Bae Doo Na 배두나

[rubie]

August 10, 2016

Wachowskis film car chase for sci-fi drama in Bucheon city

By Choi Ha-young The Korea Times

Korean actress Bae Doo-na has the leading role in Netflix's TV drama "Sense 8." /Courtesy of Flickr

Filming of American TV drama series "Sense8" will limit access near Sangdong Subway Station on line No.7 in Bucheon city, next to Seoul, from August 14 to 17. 

The sci-fi drama, directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, is starting its second season and will film a large-scale car chase near the station. Police will mobilize about 200 officers to guide passers-by and prevent accidents. 

"As the location is a commercially concentrated area, a large crowd is expected there to see the site," a Bucheon city official said on Tuesday. 

Korean actress Bae Doo-na takes the leading role following her appearance in the first season that started airing in June 2015. Other stars, including Tuppence Middleton, Brian J. Smith and Daryl Hannah, also appear.

The drama has been shooting in London, Mumbai, Berlin, Nairobi and Amsterdam. Netflix will release the show next year.

hayoung.choi@ktimes.com

[rubie]

August 10, 2016

'Tunnel': Locarno Review

By Jason Bechervaise | Screen

Dir: Kim Seong-hun. South Korea. 2016. 126mins

A marriage of director Kim Seong-hun’s dark humour and social critique, Tunnel smartly probes some of the problems in Korea surrounding the issue of public safety. Although fictional, there are clear similarities here to the tragic Sewol ferry sinking in 2014 which killed 304 passengers.

Kim successfully captures the loneliness and entrapment underneath the debris and the chaos outside
Safety is a recurring issue for a society which has developed so rapidly, and Korean audiences have repeatedly demonstrated their appetite for films dealing with topical issues (Inside Men, Veteran), which could give the film a longer shelf life after a domestic opening on August 10, despite a lack of outright melodrama. Doona Bae’s star-power will also help.

International audiences tempted by Kim’s critical and commercial hit A Hard Day should welcome Tunnel’s well-balanced tonal shifts, even though the film doesn’t quite hit the same narrative momentum as his previous feature. The film begins its international run at Locarno before heading to Sitges in October.

The film follows car dealer Jung-su (Ha Jung-woo) as he drives home to his wife and daughter. He enters a tunnel which collapses as he is driving through it, leaving him buried under the rubble.  This short but terrifying sequence underscores Kim’s strong yet also subtle craftsmanship, enhanced by Mok Young-jin’s understated score.

Jung-su manages to find reception and makes a phone call to the emergency services who neither understand the severity of the situation nor ask him the right questions, failing to inquire as to his condition.  Once the first responders, led by rescue chief Oh Dal-su finally arrive, they are clearly inept are dealing with the situation, bringing out an operation manual that is useless. In fact, it’s the press who make contact with Jung-su, turning the whole situation into a farce.

Jung-su is soon informed that it will take days to reach him, and he is left with just two bottles of water and his daughter’s birthday cake for nourishment. Politicians also enter the scene, including a minister played by Kim Hae-sook (The Handmaiden), but just get in the way.

Jung-su’s wife, played by Doona Bae, discovers what has happened from watching the news in a supermarket, and comes to the site to discover the tunnel has collapsed further. She is soon asked to meet the minister in front of the local press.

International viewers may be taken aback by the lack of urgency in getting Jung-su rescued, and also how the authorities are willing to go ahead with the construction of a nearby tunnel. Korean audiences, however, will accept this scenario isn’t quite as far-fetched as it seems.

Kim Seong-hun places most of the action either inside the tunnel or its immediate vicinity, capturing the loneliness and entrapment underneath the debris and the chaos outside. After successfully playing a radio host in a confined studio space in Kim Byung-woo’s The Terror Live, Ha Jung-woo seems well-suited to the lead role. Character actor Oh Dal-su (Veteran) playing the rescue chief, brings his customary authority to the role. Doona Bae (Cloud Atlas) doesn’t quite get the screen time her fans might have hoped for, although she delivers a smooth performance, both authentic and captivating.

[rubie]

August 10, 2016

Locarno 2016 Review: THE TUNNEL Excavates Thrills, Drama and Politics Galore

Pierce Conran ScreenAnarchy

The peak summer box office season is winding down in Korea, but not before unearthing The Tunnel, a new disaster film from A Hard Day (2014) director Kim Seong-hun. Featuring superstars Ha Jung-woo and Doona Bae in a powerful tale combining humanity and social commentary, this big-budget affair executes a effective two-handed play by suffusing its narrative with obvious melodramatic hooks while maintaining a restrained, clear focus throughout.

Ha plays Jung-soo, a car salesman heading home with a cake for his daughter's birthday. When a tunnel he drives through collapses around him he must fight to stay alive long enough for a rescue team to get to him. A relatively simple rescue operation becomes an ordeal when incompetence and government interference slow down the process.

Unlike other recent Korean disaster films, such as Haeundae (2009), Deranged (2012) or The Flu (2013), which spend most of their first acts introducing us to characters before raising the stakes, The Tunnel wastes no time in setting up its premise, when it strands its main character well before the ten minute mark. Through a quiet scene at a gas station and a few calls as he drives, we immediately get a feel for Jung-soo in those opening minutes but the film quickly pivots as it becomes more concerned with setting up the tone of the lengthy and disastrous rescue operation that will play out over the course of the narrative.

When Jung-soo makes his initial call for a rescue, the blasé attitude of the disinterested emergency phone operator strikes a balance of disbelief and nervous humor which carries throughout the film. The Tunnel is based on a 2013 novel by So Won-jae but one can clearly feel that the story has been reworked to reflect concerns over safety and the government's handling of national incidents in the wake of the Sewol Ferry Incident. In an obvious dig at the sitting Korean president, Kim Hae-sook appears briefly as a national assemblywoman more concerned with photo ops than Jung-soo's safety. Other parallels with the self-serving behavior of officials and mindless hive activities of the media pepper the narrative but director Kim is mindful of the broad audience which a film like this needs and is careful not to take things too far.

With ample charm, Ha is an engaging and charismatic lead as he carries the many single-protagonist scenes in the story. But if anything his character is almost too much of a nice guy and the film encounters some trouble when he discovers another female survivor in the tunnel. His actions toward her are selfless while she is portrayed as more of a nuisance and the rescue operation outside never refers to her.

Despite limited screen time in a role that largely consists of talking on the phone and looking worried as she trots around the rescue site, the best thing The Tunnel has going for it is a terrific and understated performance from Doona Bae. Her powerful turn gives the film its best scene in a tearful radio address than in any other hands would likely have turned into lachrymose histrionics.

The ever reliable Oh Dal-su, playing the manager of the rescue site, becomes the conduit of our frustration as he wrings out palpable exasperation from a character whose earnest attempts are foiled at every turn.

Though not without its own minor pacing issues, The Tunnel proves to be Kim's most balanced work following the uneven How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men (2006) and the propulsive A Hard Day, which kicked off with one of the best opening acts in recent memory but build on it in a conventional climax.

Creating a claustrophobic feel through strong lensing, production and sound design, The Tunnel elevates its message through sensory thrills and thankfully avoids wearing out its welcome by dispensing with the false endings that plague so many four-quadrant Korean titles. In a summer that has been dominated by a zombie apocalypse and the Korean War, the relatively quaint tale of (mostly) one man's struggle in a collapsed tunnel proves to be one of the season's most thrilling offerings.

[rubie]

August 21, 2016

“Tunnel” Surpasses Amazing Number Of Admissions In Less Than Two Weeks

Source: Soompi by notclaira 

The movie “Tunnel” (directed by Kim Sung Hoon) has surpassed 5 million admissions in only 12 days!

On August 21, representatives from the film announced that as of that afternoon at 5:30 p.m. KST the film had sold 5,000,338 tickets since its opening day on August 10.

Ha Jung Woo stars in the action film about an ordinary salaryman who gets stuck in a collapsed tunnel. Its high admissions rate puts it on par with the other summer blockbuster in Korea, “Operation Chromite.”

Ha Jung Woo and Bae Doona, who also stars in the movie, took a picture to commemorate the milestone along with director Kim Sung Hoon. (The balloon reads “500” because in Korean “10 000” is a separate unit; e.g. 500 x 10,000 = 5,000,000).

This weekend, “The Last Princess” and “Operation Chromite” held the No. 3 and No. 5 spots at the Korean box office while “Train to Busan” ranked No. 6. The Hollywood animation “Secret Life of Pets” ranked No. 4 and “Star Trek: Beyond” ranked No. 2.

Source (1)

[rubie]

August 29, 2016

'Tunnel' tops box office for third weekend, draws over 6 million viewers

SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- Korean disaster flick "Tunnel" has claimed the top spot at the box office for a third weekend in a row, bringing in more than 6 million viewers nationwide, data showed Monday.

According to the official box office tally from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), a state agency for promoting homegrown films, the movie added 664,789 to its domestic total of 6,026,925 over the Aug. 26-28 weekend.

Starring Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doona and Oh Dal-su, the film has topped the daily box office chart for 19 straight days, the longest period for any film that opened this year.

It surpassed the 6 million mark on Saturday, the 18th day of running, becoming the sixth film that reached the milestone this year in the country.

Directed by Kim Seong-hun, the film portrays the desperate struggle of a car salesman who accidentally gets trapped inside a collapsed tunnel on his way home from work. His wife and the rescue team captain make every effort to save him but are confronted with politicians and people who do not want a development plan to be delayed to rescue a single person who may have already died.

The James Wan-produced American horror film "Lights Out" landed at No. 2 on its opening weekend with 397,460 audiences.

"The Last Princess," a Korean film about the ill-fated life of Korea's last princess, fell a step down to third place, drawing 230,313 viewers.

Coming in the fourth was another Hollywood newcomer "Ghostbusters" (215,506), followed by "Star Trek Beyond," the latest film in the rebooted Star Trek franchise (167,878).

sshim@yna.co.kr

[rubie]

September 18, 2016

Bae Doona To Possibly Make First K-Drama Comeback In 6 Years

Source: Soompi by choralee

Actress Bae Doona might be making her K-drama comeback with the OCN drama “The Voice” (tentative title).

The actress’s agency SBD Entertainment released a statement, saying, “She has received an offer for ‘The Voice,’ and she is currently examining the project. However, it has not yet been decided whether or not she will be appearing in the drama. She has received offers for lots of projects. She will most likely make a decision after reviewing the project as well as discussing it with the production team.”

OCN also stated, “It’s true that an offer went to Bae Doona. Right now we’re coordinating the actors and their appearances.” In regards to the drama’s air date, OCN replied, “It is not yet fixed. If it is not the end of the year, it might be the beginning of next year. We are currently still considering. Once we figure out the broadcast date and the casting outline, then we will be able to start production.”

“The Voice” is about those who work at a 112 call-center for crime scenes. The 112 call-center is known to be the weakest and underdeveloped part of Korea. The drama tells about two characters who chase after a serial killer who killed their families. If Bae Doona chooses to comeback with the drama, it will be her first K-drama since her 2010 MBC drama “Gloria.”

Source (1)

[rubie]

 OFFICIAL WEBSITE

September 27, 2016

Sitges Invites 14 Films for 49th Edition
Five Features Selected for Official Fantastic Competition

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia is leaning particularly heavily on Korean films this year, with 14 titles peppered throughout its 2016 program, including 13 features and one short. Five Korean films will compete in the festival’s signature Official Fantastic Competition.

Big names will be featured in the competition lineup, including NA Hong-jin, with THE WAILING, PARK Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden and both YEON Sang-ho’s animation Seoul Station and live action smash TRAIN TO BUSAN. A new name at the festival also competing will be KIM Sang-chan with Karaoke Crazies.

KIM Jee-woon will feature in the Orbita section with his new Colonial Era smash The Age of Shadows along with IM Sang-soo’s Intimate Enemies, PARK Hoon-jung’s The Tiger and KIM Seong-hun’s Tunnel.

Also playing in the coastal town will be LEE Hae-young’s The Silenced in Seven Chances, the horror omnibus Horror Stories III in Panorama Fantastic and KIM Ji-hyeon’s Throttled in Anima’t Shorts. Finally, the open air Brigadoon section will also feature NA Hong-jin’s The Chaser and KIM Jee-woon’s The Good, The Bad, And The Weird, both from 2008.

Among the Korean guests at Sitges this year will be Tunnel actress BAE Doo-na, along with director KIM Seong-hun and Karaoke Crazies director KIM Sang-chan.

The 49th edition of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival will unspool from October 7th to 16th.

[rubie]

October 7, 2016

Bae Doo-na explains role in ‘Sense8‘ season 2, ‘Tunnel’

Actress Bae Doo-na talked about filming for the role of Sun Bak in season two of American TV series “Sense8” and Se-hyun in a disaster flick “Tunnel” in an interview with fashion magazine High Cut.

When taking the role of a scion and kickboxer, Bae’s biggest concern was her “excessively slender body.”

(High Cut)

“I am famous for being far from muscular,” said the actress. “But I wanted to change my image of being feeble. Starting last November, I have been on a hardcore workout.”

She said she exercised for at least three hours a day, seven hours at maximum, especially ahead of the Seoul location shoots. She also went through training for stunt action. 

“I’ve never had such a hardened, bulky body in my life before,” Bae said.

Bae also shared on her role “Tunnel,” where she acted a wife of a man trapped under a collapsed tunnel. 

(High Cut)

She had to act a “serious character,” which contrasted with other characters in her film, including her character’s husband (Ha Jung-woo) and the rescue team set up near the tunnel, who tend to lighten the atmosphere with humorous remarks.

“I was concerned that (a wife of a victim) with make-up would be a distraction in the disaster movie,” she said. “I had dark circles appear under my eyes, I didn’t do any makeup, and I didn’t wash my hair before I appeared at the location. The cinematographers were surprised (by my appearance),” she said“

The interview was accompanied with photoshoots where she wears a psychedelic pullover. More pictures of her and details on the interview are available in High Cut’s October issue, released Thursday.

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

[rubie]

October 13, 2016

Facebook Live with BAE Doo-na at Sitges

by Fabien Schneider / KoBiz

The Korean Film Council is proud to announce the holding of an exceptional event which all of you can take part in from wherever you are. On October 13th, at 12 p.m. GMT (7 a.m. EDT / 1 p.m. CEST / 8 p.m. KST), Pierce Conran will host a Facebook Live session on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/kobiz.kofic) and meet BAE Doo-na, live from the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia. During this session, you’ll be allowed to ask your own questions to the actress.

BAE Doo-na has been invited to the festival to present her most recent film, TUNNEL, which is currently in competition in the Òrbita Section. TUNNEL also stars HA Jung-woo as the trapped victim of a collapsed tunnel who has to survive while the rescue team races against time. The movie had its international premiere at the Locarno International Film Festival, and has dominated the Korean box office in August with more than 6 million viewers. 

BAE Doo-na is not your typical Korean actress in that she’s one of the very few who has succeeded in making a name for herself beyond her native country. Thanks to the Wachowski siblings who have included her in most of their projects since 2012, she’s now known around the world as the cyborg in Cloud Atlas, the prime hunter in Jupiter Ascending or the unfortunate daughter of a powerful Korean CEO in the TV series Sense8. 

But her early career was already as fascinating as it nowadays. She was one of the leads in BONG Joon-ho’s debut feature Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), but also in PARK Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002). She’s also had a career in Japan, first as a Korean exchange student in Linda Linda Linda and later in KOREEDA Hirokazu’s Air Doll. She’s been recently acclaimed for her much demanding role in A Girl at My Door (2014) that earned her many awards. 

We hope to see many of you tune in and send in your comments and questions during the live feed.

[rubie]

November 10, 2016

Bae Doo Na at 'Vanishing Time' VIP Premiere

Source: Nate

[rubie]

Lee Byung Hun, Bae Doo Na red carpet appearance at 2:11 time-mark 

Published on November 10, 2016 by STARNEWS KOREA

[rubie]

Source: Nate

With actor Lee Byung Hun

[rubie]

November 23, 2016

Bae Doo-na gifts Ha Jung-woo with coffee truck

(Showbox)

Actress Bae Doo-na recently gifted actor Ha Jung-woo with a coffee truck on the set of his upcoming film.

Bae‘s agency, SBD Entertainment, shared a picture of the coffee truck on their Instagram account on Tuesday. 

(SBD Entertainment)

Ha is currently filming his upcoming movie “With God,” and so to show her support, Bae sent the coffee truck with a banner that read, “To my husband who saved me from a tunnel, and is now with God, best wishes for your movie!” 

Bae and Ha played a married couple in the survival drama film “The Tunnel,” which is why Bae referred to Ha as her husband in the banner. She also wrote that he is now with God, in reference to his current film “With God.” 

By Lee Sang-won (sangdoze@heraldcorp.com)

[mysignisflower]

[rubie]

December 9, 2016

BAE Doo-na, KIM Joo-hyuk Team Up for IWAI Shunji Short
New Face SIN Eun-su Co-stars in Family Drama

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Korean stars BAE Doo-na and KIM Joo-hyuk began shooting a short film with IWAI Shunji, the renowned Japanese filmmaker behind Love Letter (1995), on December 3rd. The family drama is being shot in Korea and in Korean and will feature the actors playing a couple.

BAE has split her year between shooting the successful local disaster thriller Tunnel and the second season of the Netflix show Sense8 from the Wachowskis, which brought its production all around the world. While a Christmas special is due out this month, the full new season of Sense8 will drop on the online streaming platform in May next year.

KIM has had an equally busy year, after appearing a wide range of films. The first was the multi-strand romantic comedy Like for Likes, which he followed with a role alongside SON Ye-jin in the dark thriller The Truth Beneath before appearing in the lead in HONG Sang-soo’s latest arthouse production Yourself and Yours. He will soon be seen in the Colonial Era mystery The Tooth and the Nail, and the big-budget pan-Korean investigation action-comedy-thriller Cooperation. 

Also featuring in the film as the daughter of the couple is new face SIN Eun-su. SIN debuted on screens last month as the co-lead, alongside superstar GANG Dong-won, in UM Tae-hwa’s VANISHING TIME: A BOY WHO RETURNED. 

IWAI’s Love Letter was a sensational hit in Korea and several of his subsequent films are very highly regarded in the country, including April Story (1997) and Hana & Alice (2004).

[meechuttso]

Jo SeungWoo and Bae DooNa will star in this tvN drama "Secret Forest(?)" in May.

잘부탁합니다 from Shin HyeSun (and BDN) fan

[meechuttso]

[rubie]

April 9, 2017

Cho Seung-woo and Bae Doona in "Secret Forest"

Source: TV Report via Hancinema.net

Cho Seung-woo and Bae Doona took a picture together.

Bae Doona posted a picture on her Instagram.

She's posing with Cho Seung-woo and Yoo Jae-myeong in the picture. She's dressed neatly in a formal attire.

Cho Seung-woo, Bae Doona and Yoo Jae-myeong are starring in the tvN "Secret Forest".

[rubie]

April 10, 2017

BAE Doo-na Partners with DRUG KING SONG Kang-ho
JO Jung-suk Joins Cast of Latest from Director of INSIDE MEN

by Pierce Conran / KoBiz

Global star BAE Doo-na has joined the crime drama Drug King as the female lead opposite previously cast male star SONG Kang-ho. JO Jung-suk has also joined the cast of director WOO Min-ho’s follow up to his smash hit political corruption thriller Inside Men (2015). The film takes place in Busan’s crime underworld in the 1970s.

Known to international audiences for her roles in popular Korean films such as PARK Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and BONG Joon-ho’s The Host (2006), BAE Doo-na has also forged a career in English-language works by the Wachowski Siblings, such as their sci-fi opus Cloud Atlas (2012) and their Netflix TV show Sense8. Last year she appeared in the hit disaster drama Tunnel from director KIM Seong-hun.

After rising to leading man status in romantic comedy My Love, My Bride in 2014, JO Jung-suk has appeared in a variety of works, most recently the fantasy romantic thriller Time Renegades (2016) and the family comedy MY ANNOYING BROTHER (2016).

Also joining the thriller are LEE Sung-min (Broken, 2014), YOON Je-moon (Mother, 2009), KIM Dae-myeong (The Last Princess, 2016), LEE Hui-joon (SORI: Voice from the Heart, 2016) and JO U-jin (Inside Men). Cameras for Drug King begin rolling on in May. The project is being financed and distributed by Showbox.

[rubie]

May 30, 2017

TV show 'Stranger' deals with prosecutor corruption in minute detail

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- In recent years, there has been a flood of TV shows and movies that deal with corruption by prosecutors, such as "The King," "Inside Men" and "Defendant."

And now tvN, albeit better known for its hit fantasy-romance and time-slip dramas, is throwing out its attempt at the legal thriller genre, with a plot inspired by real life prosecutor graft scandals via "Stranger."

"I've appeared in works with similar subject matters, such as 'Inside Men,' this new drama is totally different," Cho Seung-woo, lead star of "Stranger," said Tuesday at a press conference held at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul.

Bae Doona and Cho Seung-woo, stars of tvN's upcoming TV series "Stranger" pose for the camera at a press conference on May 30, 2017, at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)

Cho, who's probably now more famous for his work in hit musicals, returns to TV for the first time in three years. He plays the cold-hearted loner prosecutor Hwang Si-mok, who joins forces with a female detective in uncovering a murder case that's related to prosecutor corruption.

"Dare I say this is probably the first ever work that penetrates and expresses irregularities that may occur within prosecutor circles with such minute detail," said Cho.

Cho suggested that "Stranger" is no ordinary work, a must-view TV program in respect to how it reflects the problems of society today with a level of unprecedented realism.

"It is a work that is needed in this day and age. While these works may strike the viewers as near-documentaries, I hope one day they are received as fictional fantasy works."

Co-star Bae Doona returns to South Korean television for the first time in seven years. Recently, Bae had focused her career mostly in movies, appearing in last year's "Tunnel" and "Jupiter Ascending" in 2015 directed by the Wachowskis.

"I wanted to return to television. I'm so glad to be working with a great cast," said Bae, who plays Detective Han Yeo-jin in "Stranger."

Bae appeared in the 2015 Netflix series "Sense 8" as a fighter character. The actress said her then-experience helped her much when filming action scenes.

"I received seven to eight months of training to film 'Sense 8.' Perhaps my body remembers the training, but I've become better in pulling off action scenes. The stuff I learned from Hollywood helps out a lot."

She also hinted that the plot is filled with twists and turns, saying that she had no idea who the culprit was until filming episode 14.

"Stranger" premieres June 10 on tvN.

Bae Doona, star of tvN's upcoming TV series "Stranger," speaks to reporters at a press conference on May 30, 2017, at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)

odissy@yna.co.kr