Bae Doo Na 배두나

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November 24, 2015

Stars light up thriller movie 'Tunnel'

Source: The Korea Times

/Korea Times file

Top actors Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doo-na and Oh Dal-su have teamed up for new thriller film "Tunnel."

Bae plays Ha's wife in the film, directed by Kim Sung-hun, famous for "A Hard Day," released last year.

"Tunnel" is based on the novel of the same name, written by So Jae-won in 2013. It is about a man (Ha) stuck inside a collapsed tunnel. Oh plays a rescue worker.

Kim's "A Hard Day" is a crime action-thriller that was selected to compete in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

ejb@koreatimes.co.kr

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November 25, 2015

Ha Jung-woo and Bae Doo-na enter Tunnel

By Kevin Ma FilmBiz

Director KIM Seong-hun 김성훈 | 金成勳 has finally found his follow-up to hit thriller A Hard Day 끝까지 간다 with Tunnel 터널.

Based on a novel, the survival drama stars HA Jung-woo 하정우 | 河正佑 as a man who is caught in the rubbles of a tunnel collapse. BAE Du-na 배두나 | 裵斗娜 co-stars as the man's wife, and OH Dal-su 오달수 | 吳達庶 plays one of the rescue workers.

Co-produced by Another Sunday 어나더썬데이, Tunnel began shooting on 10 Nov. Showbox Corp 쇼박스 will release the film some time next year.

Ha will also be seen next year in PARK Chan-wook 박찬욱 | 朴贊郁's The Handmaid 아가씨, which is now in post-production. Bae is expected to shoot the second season of American television drama Sense8 in the coming months.

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November 26, 2015

Han Hyo Joo and Bae Doo Na steal the heart of Japanese producers

Source: Newsen via Hancinema.net

Han Hyo-joo and Bae Doona caught the attention of a Japanese producer.

While the attempts of Korean actors and actresses for foreign markets continue, the masters of movie making in Japan, Inudo Isshin and Koreeda Hirokazu worked with Han Hyo-joo and Bae Doona.

The Hally Wave has been a part of Japanese culture for a while. Not only do singers represent Korea in Japan but actors and actresses have been working with Japanese drama and movie producers too.

First, Bae Doona can be said to be the leading Korean actress in Japanese movies. She starred in a movie called "Air Doll" by Koreeda Hirokazu who is known to blend heartwarming stories into in-depth themes. She played a doll called Nozomi who suddenly starts to feel human emotions.

Koreeda Hirokazu claims he wrote the scenario thinking about Bae Doona and she did a good job in expressing the character of Nozomi. She was acknowledged by being given the Best Actress at a Japanese awards show.

Han Hyo-joo met with Inudo Isshin for the movie, "Clumsy Love" which comes out on the 10th of December. The movie is about coincidental love and mixed feelings of love which one loses but wants back again.

Han Hyo-joo's innocent image got the production to cast her for this movie in which she plays a lighting designer named Tae So-yeon. She speaks in Japanese, Korean and even English in her lines.

Han Hyo-joo's collaboration with Inudo Isshin blended well and she lived up to her name of the 'melo-queen'.

Han Hyo-joo's new transformation in anticipating in "Clumsy Love" which also stars a Japanese idol Aiba Masaki, Eikura Nana, Ikuta Toma and others.

The movie comes out on the 10th of December.

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December 1, 2015

HA Jung-woo and BAE Doo-na Begin Production on TUNNEL
OH Dal-su Co-Stars in New KIM Seong-hun Thriller

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Stars HA Jung-woo, BAE Doo-na and OH Dal-su kicked off production of their new thriller Tunnel on November 10th. The film is the third work from director KIM Seong-hun.

Based on a 2013 novel of the same name by SO Jae-won, Tunnel tells the story of an unsuccessful car salesman who becomes trapped on the way to his daughter’s birthday party when a shoddily constructed tunnel collapses. HA plays the man, alone in the tunnel, while BAE is featured as his wife and OH as a rescue worker.

HA most recently starred in the smash summer hit Assassination and was also recognized with the Renaissance Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival just last month. BAE was seen this year in the Netflix TV show Sense8 from the Wachowski Siblings. Meanwhile, OH has appeared in the last three films to cross the ten million admissions mark at the Korean box office, Ode to My Father, Assassination and Veteran.

Director KIM premiered his most recent feature, the thriller A Hard Day, to great acclaim in the Director’s Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival last year. Strongly received by critics and audiences, the film took in 3.45 million (USD 23.34 million) viewers in Korea.

Tunnel, a co-production between Another Sunday, High Story and BA Entertainment, will be released by Showbox Inc. next year.

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January 4, 2016

Bae Doona to advertise Louis Vuitton

Source: The Korea Times

/Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Top actress Bae Doona will be the model for Louis Vuitton's new global campaign "Series 4.".

"Series" is a global advertisement campaign that started in 2014 after head designer Nicolas Ghesquiere joined the company.

Bae's "Series 4" campaign featuring the 2016 spring/ summer collection was shot by famous photographer Juergen Teller in Miami, Florida.

The collection perfectly captures Bae's unique charm and charisma.

Ghesquiere said he had always been mesmerized by Bae since her performance in the science-fiction action film "The Host" (2006).

corea022@naver.com

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January 5, 2016

Bae Doo-na Lands Global Louis Vuitton Job

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

Actress Bae Doo-na has become the first Korean worldwide model for a global luxury brand. Bae was chosen as a model for Louis Vuitton's 2016 spring/summer collection. 

The Korean market is now a test bed for the latest products of luxury labels, and Bae's new job is evidence of that.

Louis Vuitton on Monday unveiled its 2016 spring/summer collection. The photos were shot by world-renowned photographers Juergen Teller and Bruce Weber in Miami, Florida. 

Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière said he first saw Bae in the Korean blockbuster "The Host" and concluded that she is a good fit for the brand. 

Bae and Ghesquière have been friends for several years.

January 4, 2016

Bae Doona participates in Louis Vuitton commercial campaign

Source: STAR NEWS via Hancinema.net

Actress Bae Doona has become the first Korean to participate in the commercial campaign of the luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.

Louis Vuitton has unveiled their global commercial campaign, Series 4 starring Bae Doona on January 4th. This campaign is based on the inspiration of the the last 16 years of Spring and Summer collection by Louis Vuitton and the campaign is targeted at the global patrons worldwide.

The new video starring Bae Doona can be seen on the official website of Louis Vuitton and Louis Vuitton Pass app.

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January 4, 2016

S. Korean actress models for Louis Vuitton

South Korean actress Bae Doo-na is featured in a global ad for luxury brand Louis Vuitton in this photo provided by the company on Jan. 4, 2016. According to the company, Louis Vuitton is the first to pick a South Korean as a model for a worldwide advertisement, not just for the Asian region. (Yonhap) (END)

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News bites: January 9, 2016
by awcoconuts | Dramabeans.com

Bae Doo-na’s coming back for the second season of Netflix show Sense8, and fortunately, the streaming service recently launched in 130 additional countries (and has added Korean language support), which means that international fans will be able to watch as soon as the episodes drop in the States. [Osen]

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January 13, 2016

Actress Bae Doona Spotted in Miranda Kerr’s Star-Studded Selfie

Source: Soompi by kokoberry

On January 13, top model Miranda Kerr posted a star-studded elevator selfie on her Instagram account.

11 individuals can be seen in the group snapshot including Korean actress Bae Doona, Louis Vuitton’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, Song of Style’s Aimee Song, and others. Along with the photo, Miranda Kerr wrote, “Over & out #elevatorselfie @louisvuitton @nicholasghesquiere.”

Bae Doona is the first Korean to participate in a Louis Vuitton global ad campaign. Fashion designer Nicholas Ghesquière previously revealed that he first noticed Bae Doona in the movie “The Host” and was attracted to her unique, mysterious beauty. Thus he considered her artistic sense and strong energy to be a good match for Louis Vuitton.

Source (1)

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January 27, 2016

How Doona Bae, a South Korean Actress and Photographer, Became Louis Vuitton’s Latest Muse

by JANELLE OKWODU VOGUE.com

Photo: Getty Images

To be a Louis Vuitton ambassador, one must be more than a hot new starlet. From acclaimed actresses like Jennifer Connelly and Alicia Vikander to a Final Fantasy protagonist, the women who pique Nicolas Ghesquière’s interest are consistently accomplished, beautiful, and multidimensional (except, maybe, in the case of Final Fantasy’s Lightning, though she lacks dimension only literally). For his latest campaign, the designer looked to one of his most prolific muses, Korean actress Doona Bae. A star in South Korea since the early aughts, Bae has been a fixture in films from such influential directors as Chan-wook Park, Joon-ho Bong, and the Wachowskis, and more recently she made waves stateside as a star of the Netflix hit Sense8.

But more important, Bae is as compelling offscreen as she is on. Discovered by a model scout while attending college in Seoul, she began her career doing catalog work before transitioning to acting in television dramas. Quickly establishing herself as an actress, Bae has played everything from a sentient blow-up doll to a morally conflicted policewoman. Favoring art-house films over mainstream fare, Bae is much more likely to be spotted at the Cannes Film Festival than in the latest blockbuster, but when she isn’t filming, she’s busy working as a photographer and has published books dedicated to her landscape shots and self-portraits.

When it comes to fashion, Bae takes her status as a Vuitton ambassador seriously, sporting Ghesquière’s designs almost exclusively as of late and often taking his gowns into the real world before anyone else. If she isn’t Instagramming the latest Vuitton Steamer bag, she’s coordinating ensembles with Marie-Amélie Sauvé, and her genuine appreciation for Ghesquière’s talent sets her apart from the typical celebrity spokeswoman. But before her Vuitton tenure, Bae was no slouch in the fashion department, working pieces from Marni, Dior, Chanel, and Fendi into a quirky look. Still, there’s something to be said about the perfect combination of designer and muse, and Bae is never more fashionable than when she’s clad in head-to-toe Vuitton.

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February 23, 2016

From the big screen to fashion magazines
Korean actress is the face of Louis Vuitton’s latest global campaign

Source: INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Bae Doo-na is currently starring in the U.S. drama series “Sense8.” [KWON HYUK-JAE]

“The more expensive it is, the more likely it will sell.” As ironic as this sentence may be, it is an on-point description of the luxury market in Korea.

Purses from the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton have been so ubiquitous in Korea that they earned the nickname of “bags seen every 3 seconds.” A scathing moniker, yet a fitting one for the ostentatious nature of Korean consumers. For such a small country, spending on the luxuries is so high that it constantly draws the attention of renowned luxury brands.

While it previously played only the role of consumer, the Korean luxury market has begun contributing in an unconventional way. Louis Vuitton confessed to having gotten inspiration from outfits shown in Korean films and selected actress Bae Doo-na as their spokesmodel for the global marketing campaign. 

The 36-year-old actress now holds the title of Louis Vuitton ambassador, and is the first Korean to be the face of a global marketing campaign by the world-renowned luxury brand.

From left to right: Bae wears a zip-up sweatshirt in the movie “The Host” (2006); the “Zip-Up Training One-Piece” was designed by Nicola Ghesquiere, who was inspired by Bae’s character; and Bae models for Louis Vuitton’s global campaign “Series 4.” [JOONGANG ILBO]

In its 2014 fall and winter collection, the brand unveiled many sweats, which resembled the outfits Bae wore in “The Host” (2006). Nicolas Ghesquiere, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director for women’s collections, saie he was mesmerized by the mystical nature of his “muse.” He confessed to always having had her image in his head while designing the collection.

The artist loved the way Bae was able to transform herself into just about anything, from an archer (in “The Host”) to an inflatable doll (in 2009’s “Air Doll”).

“I always had my own taste for the movies,” Bae recalled, adding that she “applied that taste when choosing what movies to be part of. My choice of work was not about which movie would satisfy the most people or draw the most viewers.”

The Joongang Ilbo met the inspirational actress at the Louis Vuitton store in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul.

Q. How did you feel about becoming the face of Louis Vuitton?

A. It is a great honor to be the face of a brand with a history as long as Louis Vuitton’s. I was very happy to have worked with Ghesquiere, whose work I always have admired, and the world-class photographer Juergen Teller.

How did you and Ghesquiere get to know each other?

I was invited when he held his first annual fashion show for Louis Vuitton two years ago. I recall exchanging awkward hellos then. But he invited me to every exhibition after that and we got better.

How did you learn English, by the way? 

I try to read English books. Small talk gives me a much harder time than when having business discussions.

What is it like to be somebody’s “muse,” as Ghesquiere put it?

It is definitely exhilarating. Being a muse is sharing feelings and inspirations. It is about cultivating a relationship between the creator and the muse and becoming essentially friends with each other.

Friends - is that what you two are to each other? 

I think we qualify. We watch movies and have dinner in Paris. While we don’t talk much business, we do talk about our personal troubles. Spending time with him and his friends on a Spanish island let me get to know about his friends, Pierre Hardy [shoe designer] and Julien Dossena [Paco Rabanne designer] as well.

What made you two hit it off?

We see a lot of similarities in each other. I was surprised to hear Nicola had watched “The Host” over five times. Obviously, I like his work as well, and neither of us are gregarious people. Our similarities actually exist in the smallest things, so I am not really sure if it’s appropriate to say we are the biggest sources of inspiration (chuckles).

Some of his works are reminiscent of you?

Well, Nicola did say once that he wanted to design sweats like the ones I was wearing in “The Host.” 

Korea may have ascended to fashion inspiration, thanks to you. Do you think it has?

Inspiration is not really a one-way thing. It was interesting to learn that “The Host” director Bong Joon-ho got some inspiration from the works of Cindy Sherman, and to hear from Cindy Sherman, whom I admire so much as a photographer, that “The Host” was the best out of all the movies she has watched in the last five years.

Requirements on actresses have changed as more emphasis is put on their performances. In your estimation, has the standard of beauty changed as well?

Impactful and strong actresses really shine. By strong I mean able to open themselves up to the public. Good acting can cover up some of the deficiencies and eventually make a person more beautiful, and I believe that is beauty in its natural state. That is one of the biggest draws I felt from Nicola’s exhibitions. He has his models be who they are with virtually naked faces and minimizes artificial elements. It’s sexy. 

How was working with Jurgen Teller, the photographer?

He always wanted to capture spontaneous and fortuitous moments. He never asked me for particular poses or gestures. He would just capture me waiting or just doing nothing. We did share as if he had me pictured already within his head. 

Lots of activities in different countries are planned ahead for you. How are you handling them?

I have never dreamed of working overseas, but I have never had a fear of it either. When I auditioned for the Wachowskis’ “Cloud Atlas” (2012), my English was so poor I could hardly even bear it.

But believing it was more about the attitude and my character, I did it and made it. I’ll be spending half a year traveling in eight different countries to finish the shooting for [the U.S. drama series] “Sense8.” I do hope I can have shootings in Korea for the remainder of the year.

BY PARK HYUN-YOUNG [jeong.byungki@joongang.co.kr]

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March 1, 2016

Bae Doo-na breaks through borders

In the Netflix sci-fi series “Sense 8,” actress Bae Doo-na plays Sun Bak, vice president of a Seoul-based firm by day and an underground kickboxer by night. Bak is one of the toughest characters Bae has played in her prolific 17-year acting career. This is also the most widely watched series she has been in. 

“I heard season one ranked as the most popular show in every region from North and South Americas to Europe. I was thrilled to learn that,” said Bae, who was speaking to The Korea Herald while in Berlin on Saturday. She is in Germany for the shooting of season two of “Sense 8,” which will take her to 16 different locations. 

The drama series is streamed globally by Netflix which has helped the Korean star gain recognition outside of the Korean movie scene. 

A scene from "Sense 8" (Netflix)

Bae has made regular appearances in the Wachowski siblings’ films ever since she was scouted by the American directing and producing duo made up of Andrew Paul and Lana Wachowski. She has starred in “Cloud Atlas” (2012) and “Jupiter Ascending” (2015). “Sense 8” is Bae’s third work with the directors. 

“I was surprised to find out I would be actually shooting scenes in cities where the characters live. I was constantly travelling from Iceland to Nairobi, then to Seoul, to Berlin and to Mexico City when filming the season one,” said Bae. Each of the eight characters in “Sense 8” live in different cities around the world. Their minds connect with one another unexpectedly when their mental and emotional states are linked. 

There will be even more globetrotting for Bae this year, as she will be filming season two in 16 cities, spending two weeks in each city until September.

“I always think the script writers are geniuses in putting together scenes scattered in many parts of the world,” said Bae. 

But Bae was wary of giving too much away about Bak’s fate in season two. 

“The directors are very cautious about spoilers,” said Bae. “Sun Pak, who was put in prison for taking her brother’s crime upon herself, will return stronger than ever in season two,” she added. 

The similarity between her character in “Sense 8” and Bae in real life is that they have both grown stronger over the course of filming the series. 

Acting in English-language films has been a great challenge for Bae. She had to leave her comfort zone in Korea and test her limits in delivering lines in English while adjusting to a new culture and system at the same time. 

“I was thrown into a new world,” Bae said. “Everything was a challenge. I had to make new friends, learn a new language and a new culture.”

Lee Han-lim, head of Saetbyeoldang Entertainment, which represents Bae in Korea, said Bae tried to immerse herself in English-speaking environments whenever she had spare time. 

Bae plays Sonmi 451 in "Cloud Atlas," her 2012 Hollywood debut (Cloud Atlas Productions)

“To deliver lines in English, you have to know how sentences and words you would say in movies are used in real life. Bae went to the U.K. several times to acquaint herself with everyday English,” said Lee. For a while, she dated English actor Jim Sturgess, a fellow cast member in “Cloud Atlas.” 

Bae said that it takes her extra effort to master her English lines. 

“I act instinctively in Korean, but in English, I have to try harder and also be mentally strong at the same time. Everything was a challenge,” said Bae. “The good thing is that the Wachowski directors have motivated me to battle insecurity about acting and continue to push forward. I feel I have become stronger now.” 

In Korea, Bae has been an art-house movie darling, more likely to be cast in indie movies rather than commercially popular hits. Since her 1999 debut in the Korean edition of Japanese horror film “Ring,” Bae has played a variety of roles including a tough married woman in the comedy movie “Saving My Hubby” (2002), an archer in “The Host” (2006), a North Korean table tennis player in “As One” (2012) and a lesbian policewoman in “A Girl at My Door” (2014). She has starred in films by Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho, two Korean directors who are well-known internationally. 

Bae has won several best actresses awards in and outside Korea, including the Asian Film Awards in which she was recognized by the Hong Kong International Film Festival for her role in “A Girl at My Door” in 2015. 

“I was particularly proud of myself starring in that movie. It was my type of movie. I didn’t consider any commercial aspects of the film when I selected that film,” said Bae. 
Bae voluntarily waived payment for starring in the low-budget film. 

She knew she had made the right choice when the movie was invited to the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival. 

“I began to feel confident in roles that I selected,” said Bae. 

She has built a unique standing in the Korean film scene for her diverse roles. 

“Bae has created unique characters in films -- characters that could only be made by her,” said Jeong Ji-ouk, a movie critic. “Bae focuses on films that she can do best and is not swayed by a desire to be in big-hit films.” 

Her unique onscreen character drew attention in the world of high fashion last year. She was selected to be a muse of Louis Vuitton by its creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere.

“I discovered the Korean actress Doona Bae in the sci-fi action film ‘The Host.’ I was struck by her character and mysterious beauty. All of her movie choices are quite particular. She flits between an archery champion and an accomplished boxer (in the sci-fi TV series ‘Sense 8’), or even an inflatable doll (in ‘Air Doll’),” Ghesquiere said in the press release announcing Bae as the French luxury company’s new muse in October last year. 

Her role as a sex doll in the Japanese movie “Air Doll” drew exceptional reviews from movie critics and the sci-fi image of the life-size doll in “Air Doll” allowed Bae to develop the cyborg character Sonmi-451 in “Cloud Atlas.” 

“Her previous Japanese movies received quite good reviews. Her role in ‘Air Doll’ left a strong impression on many people,” said Jeong. 

Bae’s agency added that Bae’s appearances in Japanese movies gave her the confidence to act in foreign languages.

Bae Doo-na plays an inflatable sex doll in 2009 Japanese film "Air Doll." (Engine Film)

“The movie (‘Air Doll’) was the beginning of Bae’s breakthrough in her acting career,” said Lee of Bae’s Korean agency. 

Ghesquiere has praised her versatility in acting, which in turn inspires the French fashion house’s collections. 

“I am fascinated by her gift for transformation, and I had her image very much in mind as I was creating this collection. She radiates strength and an artistic sensibility that corresponds to the values of the Maison,” said Ghesquiere in a press statement last year.

As a Louis Vuitton muse, Bae posed for the brand’s spring-summer advertisement campaign and attended its spring-summer collection show in Paris last October, rubbing shoulders with Catherine Deneuve, Alicia Vikander and Adele Exarchopoulos. 

Between her busy overseas schedules, Bae found time to return to Korea to film the upcoming movie “Tunnel” by director Kim Sung-hoon, in which she co-stars with Ha Jung-woo and Oh Dal-su. 

“Starring in Korean movies gives me comfort. That’s why I come back to Korea from time to time to search for good films,” she said. 

“But I want to be good in every film, including those in foreign languages. After all, I am an actress and I love movies.” 

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com) 

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May 12, 2016

‘The Tunnel’ to release in August

Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doo-na and Oh Dal-su from left

Korean disaster film “The Tunnel” -- starring Ha Jung-woo, Oh Dal-su and actress Bae Doo-na -- will open in theaters in August.

It revolves around a man trapped in a collapsed tunnel.

Ha took the role of a father named Jung-soo who struggles to survive in order to return to his family, while Bae plays his wife Se-hyun, who manages to remain undaunted throughout the accident.

Lastly, Oh portrays the chief of a rescue team working hard to save his life with a sense of duty.

The last movie by the film’s director, Kim Sung-hoon, was “A Hard Day” released in 2014 that was listed for competition at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival.

By Kim Soo-hyang (shkim@heraldcorp.com)

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June 6, 2016

Source: Jason Bechervaise ‏@koreanjase

Kim Sung-hoon’s THE TUNNEL starring Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doo-na and Oh Dal-su is coming to local cinemas in August. #터널

Spoiler

 

[hooklinesinker]

Numero China August 2016 

cr art8amby

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July 20, 2016

Locarno Books THE TUNNEL International Premiere
Disaster Drama with HA Jung-woo, BAE Doo-na to Screen in Switzerland

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

The Locarno International Film Festival will present the international premiere of upcoming disaster drama The Tunnel at its 69th edition next month. From A Hard Day (2014) director KIM Seong-hun, the film features HA Jung-woo, BAE Doo-na and OH Dal-su.
 
The Tunnel features HA as a family man returning home for his daughter’s birthday who is trapped when a tunnel he drives through collapses around. He struggles to stay alive with limited resources while his wife, played by BAE, and a rescue team trying to reach him from outside. The film is based on a 2013 book of the same name by author SO Jae-won.
 
The film will screen Out of Competition at the Piazza Grande, which features the largest outdoor film screen in the world and can welcome over 8,000 spectators. The Tunnel will screen on Thursday, August 11th, just one day after it opens in theaters in Korea.
 
HA most recently appeared in PARK Chan-wook’s Cannes-invited thriller The Handmaiden while BAE, whose last Korean film was A Girl at My Door (2014), is currently shooting the second season of the Netflix show Sense8 with The Wachowskis. Meanwhile, popular supporting star OH will also be seen this summer in the sports drama Run-off, a sequel to 2009’s Take Off.
 
The Locarno International Film Festival, which last year awarded its top prize, the Golden Leopard, to HONG Sang-soo’s Right Now, Wrong Then, as well as the Best Actor prize to the film’s lead JUNG Jae-young, will take place over August 3rd to the 13th.

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July 25, 2016

‘The Tunnel’ to compete at Sitges Film Festival

Korean disaster film “The Tunnel” has been invited to join the competition section of the Sitges Film Festival 2016, according to its distributor Showbox on Monday.

The Sitges Film Festival, held in Catalonia, Spain, is one of three major film festivals in Europe. It focuses on fantasy and horror films and its 49th edition will take place this year from Oct. 7. 

In the the main competition section, “The Tunnel” is expected to compete with other Korean movies such as “The Handmaiden,” “The Wailing” and “Train to Busan.”

“The Tunnel” will also be screened at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland on Aug. 3. 

The film, which stars actor Ha Jung-woo and actress Bae Doo-na, depicts a man who finds himself trapped in a collapsed tunnel while on his way back home. 

It will be released in Korea on Aug. 10. 

By Son Ji-hyoung (json@heraldcorp.com)

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August 2, 2016

Early Sitges Picks Favor Korean Genre Films
THE WAILING, THE TUNNEL, THE HANDMAIDEN, TRAIN TO BUSAN Headed to Catalonia

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

In the lead up to October 7th, the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia has begun to trickle out portions of the program of its 49th edition. In what has been a strong year for Korean films, many are expected to land at the Catalonian genre event. So far, the festival has invited NA Hong-jin’s horror hit THE WAILING, KIM Seong-hun’s disaster drama The Tunnel, PARK Chan-wook’s lesbian period thriller The Handmaiden and YEON Sang-ho’s zombie blockbuster TRAIN TO BUSAN.
 
Released back in May, THE WAILING received a raft of extremely positive reviews from its Out of Competition bow at the Cannes Film Festival and was unexpected smash in Korea, garnering 6.88 million admissions (USD 50.36 million). Last week, it won the Best of Bucheon and NH Audience Award from the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan).

Following the critical and commercial success of the dark and comic thriller A Hard Day (2014), director KIM Seong-hun returns with The Tunnel, a disaster film featuring HA Jung-woo and BAE Doo-na. The film will bow in Korea on August 10th and will have its international premiere the following day at the Locarno International Film Festival.
 
The other two Korean titles from Cannes this year are also booked for Sitges. Both PARK Chan-wook and YEON Sang-ho have featured prominently at the event in the past and audience will be keen to check out their latest films. The Handmaiden, based on the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, is set in the Colonial Era and marks PARK’s return to Korean filmmaking after his English-language debut Stoker (2013). TRAIN TO BUSAN is the first live action film from YEON and is a sequel of sorts to the animation title Seoul Station, which closed BiFan last week. 

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August 4, 2016

‘Tunnel’ aims to rediscover value of life

Director Kim Seong-hun’s latest film juxtaposes will to survive, limits of human compassion 

The all-too-realistic nature of director Kim Seong-hun’s upcoming summer thriller “Tunnel” may leave a bitter taste in the audience’s mouth.

Centered around one man’s fight for survival after a tunnel collapse, the film holds a mirror up to societal and political shortcomings that pervade all organizations. 

In a short but telling portrayal of protagonist Lee Jung-soo (Ha Jung-woo) before the freak accident, he is an avuncular character who exudes a sense of familiarity. A father, a husband and a proud and dedicated car salesman, Lee finalizes a lucrative deal with a client on his way back home, leaving him in high spirits that come crumbling down along with the tunnel. 

Reported to be the only victim and survivor of the disaster, Lee manages a few rushed phone calls to the outside world, including his desperate, yet cautiously hopeful wife Se-hyun, played by Bae Doo-na. 

Returning to a Korean film for the first time since starring in 2014’s “A Girl at My Door,” Bae is a refreshing reminder that body language and facial expressions often speak louder than words. 

As days of recovery efforts turn into weeks and the public’s concern for the victim quickly withers away, Lee’s only champion is lead rescue worker Kim Dae-kyung, played by Oh Dal-su. However, Kim’s unwavering efforts are undermined by scoop-hungry and sensationalist media, as well as a number-crunching administration led by a president (Kim Hae-sook) who exerts authority void of leadership. 

Making futile attempts at self-rescue, Lee sustains himself on a dwindling cake-and-water diet, and, perhaps more importantly, humor. This juxtaposition is what the director refers to as “ironic humor.” 

“If a film is too serious, it makes the audience uncomfortable. If it’s too comic, then it compromises suspense and reality,” said Kim during an interview at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. “Laughter sustains the plot in a tragedy.”

Despite rarely appearing all together in the film, Ha, Oh and Bae exhibit an undeniable chemistry that is consistently palpable and carried well throughout the movie.

“Oh Dal-su and Bae Doo-na are people I can communicate and connect with even through a simple text message,” said Ha, recounting the cast’s first script reading at the press screening of the film in Seoul on Wednesday. “(Bae) in particular has been charismatic and dependable right from the beginning,”

However, in contrast to the filmmaker’s commitment to depicting the intricacies of the rescue process and true-to-life representation of the regulatory and bureaucratic failings of modern society, the movie’s rushed conclusion, which plays too much by the book, leaves a lot to be desired. 

While “Tunnel” clearly strives to question the government’s moral compass and priority, that is not the director’s ultimate mission.

“In the end, the takeaway is very simple,” said Kim. “It’s about the unrelenting will to survive and recognizing the value of life”

Part thriller, part tear-jerker, “Tunnel” is set to open in local theaters on Aug. 10.

From left: Oh Dal-su, Bae Doo-na, director Kim Seong-hun and Ha Jung-woo pose at a press conference held at the CGV theater in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul on July 7. (Showbox)

By Kim Yu-young (ivykim@heraldcorp.com)

[rubie]

August 8, 2016

(Movie Review) 'Tunnel,' well-crafted, realistic disaster film

By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) – The next time you're driving through a tunnel, if you want to get a shiver, imagine the tunnel collapsing and you being trapped inside.

In the new Korean film "Tunnel," actor Ha Jung-woo, in collaboration with the director-screenwriter Kim Seong-hun, brings this vision thrillingly and hauntingly to life.

A still from "Tunnel" (Yonhap)

Lee Jung-su (played by Ha), a car salesman full of curiosity and positive spirit, is trapped inside a newly built tunnel alone after it collapsed abruptly on his way back home with a birthday cake for his daughter on the back seat of his car. With no major injuries fortunately, Jung-soo endures isolation following instructions from a 911 rescue team leader named Kim Dae-gyeong (Oh Dal-su) while awaiting the rescuers' arrival.

He subsists on the cake and two small bottles of water, which he got from a gas station that he visited before getting on the highway. In South Korea, gas stations usually give customers one bottle of water or a small pack of tissues as a token of thanks for using their service. But an elderly part-timer there gave him one more bottle of water because Jung-su was patient when the man moved very slowly and mishandled his order.

A still from "Tunnel" (Yonhap)

Unlike typical disaster movies that usually have a hero or two saving other characters during a crisis, the film deals with a man's lonely struggle to survive. Our protagonist here is far from a hero although he willingly helps those in trouble.

He is just an ordinary man, who finds joy in small things and gets angry at minor things, an element that makes it easy for the audience to connect with the character. The film doesn't have any villains or selfish characters that enrage the audience like an express bus company executive in the current local box-office hit "Train to Busan."

In that point, Jung-su is much like Chuck Noland, played by Tom Hanks, in the 2000 American film "Cast Away." Compared with Noland who lives on a deserted island that is far from civilization after a plane crash, however, Jung-su is a lucky guy because he has a cake, two bottles of water and an almost fully charged mobile phone. Also in the car are flashlights, an extra T-shirt that can help prevent hypothermia, a set of nail clippers, and, more importantly, a radio system where he can hear music and news from the outside world.

As news of the incident spreads quickly across the country, the government swiftly organizes a task force aimed at addressing the tunnel collapse and vows to "do all it can to rescue" the man trapped there.

Believing that he will be rescued in days, Jung-su cleans the car seats where he sleeps, sips water after marking gradations on the bottles, and puts on socks and his amateur soccer team uniform although the car is severely dented from the rubble.

Outside the tunnel, high-level government officials who visited the scene of the accident are busy taking pictures with the victim's wife, Se-hyeon (Bae Doona), and journalists are only obsessed with getting a scoop.

A still from "Tunnel" (Yonhap)

As the days turn to weeks, however, the public opinion, which was so supportive of the rescue operation at first, turns icy as the work troubles the ongoing construction of a nearby tunnel. And media companies begin to cautiously raise the need to stop the protracted operation, citing the possibility that he may be dead and the huge economic losses caused by the delay in the construction project.

The center of the film is a gripping heart-in-your-mouth evocation of the unbearable loneliness and terror of ultimate abandonment once its protagonist, stranded and presumed dead, gives up hope of being rescued but still clings tenaciously to life. And it never pushes us too hard and even delivers unpretentious fun through the witty tale of the man's journey to survive.

Ha did such a great job of creating a three-dimensional character facing a tragic situation, making full use of what he has in him. Time flies when you're laughing, crying and fuming with him. Also equally impressive was the masterful performance of actor Oh and actress Bae.

"Tunnel" opens in South Korean theaters on Wednesday.

A still from "Tunnel" (Yonhap)

sshim@yna.co.kr