Oldboy director Park Chan-wook films epic ‘Shot on iPhone’ Apple ad
Famed Korean director Park Chan-wook has directed Apple’s latest ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign, paying homage to the country’s rich culture and deep history.
Apple ‘Life Is But a Dream’ ad
Life Is But a Dream is an epic 21-minute hauntingly surreal tale of an undertaker who digs up a grave to steal a coffin for the burial of ‘White Marten,’ a warrior who met their demise saving the village. Unfortunately, as the undertaker digs, he awakens the ghost of an ancient swordsman who wants his coffin back.
The unique spot mixes martial arts with romance, layered with some dark comedic touches and ‘pansori’ – Korea’s authentic musical storytelling technique.
Themes of life and death run throughout, touching on the popular notion that neither are opposite nor separate, but connected.
Chan-wook is one of the country’s most-loved filmmakers who is known for his work on the neo-noir action thriller film Oldboy and HBO’s upcoming limited series The Sympathizer.
It marks the first time that a ‘Shot on iPhone’ installment has been produced, shot and edited entirely in Korea, but Chan-wook himself is no stranger to filming on an iPhone. In 2011 he worked on a short film called Night Fishing on the iPhone 4 and went on to win the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival.
The campaign will be amplified via digital, social and out-of-home (OOH) activations, as well as a behind-the-scenes video.
Lovers of Korean cinema will be familiar with many of the actors in Life Is But a Dream including Yoo Hae-jin as The Undertaker, Kim Ok-vin in the role of White Marten and Park Jeong-min playing The Swordsman. Composer Jang Young-gyu, wrote the original soundtrack.
