Lee Sun-Kyun 이선균

[sweetroad]

New poster for Project Silence released ahead of its premiere at Cannes:

 

 

Synopsis:

Jeong-won (Lee Sun-kyun) and his daughter are on their way to Incheon Airport when a thick fog causes a massive chain-reaction crash on the airport bridge. They get stuck in the chaos with a group of people including a brash-yet-harmless tow truck driver (Ju Ji-hoon). Things take a turn for the worse when mutated military dogs are accidentally released from their transport vehicle and start preying upon humans, putting the group in a terrifying life-or-death situation.

As the bridge is shut down, it is now up to Jeong-won aided by the other survivors to figure out a way to make it through the night while uncovering the conspiracy behind the dogs.

 

Source: Han Cinema https://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Project_Silence.php

 

Excerpt from the Cannes press kit: https://cdn-medias.festival-cannes.com/uploads/2023/05/158779.pdf

 

CAST & CHARACTERS

A presidential aide trapped on the disaster-stricken Airport Bridge, ‘Jung-won’
As the Deputy Director of Security at the Presidential Office and a single father raising his teenage
daughter, Jung-won faces the challenges of balancing his prestigious position at work with his
strained relationship with his daughter. However, while accompanying his daughter to the airport as
she heads abroad to study, he is caught off guard by a crisis. The Airport Bridge collapses due to a
series of traffic collisions, and military experimental creatures known as ‘Echo’ launch an unexpected
attack. In the face of imminent danger and with lives at stake, he takes decisive action with cold
judgment, showcasing his proactive approach and unwavering determination to protect those in peril.
Despite the challenges he faces, he rises to the occasion and demonstrates his leadership skills,
putting his skills and expertise to use in order to resolve the situation and ensure the safety of those
involved

 

CAST | LEE Sun Kyun
 

LEE Sun Kyun, known for his memorable roles in acclaimed films such as Parasite, Helpless, All About
My Wife, A Hard Day, as well as popular TV dramas like Coffee Prince, Pasta, and My Mister, returns
to the big screen in Project Silence. In the film, he takes on the role of Jung-won, a presidential aide
trapped in the midst of a disaster on the Airport Bridge. With his impeccable acting skills, LEE Sun
Kyun is expected to portray a character who exhibits strong leadership by calmly guiding people
through the crisis. Director KIM Tae Gon praised LEE for “holding the center of the story among
the distinctive characters, highlighting his ability to deliver a compelling performance in
this challenging role.”

 

 

Stills from Project Silence:

 

 

 

[sadiesmith]

On 4/16/2023 at 4:48 AM, sweetroad said:

Pausing it on the computer and then using Google Translate Camera on the phone was really helpful, as they put all the Korean on screen. Nice to hear LSK speak in English, though he seems far more comfortable in Korean. But...good job, LSK! The part about ranking his soju "events" was really funny.

 

There's English subs now. The whole show is hilarious. I didn't realize he's so obsessed about golf. And soju, of course. 

 

[Helena]

https://www.screendaily.com/news/cj-enm-lands-sales-of-cannes-disaster-drama-project-silence-exclusive/5182010.article
CJ ENM lands sales of Cannes disaster drama ‘Project Silence’ (exclusive)

BY JEAN NOH | 15 MAY 2023

SOURCE: CJ ENM / BLAAD STUDIOS
‘PROJECT SILENCE’

CJ ENM has pre-sold Cannes Midnight Screenings title Project Silence to a slew of territories led by North America and German-speaking markets (Capelight Pictures) and Japan (Happinet Phantom Studios).

Directed by Kim Tae-gon (Familyhood) and produced by Kim Yong-hwa of the hit Along With The Gods franchise, the Korean disaster action drama stars Lee Sun-kyun from Parasite, who will also be seen in Critics’ Week title Sleep at Cannes.

Project Silence also sold to French-speaking territories (KMBO), Latin America (Sun Distribution), CIS (Mauris Film), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (MovieCloud), Spain (Youplanet), Italy (Blue Swan), Philippines (Viva), Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Vietnam (Encore Films), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Sahamongkolfilm International), ex-Yugo (Discovery), Mongolia (The Filmbridge) and in-flight (Emphasis).

The film takes place on South Korea’s famously long cable-stayed Incheon Grand Bridge and Lee plays a man driving his daughter to the airport when a thick fog causes a massive chain automobile crash and they get stuck in an overnight lockdown with others including a tow truck driver played by Ju Ji-hoon (Along With The Gods franchise) and escaped mutated military dogs.

“We discovered the project at the Berlinale with a very impressive teaser and the production value of a blockbuster,” said French distributor KMBO’s CEO Vladimir Kokh. “The quality of Korean cinema and its genre cinema are a world reference today. The film has all the assets to become a great international success.”

 

—

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230515000624
Five Korean films head to this year’s Cannes Film Festival

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com) | May 15, 2023

Five Korean films have been invited to this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, which kicks off in the French resort town on Tuesday. Kim Chang-hoon’s “Hopeless,” Kim Jee-woon’s “Cobweb,” Hong Sang-soo’s “In Our Day,” Kim Tae-gon’s “Project Silence” and Jason Yu’s “Sleep” will be shown at the festival.

No South Korean film has been selected to compete for the main prize, the Palme d’Or, at the 76th edition of the festival, which runs until May 27.

“Hopeless” and “Cobweb” were invited in the Un Certain Regard and Out of Competition categories, respectively.

“Cobweb,” Kim Jee-woon’s first feature film in 13 years and his third project to be screened at Cannes, stars veteran actor Song Kang-ho, who won the best actor award at Cannes last year.  “Cobweb” revolves around the struggles of a film director, played by Song, in the 1970s when the industry languished due to government censorship and unsupportive actors. The cast includes actors Lim Soo-jeong, Oh Jeong-se, Jeon Yeo-been and Jung Soo-jung.  “Cobweb” follows Kim’s 2005 film “A Bittersweet Life” and 2008 film “The Good, The Bad, the Weird” that were invited to noncompetition sections. Both also featured Song as the main protagonist.

“Hopeless” will be screened in the Un Certain Regard section that focuses on art house films.  Featuring actor Song Joong-ki, the film revolves around Yun-kyu (Hong Sa-bin), who wants to escape from his everyday struggles. One day, Yun-kyu meets crime organization underboss Chi-gun (Song) and becomes entangled in risky situations.

Both Song Kang-ho and Song Joong-ki are expected to appear at the red carpet event with the directors and other cast members.

Meanwhile, director Hong Sang-soo’s “In Our Day” was selected as the closing film for the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight section.  “In Our Day,” starring Kim Min-hee, Ki Joo-bong and Song Seon-mi, is director Hong’s 12th film at the festival.

 

“Sleep” (Lotte Entertainment)

Jason Yu’s horror film “Sleep” has been invited for Cannes Critics’ Week, which focuses on first and second features by emerging directors.  Yu is a former assistant to director Bong Joon-ho of Oscar-winning film “Parasite” (2019).  The film starring Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi tells a story of newlyweds with husband showing strange behavior while asleep.

Last but not least, Kim Tae-gon’s “Project Silence,” starring Lee Sun-kyun and Ju Ji-hoon, has been invited to the Midnight Screening section, an out-of-competition section dedicated to films with popular appeal and artistic value.  “Project Silence” tells a story about people who are stranded on a collapsing bridge amid thick fog. Kim previously produced films such as “The Queen of Crime” (2016) and “The King of Jokgu” (2013).

There is a possibility for director Kim Chang-hoon of “Hopeless” or Jason Yu of “Sleep” to come home with the Camera D’or award, according to industry insiders. The award is presented for the best first feature film in Cannes sections including Directors’ Fortnight and International Critics’ Week. The winner, selected by an independent jury, is announced at the closing ceremony on May 27.

[sweetroad]

43 minutes ago, Helena said:

CJ ENM has pre-sold Cannes Midnight Screenings title Project Silence to a slew of territories led by North America and German-speaking markets (Capelight Pictures) and Japan (Happinet Phantom Studios).

Directed by Kim Tae-gon (Familyhood) and produced by Kim Yong-hwa of the hit Along With The Gods franchise, the Korean disaster action drama stars Lee Sun-kyun from Parasite, who will also be seen in Critics’ Week title Sleep at Cannes.

Project Silence also sold to French-speaking territories (KMBO), Latin America (Sun Distribution), CIS (Mauris Film), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (MovieCloud), Spain (Youplanet), Italy (Blue Swan), Philippines (Viva), Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Vietnam (Encore Films), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Sahamongkolfilm International), ex-Yugo (Discovery), Mongolia (The Filmbridge) and in-flight (Emphasis).

Great news!

 

 Judging by the trailer, the movie looks intense. 
 

 

 

[Helena]

Cannes 2023: Screen International Day 2 edition

 

https://www.screendaily.com/features/cannes-2023-south-korea-hot-projects/5182120.article
Cannes 2023: South Korea hot projects

BY JEAN NOH | 16 MAY 2023

Korean sellers are back on the Croisette with five titles screening in the festival including Cobweb by veteran director Kim Jee-woon and Sleep by Jason Yu, a former assistant director to Bong Joon Ho.

 

Festival

Cobweb
Dir. Kim Jee-woon


Cannes best actor award-winner Song Kang-ho (Broker) returns in Kim’s out of Competition title as an obsessive director working in 1970s dictatorship-era South Korea. He is hellbent on reshooting the ending of his tragicomic film in two days but cast and crew are confused and uncooperative while censors also get in the way. Kim previously had A Bittersweet Life (2005) and The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008), which starred Song, play out of Competition in Cannes. Cobweb also stars Lim Soo-jung, Oh Jung-se, Jeon Yeo-been and Jung Soo-jung.


Contact: Barunson E&A (mailto:intl@barunsonena.com)

Hopeless
Dir. Kim Chang-hoon


Previously known as Hwa-ran, this feature debut from director Kim is playing in Un Certain Regard. Top Korean actor Song Joong-ki, star of Space Sweepers and TV’s Reborn Rich, said he would work on it for free after seeing the script. It stars rising actor Hong Xa-bin as a teenager who dreams of escaping his violent hometown but is drawn into the world of a local thug (Song) after accepting a favour from him. It is produced by Sanai Pictures, whose credits include Cannes Midnight Screenings titles Hunt and The Spy Gone North.


Contact: Plus M Entertainment (mailto:sales@megabox.co.kr)

In Our Day
Dir. Hong Sangsoo


Set as the closing film of Directors’ Fortnight, this marks the 12th visit to Cannes for prolific auteur Hong. His last was with In Front Of Your Face in the 2021 Cannes Premiere section. In Our Day stars Ki Joo-bong (The Novelist’s Film) and Kim Minhee (The Day After) alongside other familiar faces from Hong’s films. It revolves around a woman in her forties staying with someone who has a cat, and a man in his seventies living alone whose cat died of old age. Both receive visitors who have earnest questions. It is produced by Jeonwonsa Film.


Contact: Finecut, sales@finecut.co.kr festival@finecut.co.kr

Project Silence
Dir. Kim Tae-gon


In the Midnight Screenings section, this disaster action drama takes place on South Korea’s famously long Incheon Grand Bridge. Lee Sun-kyun of Parasite — also to be seen in Critics’ Week title Sleep — plays a man driving his daughter to the airport when a thick fog causes a massive automobile pile-up and they are stuck overnight in a lockdown. Others on the bridge include a tow-truck driver, played by Ju Ji-hoon, and mutated military dogs escaped from their transport. Directed by Kim Tae-gon (Familyhood), it is produced by Kim Yong-hwa of the hit Along With The Gods franchise.


Contact: CJ ENM filmsales@cj.net

Sleep
Dir. Jason Yu


A former assistant director to Bong Joon Ho, Yu makes his feature directing debut in Critics’ Week with this horror comedy. Jung Yu-mi from Train To Busan and Lee Sun-kyun (Parasite) — also to be seen in Midnight Screenings title Project Silence — play a young couple, before and after the birth of their first child. The husband’s sleeping habits become increasingly grotesque and they consult first a sleep clinic and then a shaman. Bong has lauded the film’s unpredictable drama and called it “the most unique horror film” he has seen in the last decade. It is produced by Lewis Pictures (Okja).


Contact: Lotte Entertainment (mailto:international02@lotte.net)

Spoiler

 

Market

4PM
Dir. Jay Song


This mystery thriller stars Oh Dal-su (Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds), Kim Hong-pa (Sinkhole) and Jang Young-nam (Confidential Assignment). It follows a retired philosophy professor and his wife, who move to a quiet town to enjoy their golden years but are dismayed to find a perplexing neighbour who starts visiting their house every day at 4pm. Produced by Daydream Entertainment (Stellar, Tomb Of The River), the film is in post-production with a local release expected this year.


Contact: Contents Panda (mailto:sales@its-new.co.kr)

Comment Army (working title)
Dir. Ahn Gooc-jin


An adaptation of the award-­winning novel of the same name by Chang Kang-myoung — inspired by true events in South Korea — this crime drama stars Son Sukku from Disney+ series Big Bet and South Korea’s leading 2022 box-office hit The Roundup. The story follows a reporter who, while investigating an online public sentiment manipulation story, uncovers the criminal workings of the so-called Comment Army in Korea. The cast also includes Kim Sung-Cheol (The Night Owl), Kim Dong-Hwi (In Our Prime) and Hong Kyung (Netflix’s DP). Now in production, it is produced by Alex Kim (Tazza: One Eyed Jack). Ahn previously directed Alice In Earnestland.


Contact: Acemaker movieworks (mailto:sales@acemaker.co.kr)

Devils
Dir. Kim Jae-hoon


This body-swap film is Kim’s feature-directing debut and stars Jang Dong-yoon (Project Wolf Hunting) and Oh Dae-hwan (Tomb Of The River). It centres on a homicide detective (Oh) who tracks down a serial murderer (Jang), whose victims included his colleague and brother-in-law, only to wake up from an accident and find himself in the killer’s body. He then begins a desperate chase to protect his family and uncover the secret of the body switch. Produced by Contents G in association with The Contents On, the film is in post-­production.


Contact: Finecut sales@finecut.co.kr festival@finecut.co.kr

Dr. Cheon And Lost Talisman
Dir. Kim Seong-sik


This mystery thriller marks the feature-directing debut of Kim, who was an assistant director to Bong Joon Ho on Parasite, Park Chan-wook on Decision To Leave and Hong Won-chan on Deliver Us From Evil. The story follows psychiatrist and con-man Dr. Cheon, who travels around the country with his assistant to perform fake exorcisms, until they find themselves in the crosshairs of an actual superhuman being. Gang Dong-won (Broker) and Huh Joon-ho (Escape From Mogadishu) star alongside E Som, Lee Dong-hwi and Kim Jong-soo. Produced by Filmmaker R&K, the film is set for release later this year.


Contact: CJ ENM (mailto:filmsales@cj.net)

Exhuma
Dir. Jang Jae-hyun


This mystery horror film is from the director of Svaha: The Sixth Finger and The Priests. Starring Choi Min-sik of Oldboy, Kim Go-eun from TV’s Little Women, Yoo Hai-jin and Lee Do-hyun, Exhuma follows a wealthy family living in Los Angeles who experience paranormal events and summon a shamanic duo to save their newborn. They sense a dark ancestor’s shadow and call in a geomancer and mortician to set about exhuming a grave in Korea — but unleash a malevolent force. The film is in post-production.


Contact: Showbox (mailto:sales@showbox.co.kr)

Good Job (working title)
Dir. Hwang Dong-seok


Yoo Seon-ho of TV’s Under The Queen’s Umbrella stars in this action drama as a high-school student facing debt collectors as well as bullying from a supposed model student. His life takes a thrilling turn when he stumbles on a lost envelope of money and steps into the world of loan sharks. The film is in post-production and set for local release in Q4 of 2023.


Contact: Julie Sung, kt alpha (mailto:julie.sung@kt.com) 

Hidden Face
Dir. Kim Dae-woo


This mystery thriller reunites the director of Obsessed (2014) with star Song Seung-heon and Cho Yeo-jeong of Parasite, joined by Park Ji-hyun from TV’s Reborn Rich. It centres on a conductor who is set to marry a cellist when she disappears suddenly, leaving only a farewell video. He starts to get closer to another woman who used to substitute on the cello for his fiancée. But as their relationship deepens, they cannot shake the feeling that someone is watching them. Produced by Studio&New (Soulmate), the film is in post-­production.


Contact: Contents Panda (mailto:sales@its-new.co.kr)

Livestream
Dir. Choi Ju-yeon


This thriller, starring Park Sung-woong (New World) and Park Sun-ho (Champion), follows a freelance TV producer in a relationship crisis who receives a link to an illegal spy cam of his own girlfriend. With no time to lose, he decides to take matters into his own hands and rescue her, only to descend into the seedy world of illegal broadcasting. The film is in post-production and due for local release in June.


Contact: Julie Sung, kt alpha (mailto:julie.sung@kt.com)

Love Reset
Dir. Nam Dae-joong


This romantic comedy from the director of Homme Fatale stars Kang Ha-neul from TV’s When The Camellia Blooms and Jeong So-min of Project Wolf Hunting. The story centres on a couple who get married despite opposition from their families. Two years later, they are leaving a courthouse after receiving a 30-day divorce settlement when a car accident leaves them both with memory loss. The amnesia-­stricken couple fall for each other again as their family members devise an elaborate plan to jog their memories and complete the divorce. Produced by Woollim, Love Reset is in post-­production with a release planned for later this year.


Contact: Barunson E&A (mailto:intl@barunsonena.com)

The Moon (working title)
Dir. Kim Yong-hwa


From the director of the Along With The Gods franchise, this sci-fi drama stars Sul Kyung-gu (Phantom) and Doh Kyung-soo (Along With The Gods franchise). It is set in the near future, when Korea’s first manned mission to the Moon ends in a tragic disaster. Seven years later, a second human spaceflight is launched successfully but solar winds cause it to malfunction and leaves one astronaut (Doh) stranded in space. Facing another fatal catastrophe, the Naro Space Center turns to its former managing director (Sul) to help bring him back home safely. Produced by CJ ENM Studios and BLAAD Studios, The Moon is set for release later this year.


Contact: CJ ENM (mailto:filmsales@cj.net) 

No Heaven, But Love
Dir. Han Jay


This LGBTQ+ teen romance won Korean streaming platform Watcha’s Pick award at the recent Jeonju International Film Festival. It stars Primetime Emmy award-winning actress Lee You-mi from Netflix’s Squid Game and Park Soo-yeon from arthouse favourite House Of Hummingbird. The story follows two high-school girls’ love and friendship in the violent summer of 1999, when an aspiring national taekwondo athlete’s life takes an unexpected turn after her mother brings home a juvenile delinquent as a foster child.


Contact: M-Line Distribution (mailto:sales@mline-distribution.com)

The Roundup: Punishment
Dir. Heo Myeong-haeng


The fourth in this action crime series headed by Don Lee (aka Ma Dong-seok) also stars Kim Moo-yul, whose roles as cop and bad guy were reversed in Cannes 2019 title The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil. Director Heo is a well-known stunt co-ordinator whose credits include The Roundup — last year’s biggest box-office hit in Korea, which recorded more than 12.6 million admissions — as well as Hunt, Ashfall, Extreme Job and Train To Busan. He is expected to up the level of intricate fight scenes in this latest instalment about the ‘Beast Cop’ (Lee), in which he hunts down the mob behind an illegal online gambling business. Produced by ABO Entertainment, Hong Film, BigPunch Pictures and B.A. Entertainment, the film is currently in post-production for release next year.
Contact: Junho Park, K-Movie (mailto:Entertainment%20sales@kmovieenter.com)

 

 

 

Cannes 2023: Screen International Day 4 edition

 

 

—

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/05/689_351171.html
Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Sun-kyun's 'Project Silence' pre-sold to 140 countries

By Kwak Yeon-soo | 2023-05-18 08:33

A poster for the film "Project Silence" / Courtesy of CJ ENM

"Project Silence," starring actor Ju Ji-hoon and Lee Sun-kyun, was pre-sold to 140 countries across the world.

The film's distributor CJ ENM said on Wednesday that the film, which was invited to the 76th Cannes Film Festival's Midnight Screening section, was sold to major European countries including France, Germany, Spain and Italy as well as Japan and Hong Kong. 

"Foreign buyers are confident about the quality of the film after watching already unveiled movie clips. What's encouraging is the interest in not coming from one specific region. After the film premieres at the Cannes Film Festival, we expect it will be sold to more countries overseas," a CJ ENM official said. 

"Project Silent" tells the story of people struggling to survive against an unexpected threat while trapped on a bridge on the verge of collapse, in thick fog. Lee plays the role of a man who tries to protect his daughter from the disaster while Ju stars as a tow truck driver.

The film's world premiere will be on May 21 (local time) at Cannes. Producer Kim Yong-hwa (better known as "Along with the Gods" series director), director Kim Tae-gon and the cast will appear on the red carpet.

The film will hit local theaters in the second half of 2023.

[sadiesmith]

Cannes Hidden Gem: Jason Yu Learned From Bong Joon-ho to Craft Heartfelt Horror ‘Sleep’

The first-time director worked beneath Korean legends like Bong and Lee Chang-dong before making his Cannes debut film.

BY PATRICK BRZESKI

MAY 19, 2023 12:30AM

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cannes-hidden-gem-sleep-jason-yu-1235495290/

 

First-time filmmaker Jason Yu, whose horror drama Sleep premieres in Cannes’ Critics’ Week on May 21, honed his craft under the tutelage of South Korea’s very finest. Among the aspiring director’s first industry jobs after graduating from film school in Seoul was an assistant director gig on Bong Joon-ho’s Netflix sci-fi adventure drama Okja, which premiered at Cannes in 2017. Yu credits the experience with teaching him “almost everything” he knows about filmmaking.

 

“I wasn’t really conscious of what I was observing at the time, because I wasn’t there to learn,” he remembers. “I was just trying to pull my own weight and not ruin the film. But while I was making Sleep, I realized that I was desperately trying to mimic, consciously or unconsciously, everything director Bong did — during preproduction, during production, in the way that I talked to the actors, and even during post-production and promotion.” 

 

Not long after Okja, Yu, who grew up partially in the U.K. and is bilingual, was hired by Lee Chang-dong to translate and write the English subtitles for the Korean auteur’s now-classic existential thriller Burning, winner of Cannes’ FIPRESCI international critics’ prize in 2018. By that point, Yu had subtitled a number of major Korean films, but he had never encountered a filmmaker with such an obsessive attention to detail as Lee, who famously began his career as an acclaimed literary novelist. 

 

“Usually when doing subtitles, I didn’t really interact with the directors much — I just delivered the final translated product,” Yu remembers. “But director Lee, even though he doesn’t speak much English, he wanted to discuss the intention behind every piece of dialog and to review every translated word to know why I chose it.” 

 

He continues: “It would be rude of me to call him ‘brave,’ because he is my senior and one of our greatest artists, but he even asked me — after lots of discussion — to make some of the English dialog sound deliberately more unnatural and grammatically incorrect, because in Korean he intended some lines to sound strange, or ambiguous. I found that so inspiring, because all of the other directors I had worked with were adamant that all of the dialog sound very colloquial, American and clear. I learned from director Lee that a director should think very deeply about their intentions — and have full confidence in those choices.” 

 

One could argue that Yu’s debut, Sleep, bears some traces of both of these influences. The film is both a slickly realized genre exercise and a film of subtle personal intention. 

Starring Lee Sun-kyun (the wealthy patriarch of Bong’s Parasite) and Jung Yu-mi (Train to Busan and a regular muse of Hong Sang-soo), Sleep follows a happy pair of newlyweds whose domestic bliss is disrupted when the husband begins speaking in his sleep — repeatedly stating, “Someone’s inside.” Soon he begins transforming into someone else entirely during increasingly belligerent bouts of sleepwalking. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family — including their unborn child — the wife gradually becomes more and more consumed by an irrational fear that poses its own dangers. 

 

Yu says his initial, surface-level goal was to simply create a fun, mystery horror film. But while he was writing the screenplay more personal elements seeped into the story. 

 

“I was preparing to marry my longtime girlfriend, and because I was on the cusp of that, I think I unconsciously wanted to present a less typical portrait of marriage,” he says. “Usually, in films about marriage, I find that the central conflict usually is derived from the husband or wife making some kind of irredeemable mistake, or one of them simply falling out of love. Because I was about to marry my sweetheart, I didn’t want to portray marriage that way. I wanted to show a couple who really love each other dearly, and are supportive of each other like best friends. So, instead of an internal failing, I throw a dangerous external obstacle their way — something beyond conscious control — and try to show that they can only overcome this problem together, as a married unit.” 

 

Yu has maintained a relationship with Bong and showed the elder director drafts his scripts and cuts of the film at various stages, a privilege he acknowledges as “very lucky for a first-time director.” 

 

“Director Bong gave me lots of great notes about things I could fine-tune, but the most important thing — which came when I finished the first draft of the script — was he told me the biggest challenge for the story would be convincing the audience of why the wife doesn’t simply leave as their situation becomes more and more extreme,” Yu says. “This was really at the heart of what I was trying to say with the movie and he totally understood that.” 

 

Yu adds: “So, when I showed him the final cut, and he told me his concerns had been well addressed, I was just so happy and grateful.” 

[sadiesmith]

Killing Romance has been released to home theaters in South Korea, which is crazy fast. Why would anyone go to the theater if they can just watch it cheaper at home?

 

It seems like you can access the movie on this site, but I personally haven't tried it.

 

https://www.gohitv.com/search?search=killing romance&frm=home&frmnav=wn_vdDzLAubEu3LkUvr_qDe

[sweetroad]

1 hour ago, sadiesmith said:

Killing Romance has been released to home theaters in South Korea, which is crazy fast. Why would anyone go to the theater if they can just watch it cheaper at home?

 

Last I checked, Killing Romance was only in 32 theaters. I just checked again and it's only in 16. So I guess it's already fading out of the theaters and VOD is a viable option now. Lotte Entertainment definitely did everything they could do promote it; too bad it was so polarizing for Korean moviegoers.

 

Thanks for the tip! I just tried to download the HiTV app and it was very strange. It didn't match the HiTV website at all (from which you can't watch anything since you have to download the app. ). If you have more success let us know!

[sadiesmith]

16 hours ago, sweetroad said:

Thanks for the tip! I just tried to download the HiTV app and it was very strange. It didn't match the HiTV website at all (from which you can't watch anything since you have to download the app. ). If you have more success let us know!

 

Like you, I also found the app on my phone, but it looks "suspicious" and didn't download successfully. Maybe I should wait until the movie makes it to one of the bigger platforms. 

[sweetroad]

9 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

Like you, I also found the app on my phone, but it looks "suspicious" and didn't download successfully.

Ok, so it wasn’t just here on this end. Yes, hopefully it will be somewhere legit soon!

[sadiesmith]

I found an unsubbed version on asianvote. 

 

On 5/19/2023 at 1:20 PM, sweetroad said:

Lotte Entertainment definitely did everything they could do promote it; too bad it was so polarizing for Korean moviegoers.

 

Yes, they really did. And the actors and director came out weekend after weekend to meet the audience. But I've read a lot of people saying that movies move to streaming platforms as soon as they are done playing in theaters. Isn't that detrimental to an already struggling movie industry? Maybe I am just old because I still remember having to wait at least 6 months before a movie becomes available for rent. 

[sweetroad]

20 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

Maybe I am just old because I still remember having to wait at least 6 months before a movie becomes available for rent. 

That’s right! We used to have to wait on Blockbuster to announce when they’d be getting a movie. I forgot about those days. It does seem detrimental to the theaters to have popular movies move straight to OTT platforms instead of having people look for other good movies that are playing in the cinemas. There’s so much choice out there everywhere now, too. Times have changed.

 

-

 

Jason Yu talks Critics’ Week title ‘Sleep’, praised by Palme d’Or and Oscar-winner Bong Joon Ho

 

BY JEAN NOH. 21 MAY 2023

 

SOURCE: LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT

JASON YU

 

Formerly an assistant director to director Bong Joon Ho, Korean filmmaker Jason Yu is making his feature directorial debut in Critics’ Week Competition with horror comedy mystery Sleep, which Palme d’Or and Oscar-winning director Bong has lauded as “the most unique horror film and the smartest debut film I’ve seen in 10 years”.

 

The film stars Jung Yu-mi from Train To Busan and Lee Sun-kyun from Parasite - also to be seen in Midnight Screenings title Project Silence at this Cannes - as a young couple before and after the birth of their first child when the husband’s sleeping habits become increasingly grotesque and they try to find out why before he harms the newborn.

 

It will premiere in Cannes on May 21.

 

How did you start making films?

It was only in college when I happened to take a creative writing class and came to see films not just as something to consume but as stories that are crafted by people. I wrote short stories and joined a film club where we made short films. I realised I wanted to keep making them after graduation so when I came back to school after my mandatory military service, I worked on film sets like [director Jang Cheol-soo’s hit] Secretly, Greatly (2013). For director Bong Joon Ho’s Okja (2017), I was hired as part of the assistant directors team because of my experience on sets and ability to speak English after living in the UK when I was younger as well as going to an English-language international programme at Yonsei University.

 

How did you write the script?

My initial goal was to create a fun genre film but whilst writing the script, some personal elements seeped into it. I was preparing to marry my longtime girlfriend and that’s probably why I decided to make the protagonists a married couple and have the story revolve around their relationship. I do think, on a subconscious level, I wanted to create a different kind of marriage story. In the films I watched about marriage, the central conflict comes from each other, but because I was on the cusp of married life, I wanted to show a couple that really loved each other dearly and supported each other as best friends. And then throw an obstacle in their way to show they could overcome it together.

 

I wrote it intensively over the summer of 2020 and showed the script to director Bong Joon Ho that autumn. We met because he was about to suggest I work on another project of his but after reading the script, he said he enjoyed reading it and that I should go straight into casting and encouraged me to make my debut.

 

How did the production come together?

One of the production companies of Okja, which I worked on in 2015, was Lewis Pictures and the president is Lewis Taewan Kim. Although I was the lowest of the low on the totem pole and he was the highest of the high, he always treated me with respect and said to me, “If you ever have a script, don’t hesitate to show it to me,” and that’s exactly what I did. I showed it to him in 2020, a few days after director Bong, and he shopped it around for financing. We started pre-production in November 2021 and shot from February to April 2022.

 

SOURCE: CANNES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

‘SLEEP’

 

Tell us how the casting happened with these well-known stars for a first-time director.

Jung Yu-mi and Lee Sun-kyun have the ability to nail genre acting while making their performances feel so grounded in reality and this is what I precisely needed for Sleep. I always wanted them for the film but I can’t say I cast them. They chose the film. They told me they enjoyed the script every much. I did get to meet the actors and pitch to them why they should be in this film directed by a debuting director. Lee and Jung also liked that they’d be working together again – because they had been in three Hong Sangsoo films and a short film together and had always wanted to work together again.

 

How did you go about shooting the film?

The cinematographer Kim Tae-soo (Svaha: The Sixth Finger) and I agreed the rule of thumb was to always shoot it in a way that perfectly accentuates each character’s psychology or how they are feeling. We always wanted to be in their perspectives, whether it was the wife or the husband. We didn’t want to deviate from that – for example have an omniscient presence, have one of those overhead shots or have shots that slide through the walls or something like that. We wanted every single cut to follow how the characters are feeling and have the camera have the same physical limitations as the characters. Which was quite a big challenge for the cinematographer because there are horror elements to the film, and what is horror without style? But I think ultimately it was the right choice.

 

Like with the actors, I couldn’t have done this without him, or our editor Han Mee-yeon who also edited The Voice Of Silence, Beasts Grasping At Straws and was also the on-set editor on Okja and agreed to join the team without even reading the script. She was a great help, guiding me through the post-production process.

 

How was the shoot?

The shoot was very fun. They say a debuting director is the least experienced person on set, which was true. But I didn’t feel the pressure from that. Everybody understood the vision and if I didn’t know something, they were happy to teach me and none were condescending at all. What I really loved about this project was how passionate the cast and crew were about it. They were so precious about the project. Whenever there were any producorial obstacles that made me contemplate cutting out a scene or shortening something, they would insist on keeping it and we always exchanged ideas on how to circumvent those obstacles.

 

It’s impressive that it all happened during the pandemic.

We were incredibly lucky to have this film greenlit and made during the pandemic when the market was so bad. People said it was a miracle. I am eternally grateful to our producers and investors who made it work. It was in the height of Covid and some people did have to self-quarantine. Some days we had to shoot without the production designer or the first AD or line producer and that was incredibly challenging but somehow we scrambled to make it work and ploughed through.

 

What are you working on next?

Other filmmakers have advised me this is the best time to write and I tried to think about a new project during post-production. I do have a couple of ideas floating around but nothing concrete - but I ended up feeling immensely guilty and it felt almost like I was cheating on Sleep with this other project. So I’m just going to give it my all for Sleep, whether it’s for promotion or post-production until it’s released this autumn.

 

Yu spoke in both Korean and English, with comments translated and lightly edited to fit this article space.

 

Source: https://www.screendaily.com/features/jason-yu-talks-critics-week-title-sleep-praised-by-palme-dor-and-oscar-winner-bong-joon-ho/5182405.article

 

 

[Helena]

FRA: "Project Silence" Red Carpet - The 76th Annual Cannes Film Festival
photos ->https://www.gettyimages.com/search/2/image?events=775977813

 

 

 

[Helena]

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230522000716
‘Sleep,’ ‘Project Silence’ debut at 76th Cannes Film Festivals

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com) | May 22, 2023 

“Project Silence” cast members including Lee Sun-kyun (center) and Ju Ji-hoon (second from left) pose for photos at a red carpet event at the Lumiere Theater in Cannes, France, Sunday. (CJ ENM)

Two Korean films invited to noncompetition categories at the 76th Cannes Film Festival each held screenings with the directors and main actors receiving the spotlight on the red carpet and at the theater after their world premieres.

Director Kim Tae-gon’s “Project Silence” was scheduled for 12:30 a.m. Monday in Cannes, as it was invited to the Midnight Screening, an out-of-competition section dedicated to films with popular appeal and artistic value.

Main actors Lee Sun-kyun, Ju Ji-hoon and Kim Hee-won showed up at a red carpet event prior to the screening. Each of them had previously visited Cannes, with “Parasite” (2019), “The Spy Gone North” (2018) and “The Merciless” (2017), respectively.

For Lee, it is his third time visiting the world’s most prestigious film festival. He is featured in two of the seven Korean films invited this year. His other invitee is director Jason Yu’s “Sleep,” which has been invited to Critics’ Week and also premiered on Sunday.

The screening of “Project Silence” finished at around 2:30 a.m. Monday, but the packed audience of Lumiere Theater delivered a five-minute ovation at the end.

“Project Silence” revolves around Jung-won (Lee Sun-kyun), who gets stranded on a collapsed bridge shrouded in thick fog. Ju Ji-hoon appears as a tow truck driver to clear crashed cars from the bridge.

The film’s distributor CJ ENM said the film has been already sold to buyers for 140 countries, including France, the US, Germany and Japan.

From left: Director Jason Yu, Jung Yu-mi and Lee Sun-kyun meet with the audience after the screening of “Sleep,” at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday. (Lotte Entertainment)

Meanwhile, director Jason Yu premiered his first-ever feature film “Sleep” at Cannes, and is eligible for the Camera d'Or award given to the best rookie director regardless of category. “Sleep” had its screening Sunday morning as part of Cannes Critics’ Week, which focuses on first and second features by emerging directors.

Yu is a former assistant to director Bong Joon-ho of Oscar-winning film “Parasite” (2019). He has also translated the subtitles for auteur Lee Chang-dong's "Burning" (2018).

Starring Lee and Jung Yu-mi, Korean horror film “Sleep” tells the story of a newlywed husband showing strange behavior while asleep. The film has been sold for distribution to 80 countries.

It is the fourth time for the two actors to work together, reuniting again after 10 years. Their three previous projects were directed by auteur Hong Sang-soo.

Both “Project Silence” and “Sleep” hit local theaters in Korea later this year.

 

—
FRA: "Project Silence" Photocall - The 76th Annual Cannes Film Festival
photos ->https://www.gettyimages.com/search/2/image?events=775977775

 

 

[sweetroad]

‘Sleep’: Cannes Review

By Jonathan Romney22 May 2023

 

A young family is shaken by a strange presence in their home in this mischievous debut thriller from South Korea

Source: Cannes International Film Festival

 

A film called Sleep risks being taken as an invitation for weary filmgoers to grab forty winks – especially if it starts, as this one does, with the sound of loud snoring. But this larky South Korean chiller will keep viewers, if not on the edge of their seats, then certainly awake, as it rings imaginative and sometimes tricksy changes on a simple somnambulism premise. Sharp performances from Parasite star Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi (from Train to Busan), plus a snappy use of claustrophobic interiors, make this a highly exportable and cult-friendly debut by writer-director Jason Yu, previously AD to Bong Joon-ho.

 

Virtually a two-hander, with some eccentric support roles, Sleep is about a young couple who live in an apartment block with the kind of adorably fluffy dog that seems unlikely to make it through this kind of scarer in one piece. Hyun-su (Lee) is an award-winning screen actor, while Soo-jin (Jung) is an office worker currently pregnant with the couple’s first child, and with an indefatigably tenacious positivity – her motto being “Together We Can Overcome Anything”, as a folksy wall plaque asserts. 

 

One night, Hyun-su suddenly intones, “Someone is inside,” then promptly falls asleep, leaving Soo-jin to explore their darkened flat. An ominous thump seems nothing more than a door banging in the wind – but then, why has their new downstairs neighbour complained about loud noises coming from the flat for over a week? Hyun-su develops a worrying habit of scratching his face while he sleeps, leaving himself scarred and with bloody pillows. A doctor diagnoses an REM sleep disorder, but Soo-jin’s worried mother recommends spiritual help, and eventually enlists a shaman – a business-like, somewhat glamorous middle-aged woman. She sizes up the problem instantly: Soo-jin is living with two men, and one of them isn’t alive. 

 

With peril increasing for the household, now including newborn baby Ha-yoon, the determined Soo-jin takes every conceivable step to keep her husband’s dark side under control – while he, a loving dad and partner by day, starts having every reason to fear his previously solicitous wife. The really smart aspect of Sleep is the way it flips Soo-jin’s character: over time, it’s her anxiety and the extremity of her response that become alarming, with Jung Yu-mi’s performance strikingly shifting from nervous composure to full-on frenzy. 

 

Told in three chapters, the film makes brilliant use of limited spaces. Apart from the odd shift of locale – to a doctor’s office and, at one point, a clinic somewhere in the countryside – Sleep takes place almost entirely in the couple’s flat, sometimes seen as a cosy familial nest, but just as often turned by crafty lighting and slow-creeping camerawork into an enclosed labyrinth, in which the real dangers seem to come from the couple themselves. With its claustrophobic enclosure and play with family structures, Sleep is a family-in-peril drama with similar domestic-trauma resonances to, say, The Babadook.

 

Ultimately, though, the drama doesn’t quite pay off, despite a clever reveal about the identity of the couple’s unseen enemy, and  a climactic scene that ramps up the frenzy in the couple’s now totally transformed apartment, ripe for a supernatural showdown. The payoff is cleverly ambiguous, although director Yu somewhat mishandles the release of tension in the very final moments: a more emphatic last turn of the screw might have made all the difference. Still, Sleep is a mischievous genre exercise, with the ‘zzzz’ less likely to come from the audience than from the ominous power drill glimpsed in the first scene.

 

Production company: Lewis Pictures 

International sales: Lotte Entertainment, international02@lotte.net 

Producer: Lewis Tae-wan Kim

Screenplay: Jason Yu

Cinematography: Kim Tae-soo 

Editing: Han Mee-yeon

Production design: Shin Yu-jin

Music: Chang Hyuk-jin, Chang Yong-jin 

Main cast: Jung Yu-mi, Lee Sun-kyun 

 

Source: https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/sleep-cannes-review/5182423.article

[sadiesmith]

Based on reviews that have come out, it seems that Sleep appeals more to the film critics than Escape. But Escape has sold more, so I am still hoping for a success at the box office.

[sweetroad]

The Shape of Streaming to Come: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Final Report

 

By Charles Bramesco Jun 7, 2023

 

(skipped unrelated)

Sleep

Photo: Festival de Cannes

 

There’s something touching — in a disturbed, disturbing way, one sicko’s homage to another — that Jason Yu, one-time first assistant director to Barking Dogs Never Bite auteur Bong Joon-ho, would also fill his debut film with the corpses of unfortunate pooches. The world-renowned Korean penchant for extreme content is alive and well in this Critics’ Week sidebar selection, which gets the party started with a man (Lee Sun-kyun) attempting to scratch the skin off of his own face. An unrestful spirit in the cozy yet derelict apartment complex he inhabits with his wife (Jung Yu-mi) seizes control of his body by night and forces him to do all manner of unspeakable things, a predicament that his spouse won’t take lying down. Her efforts to outwit their spectral tormentor degenerate into a twisted battle of wills pushing her to her psychological limit, her headlong leap into insanity with the third act an effective reversal of  expectations as protagonist and monster swap roles. Yu’s cunning may be modest at this early stage of his career, but he’s got a strong foundation of sadistic inventiveness, an attitude willing and able to reach for new standards of depraved behavior. 

 

Source: https://decider.com/2023/06/07/cannes-film-festival-2023-final-report/

 

(Not sure now if I really want to see this movie! )

[sweetroad]

Killing Romance,’ Offbeat Korean Comedy, to Open New York Asian Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)

Warner Bros.

 

by Patrick Frater, June 14, 2023

 

“Killing Romance,” one of the most creative Korean films of the past year, has been set as the opening night title for the upcoming New York Asian Film Festival.

 

The deliberately multi-genre picture tells the tale of a beautiful movie star with dubious acting skills (portrayed by Le Ha-nee) who suddenly quits the industry and retires to newly-married life that turns out to be anything but bliss. When she decides to return to acting she teams up with a fan and an absurd plot to kill her absurdly rich husband.

 

The film is directed by Lee Won-suk who previously attended the NYAFF with his first film, “How to Use Guys With Secret Tips,” in 2013 and returned with his second feature, the big-budget period drama The Royal Tailor, which earned the audience award at NYAFF in 2015.

 

Lee will be joined at the Lincoln Center on opening night by his leading actor, Lee Sun-kyun (“Parasite,” “A Hard Day”), making a rare trip to the U.S.

 

“Killing Romance” is the final film to be made by Warner Bros. Korea which has now closed its production office in Korea. Produced by Film Studio Ichang and Shortcake, the film had its theatrical release in Korea through Lotte Entertainment on April 14. International sales are handled by K-Movie Entertainment.

 

The festival is set to run July 14-30 with some 60 films and live events and an audience of some 12,000. While the bulk of the 2023’ edition’s lineup has yet to be unveiled, organizers have announced that Hong Kong star Louis Koo will receive the “Extraordinary Star Asia Award” for his exceptional contribution to Asian cinema at a ceremony on July 19.

 

Since 2010, the Festival has been produced in collaboration with prestigious institution Film at Lincoln Center, which is also behind the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films, and is publisher of respected cinematic journal, Film Comment.

 

Source: https://variety.com/2023/film/news/killing-romance-new-york-asian-film-festival-1235642259/

[sweetroad]

New York Asian Film Festival Announces First Wave of 2023 lineup

by Nobuhiro Hosoki, June 15, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

On July 14, 2023, the New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center will kick off the 22nd edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), with 60+ new and classic titles, a greatly expanded selection of short films, and an exciting slate of celebrated guests from Asia and the diaspora. The festival runs from July 14–30, 2023 at Film at Lincoln Center (FLC), with a special weekend of screenings (July 21–23) at a new venue, the historic Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey, the birthplace of the motion picture industry in America.

“As filmmakers from Asia continue to earn the lion’s share of top awards (and attention) on the international film festival circuit, this year’s selection shows that those are still trees hiding a forest of talent,” said Samuel Jamier, executive director of NYAFF and president of the New York Asian Film Foundation. “We are thrilled to offer a platform that is ever more culturally relevant with new films from all corners of Asia. It is a year of massive expansion for us at a time when a growing number of American filmmakers of Asian descent are conquering screens and hearts. We look forward to bringing passionate stories to passionate audiences in a city that remains a global center of film culture and business!”

The NYAFF Opening Film is the North American premiere of the unique Korean genre mashup Killing Romance, directed by Lee Won-suk. The director will be joined at Film at Lincoln Center on opening night by his lead actor, Lee Sun-kyun (Parasite, A Hard Day), who turns in an unforgettable performance as the indescribably overbearing husband of a disgraced supermodel-movie star, fully armed with his history of versatile roles in everything from art-house collaborations with Hong Sang-soo to rom-coms to his SAG Award-winning turn in Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite. Director Lee Won-suk has a rich history with NYAFF—his first film, How to Use Guys with Secret Tips, premiered at NYAFF 2013, and Lee won the Audience Award at NYAFF 2015 with his second feature, the big-budget period drama The Royal Tailor. It’s a thrill to welcome him back with his third feature.

(skipped unrelated)

Source: https://cinemadailyus.com/news/new-york-asian-film-festival-announces-frist-wave-of-2023-lineup/

~

Killing Romance's page at the NYAFF website: https://www.nyaff.org/nyaff23/films/killing-romance

[sweetroad]

Cannes Thriller ‘Sleep’ Sells to Magnolia’s Genre Arm, Magnet Releasing (EXCLUSIVE)

Brent Lang, June 29, 2023

 

 

Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of indie distributor Magnolia Pictures, has acquired North American rights to “Sleep.” The horror-thriller, which sounds designed to make you rethink your thoughts about sleepwalking, recently had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival’s critics week.

 

It was directed and written by Jason Yu, who worked with Korean filmmaking legends Bong Joon-ho and Lee Chang-dong before making his feature directing debut with “Sleep.” Magnet will release the film early next year.

 

The director’s previous collaborator, Bong, called “Sleep,” “the most unique horror film and the smartest debut film I’ve seen in 10 years.” So that’s some high praise from the director of “The Host” and “Parasite.”

 

According to an official synopsis, “Sleep” “follows newlyweds Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, ‘Someone’s inside.’ From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before.

 

Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear. Despite treatment, Hyun-su’s sleepwalking only intensifies, and Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger.”

 

“Jason Yu has fashioned an incredibly well-realized debut with ‘Sleep,’” said Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley in a statement. “We’re thrilled to introduce U.S. audiences to a new, distinctive voice in the long tradition of visionary South Korean cinema.” 

 

“Magnolia Pictures is home to many of my favorite films and has played a crucial part in my growth as a filmmaker,” Yu said. “I am deeply honored to embark on this journey with such a renowned distributor, and I cannot wait to show ‘Sleep’ all across the United States. I truly believe it will be a fun and crazy time that will keep you on the edge of your seats!” 

 

“Sleep” is a Lewis Pictures production. It was produced by Lewis Tae-wan Kim. It boasts cinematography by Kim Tae-soo, editing by Han Mee-yeon, and music by Chang Hyuk-jin and Chang Yong-jin.

 

The deal was negotiated by Magnolia’s Begley and John Von Thaden, the company’s senior VP of acquisitions. Hana Choi at Lotte Entertainment represented the filmmakers in those talks. 

 

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-au/movies/news/cannes-thriller-sleep-sells-to-magnolia-s-genre-arm-magnet-releasing-exclusive/ar-AA1dd6vu