RIGA, Dec 12, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Acclaimed South Korean film director Kim Ki-duk who won global recognition for his violent works and faced allegations of abusing his actresses died from Covid-19 in Latvia on Friday, the country’s top film official said.
“Unfortunately, the sad news about Kim Ki-duk’s death from coronavirus in Latvia is true,” Dita Rietuma, head of the National Film Centre of Latvia, told AFP.
“It is known from his contact persons that he died in a hospital in Riga around 1:30 a.m. earlier today,” she added.
According to Rietuma, the Korean director was on a private visit to Latvia and was not planning any filming.
Local media reported that the 59-year-old director was planning to buy a property and apply for residence in the Baltic eurozone state.
Kim won global fame with his bold portrayal of extreme violence and human brutality in allegory-rich movies, but was accused of misconduct against actresses.
The director had not responded to these allegations.
His movies — many featuring gruesome violence against both males and females, and rapes of women — divided audiences, with some accusing him of misogyny and others hailing his cinematography and unflinching portrayal of a social underclass rarely seen in other films.
Laced with this trademark violence, his film “Pieta” won the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2012.