Gangnam Station in early morning. A novelist Jang Won, a former pianist Gayoung and a plastic surgeon Saenal with a somber look get on a black van. These three head towards a small remote motel in a rural area. They try to meet their last moment of life there. In a quiet room, the three share their life stories, holding a bottle of pills each. Now, it is night to say good bye. At that moment, driven by unknown power, they are led to a fantastic journey beyond time and space with a pianist KIM Sunwook in their own landscape. They go down to nature, a European alley and a stage, listening to piano tunes from somewhere out there as they hear it in their dreams. The stories of the three characters are driven into catastrophe, mixed with cleavage from past and restriction of reality. Can their will of life be saved by music?

The Emperor is a large scaled project in order to expand the field of photography and fine art to the field of music. Korea’s suicide rate is the highest among OECD countries. No Korean feels anything even when they hear the word, suicide. But, think about this; there are many people trying to commit suicide at this very moment as well. We know that it is true, but there is nothing we can do. We cannot reach out our hands first, but just look at them. Sometimes, we are afraid of getting any disadvantage by doing that. We dare not to console someone in this world of individualism and materialism. As a filmmaker, I rightly wanted to deliver consolation and courage through my film. Meanwhile, a curious coincidence led me to meet a pianist KIM Sunwook, and my destiny brought me into this project of the Emperor. I would like for the three characters who make an attempt to end their lives to meet a miraculous moment of healing and movement full of beauty in music of Beethoven performed by KIM Sunwook.

2017 제22회 부산국제영화제