stage and Artistic Director
Q. You were a dancer in the past. If you could bring one dance back to Turkey,
what would you bring?
A. Actually, you know what, I wouldn’t want to bring anything back – you
know why? Dance is about movement. It’s about the
movement of spirit, mind, body, soul, emotion – everything.
I would like a constant movement between Turkey and Korea. That’s why I wouldn’t want to bring anything
back. I would like to share it so that we can create some kind of platform
where Turkish dances are coming to Korea, Korean dances are coming to Turkey.
That’s what I would like to create if possible.
USA
Tim Strong, Jazz and Blues Singer
Q. You will be performing a
Korean song from the 60s. Tell us what we should expect.
A. Well, I chose the song because it has what we call ‘blue notes.’
It’s not just a happy pop song – even though I love pop as well. But this one actually has a jazz
and blues singer. This has intervals in it that are really interesting. It’s a very sophisticated song, and the lyric is, for those, if you are
able to understand my Korean today, it’s very moving,
and it touches you deeply, so I’m very happy about it.
한국
강수진, 국립발레단 단장 겸 예술감독
Q. 독일에서 오래 지내셨는데, 한국의 뭐가 제일 그리웠나요?
A. 제가 아주 어렸을 적 한국을 떠났을 때, 가장 좋아했던 음식이 김치였지만 아직까지도 외국에서 특히나 무용수로서 김치를 매일 먹기가 힘들어요. 딱 하루 휴일이 나면 그 전날 먹고, 냄새를 없애기 위해 사우나를 합니다. 그래서 아직까지도 언제나 그리웠던 음식은 김치이고, 마늘이 들어가있는 모든 종류의 한국 음식들을 지금 한국에 와서 매일 먹을 수 있어 너무 행복해요.
Indonesia
Harry Darsono, Designer, Artist
Q. What was the most impressive design that you discovered in Korea?
A. I’ve been
collecting lots of national costumes. And mostly, if you wear the national
costume, so elegant that you can’t even move. You are
just like this – like a 인형(?)
But my hanbok, and their hanbok, they dance, it’s the
most versatile national costume, and that’s maybe, the
creator of this must be very smart and (?) person, because it represents the
national costume of the first moving nation – Korea. I
can move, I can dance, I cannot just sit like this. It’s
so comfortable.
Canada
Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer of Canadian Film Centre
Q. What’s your
favorite Korean movie? Or K-drama?
A. I’ll do both. My favorite Korean movie of all time
this year, like many Korean movies, is the one I saw at Cannes, and it was ‘The Wailing (곡성).’
It really was one of the most visceral, scary, yet slightly funny movies I’ve seen in a long time. So that’s one. And
in terms of K-Drama, which I’m a little bit of addicted
to, I have to say, I like the ones that have a very particular weird format, so
‘Oh My Ghostess (오 나의 귀신님)’ is something that I like a lot.
France
Pierre Sang Boyer, Owner Chef
Q. If you can bring one Korean food to your restaurant in France, what would
you bring?
A. Maybe it would be one ingredient. It think about 오미자, because you don’t have it anywhere except Korea.
New Zealand
Tama Waipara, Maori Performer, Multi-Instrumentalist and Singer-Songwriter
Q. You will be performing a Maori song tonight. Tell us about the song.
A. The song is Pokarekare Ana, and it’s special because it shares relationship with Korea, and you’ll know it as 연가. So instead of ‘비바람이
치던 바다’ I sing ‘pokarekare ana,’ and it’s a love song, written to express
love from afar. In fact, he was trying so hard to impress this beloved person
that he wrote a letter to the whole tribe to let them know just how deep that
love was. That song comes from the region of the east-coast of the north island
of New Zealand, and it talks about the rivers of the way up, which is- that’s an area I come from. But in Rotorua, they loved it so much that
they stole it, and they said the waters of Rotorua. But now it’s traveled all the way to Korea.
France
Charles-Antoine de Vibraye, Owner of Chateau de Cheverny
Q. You have a castle, which is awesome. If you can bring one thing from Korea
to your castle in France, what would you bring?
A. Such a temptation. But I think with the piece of furniture in my luggage, I
will face many problems with customs at the airport, so I think that is
impossible. So instead I will take with me, a piece of your fantastic
enthusiasm to promote culture.
Spain
Javier Moro, Writer
Q. If you can write about, or introduce one thing about Korea to all your
readers, what would you introduce?
A. Well, there is a notion that keeps (coming) back to my mind the first few
days I’ve seen
Korea, which is 빨리빨리. When I’m
sleeping, it keeps coming back. That says a lot of things, mostly about the
vibrancy of this country.
China
Sheng Qi, Painter
Q. If Korea is a ‘bull’ what animal is China?
A. Dragon. Because, it’s strong and beautiful.
United Kingdom
Beth McKillop, Senior Research Fellow of Victoria and Albert Museum
Q. Your museum in the UK has a Korean gallery. What was the motivation behind
founding the Korean gallery?
A. The things we’ve
seen in the last few days, the elegance, the vibrancy, the ambition of Korea
through its culture needed to be shown in the Victorian Albert Museum, my
museum, because we tell the story of international art and design and
creativity, and without Korea, that story is not complete.
