Bae Doo Na 배두나

[melusine]

kaicito She's no longer with Barunson, she transferred to HMG Entertainment. Maybe you should email admin@hmgent.co.kr and ask directly how to go about getting her autograph? Some fans post their fan letters on her official website's "talk box"  but I'm not sure if Doona or her manager ever responds personally there.

The major stumbling block to international recognition is really the lack of roles for Asian actors in Hollywood. Take for example Lee Byung-hun. Anyone familiar with Korean cinema knows he's an amazing actor (A Bittersweet Life, I Saw the Devil), but he gets cast in dreck like G.I. Joe (I'm far from a comics/superhero movie snob, but man that is one of the worst of the genre). In a recent interview, Byung-hun himself all but admits to this (after all, how could he be unaware?), but he's realistic about his options, so he (I assume) grits his teeth and acts in these mediocre action blockbusters to raise his profile, hoping it'll lead to more substantial roles down the line. Can't really fault him for grabbing an opportunity. But even Zhang Ziyi at her peak was relegated to Orientalist films. So it's tough.

I guess the alternative to trying to make it in Hollywood is to keep working in your native language, keep making good films, and que sera sera whether it'll get noticed by the international film festival circuit and subtitled film niche market.

I like Im Soo-jung a lot too. Besides the 2 films you mentioned, I also loved her in ...ing and Happiness. Looking forward to All About My Wife, it looks fun! For me Korean cinema and TV have been a revelation with regards to acting.

Yeah, it bodes well for the movie that Mitchell seems to like it. Not that I blame other authors -- Hollywood does have a tendency to focus-group-and-lowest-common-denominator-ize source material beyond all recognition. God I hope it's good.

There's a huge probability that Cloud Atlas will have a Berlin premiere, so good luck camping out for that lol. Looks like Doona will be pretty busy doing North American and European promotions in the coming months. The Marie Claire spread was apparently shot in London.

[Guest kaicito]

melusine have to be brief today, but thank you for the info. i'll need to grab ahold of a Korean here to guide me through the registration process on doona.net, instructions appear to be in Hangul only. I did read a few fan letters on there. Plus I need to keep my ear on the ground as to that premiere... somehow I always learn of these things when they're over ;-)  What you say about Asian actors holds true to some extent of German ones as well, where you really need to go back to Marlene Dietrich to find a truly international star.

We are still a way off (and may never get there) from a truly world cinema, and maybe that's even a good thing. It gives people like me (and you, apparently) a chance to discover regional and national cinemas that have their unique flavor. There's plenty bland movie fast food out there. I'd despair if I didn't live in Berlin, where there's at least some choice of movie theaters that will play noncommercial fringe films. No chance of that in the boondocks!

Have a great weekend, wherever you are. I'll be seeing the new Woody Allen today, great fan of his work. Loved the new documentary on him, too.

[melusine]

[Canadian Press] Ambitious, sprawling 'Cloud Atlas' a welcome challenge for A-list cast
[Los Angeles Times] Wachowskis open up their 'Cloud Atlas' at last
[Agence France-Presse] Makeup masks all-star cast in ‘Cloud Atlas’
[New York Times] Toronto Gets a Look at Cloud Atlas
[The Daily Beast] The Wachowskis' 'Cloud Atlas' Wows Toronto International Film Festival
[Entertainment Weekly] Toronto Film Festival: 'Cloud Atlas' premiere lands an emotional standing ovation for cast, including Halle Berry, Tom Hanks

Cloud Atlas gala premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre on September 8, 2012 in Toronto, Canada.

Susan Sarandon, Tom Tykwer, Keith David, Lana Wachowski, Jim Broadbent, Andy Wachowski, Hugo Weaving, Tom Hanks, James D'arcy, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, David Gyasi, Zhou Xun, Ben Whishaw and Hugh Grant attend the Cloud Atlas Photo Call at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 9, 2012 in Toronto, Canada.



Cloud Atlas Press Conference at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 9, 2012 in Toronto, Canada.

Guess Portrait Studio on Day 4 during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival at Bell Lightbox on September 9, 2012 in Toronto, Canada.

credit: Zimbio, Yahoo, Getty Images, Newsis/Nate, Tumblr, National Post, JamesOgilvie.com

[rubie]

September 10, 2012

Bae Doo-na promotes 'Cloud Atlas'
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily



Bae Doo-na attended a red carpet event at the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend to promote the Hollywood film “Cloud Atlas” in which she appears. The film stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant and Susan Sarandon.

While not as big a name as some of the others, Bae received her share of the attention on the red carpet by showing off her cleavage.

“Her seductive and exotic charm is sure to catch on,” said a spokesperson from Warner Brothers.

In the sci-fi flick directed by Matrix’s Andy Wachowski, the 32-year-old Korean actress plays the role of a clone called Sonmi-451.

An adaptation of David Mitchell’s 2004 novel of the same name, “Cloud Atlas” consists of six nested stories that will take the viewers from the South Pacific in the 19th century to a distant, post-apocalyptic future.

Production wrapped up at the end of last year and the movie is scheduled to premiere in the United States on Oct. 26.

In Korea, the film is set to open early next year.

[melusine]

^Thanks rubie. Lol @ the cleavage mention. Eh, I don't think it was a good idea to wear such a revealing outfit at her first big premiere since it might give the impression that she's just some starlet and not a serious actress. But what do I know, Doona probably knows what she's doing.

kaicito I'm a big Woody Allen fan as well! He's been a little hit-and-miss in recent years, but that's a minor quibble with someone so prolific. I'm just grateful he's still making movies. I hope his latest one is good and that it made your weekend.

Agree with what you said about world cinema. Though I often wish that more people would be open to watching subtitled films, I do believe that people who truly love movies will always eventually stumble onto gems, and an introduction to new cultures and languages is a nice side benefit.

Cloud Atlas is getting mixed reviews. But everyone expected it to be divisive anyway.

[Guest kaicito]

Thanks to melusine and rubie for the Toronto news!
Whoa @ the outfit! So far, her cleavage hadn't been the first thing about her that came to my mind.  Love the GIF of her laughing!

melusine Woody Allen was...meh. Pleasure to see him act, but the film is just a messy jumble, quite a comedown after last year's gorgeous Midnight in Paris. Still, even his misses are preferable to most people's hits...

Looks like the German premiere of Cloud Atlas is November 15. I'd better bring my sleeping bag if I'm going to camp out on the red carpet :-D

[melusine]

TIFF 2012 up-and-comers: ‘Cloud Atlas’ finds shining light in Doona Bae

By Will Perkins | Wide Screen – Mon, Sep 10, 2012



Although the epic screen adaptation of David Mitchell's novel "Cloud Atlas" may be dividing critics and audiences at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, there are still plenty of things to like about the film.

The amazing visuals make the era-hopping adventure from "Matrix" creators the Wachowskis and director Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run") a real joy to behold, but the movie is not simply eye candy. "Cloud Atlas" also features some wonderful performances by the majority of its sprawling and ever-transforming cast. Prosthetic makeup changes Hollywood heavyweights Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, and Hugo Weaving into frequently unrecognizable characters.

But one actress in particular nearly steals the show from her high profile co-stars, and does so without a lick of makeup effects: South Korea's Doona Bae.

Unlike the other actors in "Cloud Atlas" who take on multiple characters in different time periods, Bae really only has one major role in the film: "fabricant" Sonmi-451. Sonmi is a genetically-engineered clone forced to work at a fast-food joint in a dystopian city of Neo Seoul. While most other fabricants are oblivious to the fact that they live their lives as slaves, Somni soon learns of her plight thanks to a rebel fighter (Jim Sturgess in some very unfortunate prosthetic makeup) who needs her help to free all fabricants and overthrow the totalitarian state.

Bae absolutely shines in the role, going from an innocent servant to a symbol of revolution over the course of the film. Sonmi's tale (one of six interconnected stories in the film) is easily the most overtly science fiction yarn in the whole film, an arena where the Wachowskis really excel. Viewers will likely be tapping their foot as the other stories in the film play out, waiting for another chance to see Sonmi and the dark future she inhabits. Bae's sections of the film are a definite highlight.

Bae may be a Hollywood newcomer ("Cloud Atlas" marks her first English-language role), but she has been acting for over a decade in Asia. The 32-year-old Seoul native has co-starred in some of the biggest movies to come out of South Korea in recent memory, including Chan-wook Park's revenge trilogy starter "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" and the monster movie "The Host." The actress won international raves for her role as a sex doll that comes to life in 2009 Japanese film "Air Doll," a movie that can only be described as being like "Mannequin," only way more depressing. Both "The Host" and "Air Doll" screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, making Bae already very familiar to Hogtown festivalgoers.

TIFF is always a great showcase for international talent, and in true Toronto film fest tradition, "Cloud Atlas" is sure to get the South Korean actress noticed outside of her native country. If there is one positive thing to take away from the film, it's that Bae's turn as Sonmi-451 will undoubtedly lead to bigger and better things for the actress.

[rubie]

September 11, 2012
"BAE Doo-na is marvellous"CLOUD ATLAS gets raves reviews after Toronto Premiere
by JI Yong-jin KOBIZ

Korean actress BAE Doo-na took part in the red carpet event of the Sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas directed by Tim Tykwer and the Warchowski Sblings at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival, where she was the center of much media attention. BAE received the spotlight at the red carpet event of the film held before its world premiere at Toronto which was also attended by Andy Warchowski and Lana Warchowski, and Tim Tykwer who co-directed the film along with Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving and Susan Sarandon. Cloud Atlas is based on a novel by David Mitchell with six different plotlines interwoven. It's drawing media attention for being the first Hollywood film for BAE. BAE plays 'Sonmi-451', a clone who fights against violent humans in the year of 2144. She walked the red carpet dressed in a sexy white all-in-one suit with a plunging neckline. After the premiere of the film, there was ten minutes of standing ovation. Entertainment Weekly said that the audience reaction was sizzling and that BAE made a deep impression and that her eyes welled up with tears at the audience reaction after the film. The New Yorker also reported that BAE's performance in the film was marvellous. Cloud Atlas distributed by Warner Brothers will be released in the U.S. on 26th October and the release date for Korea is 10th January 2013.

[melusine]

^So happy for Doona. (Thanks rubie!) The actual EW quote is:
When fans finally returned their love of the movie with that long standing ovation, the actors and directors became visibly overwhelmed. Sarandon grabbed Andy Wachowski in an enormous hug. James D’Arcy started to tear up, and Doona Bae — the Korean actress whose big, black eyes and striking heart-shaped face encompass one of the movie’s most memorable characters, a revolutionary-in-the-making in futuristic Korea (very Matrix-y) — glided out of the theater with a trail of admirers behind her.

[rubie]

September 11, 2012

Actress Bae attracts attention with 'nudistic'costume 
The Korea Times



Actress Bae Du-na did it again, this time with a striking ‘nudistic’ dress at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.

Before the premier of “Cloud Atlas,” directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and starring Tom Hanks, Hal Berry, Hugh Grant and Susan Sarandon, among other prominent personalities, Bae walked the red carpet among them.

What was striking was the full-suit that Bae wore, a white attire that had a deep frontal cut that brought out the full cleavage.

“The contrast between the white outfit and her jet-black hair drew quite a bit of attention, presenting her lovely physique in the process,” said a person associate with importing movies.

Cloud Atlas was presented at the film festival for the first time and is expected to open in cinemas in North America in October and around the world in the beginning of next year.

In Korea, the film will make its preview Jan. 10.

[rubie]

September 13, 2012

Rave Reviews Suggest 'Cloud Atlas' Will Boost Bae Doo-na's International Career
ChosunIlbo

"Cloud Atlas," in which Korean actress Bae Doo-na recently made her Hollywood debut, has been receiving rave reviews. It premiered at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday and has been praised by critics and fans alike. 

The movie was co-directed by the Wachowskis brothers, the brains behind "The Matrix" trilogy, and Tom Tykwer of "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" fame.

It features six interwoven stories that take place over a span of 500 years starting from the 19th century. 

Warner Brothers will release "Cloud Atlas" at U.S. theaters on Oct. 26. The movie will hit Korean screens on Jan. 10.

[rubie]

September 13, 2012
The 'Korean Invasion': This is Just the BeginningKpopStarz.com
Singer PSY's 'Gangnam Style' and director Kim Ki Duk's 'Pietà' are currently influencing both Korea and the world.
The original Hallyu movement, which was led by Super Junior, Girls Generation, Wonder Girls and other idol groups, has been augmented to include even more Korean dramas and now it seems to be reaching yet another high point. 
Ultimately it was Psy, an older and more experienced singer, who was able to break into the world markets and a director known to be an outsider even in the Korean film industry, Kim Ki Duk, who won the highest honor at the Venice Film Festival, an internationally famous and respected film festival. They are not the players that are the most representative of Korean culture but this means that representativeness isn't the issue at hand. 
The ways to publicize and market pop culture is changing every day and at this point, the stage for K-Pop and Korean culture to grow is getting bigger. Hallyu isn't a movement because its representative of Korea but it will simply become a trend that will be spreading worldwide. 
Even amidst a turbulent relationship with Japan, Jang Keun Suk's popularity is continuing and actresses like Bae Doo Na and Kim Yunjin are being recognized worldwide and in Hollywood. Ultimately this means that if the content is right and the skills are there, it's possible to seize the opportunities that launch Korea and Korean culture in to the world spotlight. 
In this vein, that's why the 'Korean Invasion' is just beginning. 
'Pietà' and its win is an amazing feat for a Korean artist but its influence on Korean mainstream film is unknown. Kim Ki Duk was never known for his commerciality or financial success but by winning this award, he drew over 100,000 audiences to his movie, which was unheard of for him. Until now, an award at a foreign film festival didn't mean much but now it's moving the masses. 
Some people believe that this will allow more directors to aspire to be like Kim Ki Duk and make art-house movies that may win awards internationally. Though he was almost exclusively loved in Europe, his Golden Lion award may earn him the possibility to be considered for the Foreign Film category for the Academy Awards, where a Korean film has never set foot. This is an incredibly fresh take and an exciting possibility for Korean film and its future. 
On the other hand, Psy's "Gangnam Style" has reached over 140 million views since its release 60 days ago on YouTube. His success was never imagined or even expected. However, he has recently signed with Scooter Braun, appeared at the MTV VMAs and was invited to the LA Dodgers to show his dance. He has recently made appearances on many primetime talk shows, indicating his amazing rise in popularity in the US. 
Though most experts believe that Psy will simply be a one-hit-wonder, he has already made Korean pop culture history and testifies to the fact that it's really the content that appeals to world audiences. It proves that an artist no longer has to depend on a large management label to be globally successful. Like Kim Ki Duk and Psy was never the epitome of mainstream Korean pop culture. In a music industry now dominated by idol groups, Psy's music style and performance style have always been unique and entertaining. 
Despite the big management companies' efforts to propel its idol groups like Super Junior and the Wonder Girls into stardom worldwide, it was never as successful as Psy's. Though he is managed by YG Entertainment, the fact that he was managed by them did not contribute to his success. This was purely content-based success and whether he will be a one-time deal or a continuing artist is a question yet to be answered. 
If Psy and Kim Ki Duk became overnight stars, Jang Keun Suk has emerged as the best Hallyu star in Asia for the best two years. In Japan, his popularity is now beyond Bae Yong Joon and his fame has spread to China and other parts of Southeast Asia. With his 2010 drama, "You're Beautiful," he was aiming for international markets with his acting, his singing and dancing. 
He hasn't had a hit project since that drama but he has continually been holding concerts and events in foreign countries and has huge amounts of fans everywhere. In China, Jang Keun Suk's Weibo account now reaches 5,000,000 followers and this is the highest number of followers for a non-Chinese celebrity. His management company says, "International fans know that he is Korean but whether there are diplomatic problems between the countries, it doesn't seem to bother them that he is Korean. His fan appeal is incredibly unique and also stable."
Meanwhile in Hollywood, Kim Yunjin, Lee Byung Hun and Bae Doo Na are waving the Korean flag.
Kim Yunjin was touted for being a member of a hit drama series called "Lost" and now is in the process of filming a new ABC drama called "Mistresses." For "Mistresses" her name is second on the credits. 
Lee Byung Hun is currently filming "RED 2" after his success in the "G.I. Joe" series and seems to continue appearing in blockbusters. 
Bae Doo Na was recently seen in the trailer for the Wachowski Siblings' sci-fi blockbuster "Cloud Atlas" as one of the lead roles and she was spotted on the red carpet for the Toronto International Film Festival, promoting the event. "Cloud Atlas" includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon and other A-list stars. Even among them, Bae Doo Na received raving reviews from critics in Toronto.
Experts say that many Korean actors who have potential to be entertainers and step beyond the language boundaries, may have more possibilities in the international markets in the future.

[YoonShiYoonFan]

Be Doo Na and Jim Sturgess looks close in the film introduction in TOronto

[rubie]

October 28, 2012

Doona Bae at 'Cloud Atlas' premiere

By Moon So-young Korea JoongAng Daily



The movie “Cloud Atlas,” in which Korean actress Doona Bae starred with Hollywood big-names such as Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant, opened in North America on Friday. Bae participated in at the premiere of the film at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday. 

The nearly three-hour movie consists of six stories set between 1849 and 2346.

Reviews have been mixed. Roger Ebert gave the movie four of four stars, saying, “What a demonstration of the magical, dreamlike qualities of the cinema.”

But the Associated Press review slammed the movie as “laughably self-serious” and “a bloated, pseudo-intellectual, self-indulgent slog.” Still, AP praised the episode in which Bae starred as “the most engaging tale” among the movie’s episodes. According to the AP, the tale is “set in the gleaming, futuristic city of Neo Seoul, a place of detailed, totalitarian precision built atop the remnants of a flood.” 

“Cloud Atlas” will be released in Korea in January.

[melusine]

@rubie Thanks!

Los Angeles Premiere of Cloud Atlas. Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, CA. October 24, 2012.















credit: Zimbio, Arirang News

[melusine]

Cloud Atlas press junket

Interview: Jim Sturgess and Doona Bae of 'Cloud Atlas'
Time travel, mime acting and being inside ambition...

By James Rocchi Fri 7:22 AM
The Hitlist



As two of the leads in "Cloud Atlas," Doona Bae and Jim Sturgess share many scenes in the film's time- and life-hopping structure -- from the age of sail to a far-flung future, taking part n the slave trade of Colonial England or escaping the fascist future-cops of Neo-Seoul on a flying motorcycle. We spoke with Sturgess and Bae in Los Angeles about taking on the film's challenges, acting with effects and more ...

MSN Movies: I'm very curious, and I'm asking this of all the actors, what was your reaction opening up the script and seeing how incredibly ambitious it was -- in its structure,  but also in its ideas? Were you taken a little bit aback for a few moments?

Jim Sturgess: Yeah, I was. Yeah, I think even on page three, I knew something crazy was going on 'cause it'd already jumped (between) four different time zones in the first kind of five pages. So I didn't know anything about the story. I knew nothing about "Cloud Atlas." I knew that it was based on a book, and I knew a friend of mine had read it and recommended it to me. So I was aware of the book but didn't know anything about the ideas or structure or the time traveling or anything, so to read the script and within five pages you've already jumped from the 1900s to 1970 to the future to sort of back again, it was confusing to say the least. (Laughs)  I had to read it twice sort of back to back really. The script that I got was over 200 pages long, which is double the amount of any script usually. So even just picking up the thing, you knew that there was something ambitious going on underneath the pages because it was already 200 pages long.

And Miss Bae, what was your reaction when realized all of the makeup and time changing that would require to bring this impressive script to life? Were you a little bit intimidated?

Doona Bae: When I first got the script, my English was even worse,  so it was hard to read at the time, so I read the book first. Then I read the script afterwards. It was, actually it was hard to understand for me, but when I heard that we're, that all the actors, were going to play multiple roles I thought, "Oh, how brilliant the directors are, because each character is connected with each other and this traveling helps our audience and us. …

It very much brings everything to life when you can visually make those connections. But speaking of visually, a lot of the things you're doing in the nearer future of the script, in New Seoul, a lot of that was shot on the sound stage with a lot of green screen.

Bae: (Laughs)

Is that stunning when you actually get a chance to see the finished work and you think, "Well, I was there but it didn't look that incredible"? What is it like to see the finished scenes as opposed to making them on the day? Is it a big shift between the two?

Sturgess: It kind of is and isn't. Like I'm always surprised that they managed to build pretty amazing sets actually for you to kind of play with inside. And so there's normally a bit of green screen outside the window that kind of furthers on the world. But I mean the two major scenes are when we're on the bike and we really were like on a bike up high surrounded by a green box, you know. So to see kind of all these, and people shouting things at you like, "Look left. Someone's attacking from the right!"

Bae: (Laughs).

"Duck!"

Sturgess:  (Laughs)… and you don’t know what you're doing, and to suddenly see all the action being thrown in on top of the live action that had already happened. That was amazing. That was really cool.

Jim Sturgess & Doona Bae Interview, Cloud Atlas

MoviesOnline
October 27th, 2012



Jim Sturgess and Doona Bae play multiple roles in “Cloud Atlas,” written for the screen and directed by Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer and Andy Wachowski based on the best-selling novel by David Mitchell. Their enduring love threads through a single story that unfolds in multiple timelines over the span of five centuries as their characters meet and reunite from one life to the next and strive to overcome oppression of one form or another.

Sturgess portrays idealistic young San Francisco attorney Adam Ewing, who travels to the Pacific Islands in 1849 where he experiences the horrors of the slave trade and sees an opportunity to do something about it. His single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Bae, in Western guise, plays Ewing’s beloved wife, Tilda. In 2144, Bae takes center stage in Neo Seoul as the fabricant Sonmi-451, genetically engineered to spend her brief existence as a compliant restaurant server in an ominously totalitarian society built atop the ruins of a flooded Seoul. Encouraged to nurture forbidden independent thoughts by sister fabricant Yoona-939 (Xun Zhou), Sonmi embarks on a path from which there can be no retreat. With the help of revolutionary Hae-Joo Chang (Sturgess), Sonmi takes her courageous and perilous first steps toward a far-reaching insurrection.

At the press day for “Cloud Atlas,” which opens in theaters on October 26th, Sturgess and Bae talked about their pivotal roles in the powerful and inspiring epic. They discussed their favorite characters, how the directing process worked with three directors, how the novel gave them insight into the film’s story, and what it was like acting opposite Tom Hanks and Xun Zhou. Sturgess also described his upcoming role in “Electric Slide” and Bae, who is making her Western screen debut in “Cloud Atlas,” revealed she is learning English.

Q: What was your favorite role of the multiple roles you played?

Jim Sturgess: It’s hard to pick a favorite because you have to invest in and love them all. The two main characters I play are Adam Ewing and Hae-Joo Chang, so I love those two equally and considered them almost the same person – the same idea, the same soul, the evolution of Adam Ewing’s soul coming into Hae-Joo Chang. I enjoyed doing all the Chang and Sonmi stuff. We had so much fun doing that, because in the Adam Ewing stuff, I was just basically being murdered by Tom Hanks. That wasn’t quite as fun as running around with a gun and hanging out with Doona.

Doona Bae: My favorite is Sonmi 451 definitely. When I first read the script, I immediately got into her. I could feel connected with her. I think I became Sonmi on set. She was my favorite.

Q: How do you prepare for playing multiple parts in a single movie? Do you ever get confused?

Sturgess: (joking) We’ll find the Scottish thug in Neo Seoul. No, I never got confused. I was also well prepared. The best thing I did, which was an idea I got from Tom Hanks, was that he pulled all the pages out and put his stories separately so he could really focus on it as a short film almost. Doing that gave you a much clearer idea of your journey so that really helped. And obviously, the make-up took two hours each time, so you were pretty clear which character you were about to play.

Q: How were you cast? Was it a long process?

Bae: Lana and Andy said they’d seen some of my movies including “Air Doll,” a Japanese film, and “The Host,” and “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.” So they just called me and I had an audition and I got the part.

Q: Jim, did you have any trepidation about playing the Asian role?

Sturgess: Yeah, of course. No, I did. I was confused because they asked me, “We would like you to look into the Adam Ewing part and the Chang part.” They were the two that I was told about at the very beginning and I hadn’t read the script. While I was reading it, I didn’t know about the other actors, and I was wondering why do they want me to play this Asian character in this story? So I was cautious. I was like what is this about? What are the reasons? Because it needs to be justified, otherwise I wouldn’t feel so comfortable doing it. But they explained to me that whatever actor played the Adam Ewing character had to play the evolution of that soul into the Hae-Joo Chang part. And then, I found that everyone was going to be switching – the three main prejudices of age, gender and race, and it was about transcending that and that not becoming an issue. It’s about the soul and everything is just thrown on top of that. So then, I felt like all the caution went out the window and I was like okay, that’s great.

Q: Can you talk about the directing process and working with two different sets of directors?

Sturgess: At the very beginning of the process, it was all three of them. They were sort of one unit and one vision. Both Doona and I had pretty much 98% with the Wachowski team. Certainly, early on, Tom was involved in all the make-up decisions and the costume things. We did rehearsals and Tom would be there which was really interesting to have three directors giving points of view, which all seemed very unified and united. They all seemed like they shared the same ideas and I never saw an argument between anyone. Everyone was just exciting to work with. But then, obviously logistically, once we got to film, the two teams split. So then, I felt like we were working with Andy and Lana for such a huge part of it. And then, we would get to go and play maybe one or two days on Tom’s team. I got to play the Scottish thug in the pub. It was just one day’s filming getting into a bar fight. It sort of allowed you to let off a bit of steam of all the intensity that we were going through with the other characters where the stories were on our shoulders, but we could go into another person’s story and just have a bit of fun. So it was great.

Q: At what point in the process did you read the book? And, having read the book, did it make you see life differently given all the perspectives about life being a continuum?

Sturgess: I read the book after I read the screenplay. I’d heard of the book so when the script arrived and it said “Cloud Atlas” on the front, I knew that it was based on a really exciting and ambitious book. So then, I was like if they’re trying to make a film out of an ambitious book, that’s probably going to be even more ambitious. All I remember is that the script was like a bunch of scripts. It was twice as thick as all the other ones. It was 200 pages long, I think. I remember reading it and being pretty baffled by the whole thing, and then I read the script again in the morning. Then I had a meeting with Andy and Lana and found out that I was going to be involved. I read the book prior to finding out that I was going to make the film. It definitely helped. I mean, the more you get into the story and the more you read the script, the more you read, and I think it’s the same with the film. They more you watch the film, you’ll be getting more and more stuff and it will sink in more and more. So yeah, it definitely opened up my mind about ideas of life and love and the afterlife and previous lives and your time here on this planet and how everything that you do has potentially some big effect or small effect no matter what somewhere along the line, consciously or unconsciously.

Bae: I hadn’t heard about the book before I got the script, and the script was so hard to understand for me because my English was even worse than now. So I had to read the book first. I read the Korean version of “Cloud Atlas” first and it was so exciting to read it because the main theme and the story tell about reincarnation. I’m quite familiar with that kind of thing because in Asia we are very familiar with Buddhism which is related to reincarnation. It mixed very well with Western culture. I found it interesting.

Q: What are the Wachowski’s like these days on the set?

Sturgess: They’re fun. That was the biggest shock of all really. Both of them are super smart in a way that I’d never experienced before and they’re such different personalities. I mean, Lana and Andy are two very different kinds of people, but they’re so connected in a way. They’ve obviously been working together since they were this big, tiny. You don’t really know much about them because they don’t do interviews and they keep to themselves, so you never really know what to expect. It was just amazing how much fun they brought to the set and for all the actors. They were so joyous and it just made the whole thing a silly, fun and playful game that we were all jumping into. It was ambitious and nervous to change genders and race and age. It could have all gone horribly wrong, so it just needed a real playful mentality for all of us to jump in and enjoy the process and hope that that comes onto the screen. It’s such a philosophical film with big ideas, but I feel when you watch the film, it also feels pretty fun and sort of playful and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Q: After you went through the whole process and then saw the final product, did it make sense and were you able to say “Now I understand”?

Sturgess: Yeah. For sure. No, it was like that. We also got to see all the stuff that other people did. The comedic stuff that Jim Broadbent brought to the film was just amazing to watch. I thought wow, whatever you take from the film, you can also really enjoy the ride and let it wash over you, and whatever you take from it is whatever you take from it. You don’t need to be weighed down with trying to understand all these complex ideas. You can just enjoy a film.

Q: What was Tom Hanks like to work with for you?

Sturgess: Apart from the fact he was trying to kill me every moment, he was actually an amazing guy. I’m sure you’ve met him. He’s a force of nature. Again, just to see somebody who’s been acting and has acted in so many amazing, big productions all through his career still look like he’s having the time of his life. I think that everybody had the same experience which is that nobody had made a film quite like this, and it was sort of a jump into the unknown for everyone, and so it made everybody unite. We were bound by the fact that none of us had done anything like this. It almost felt like it was Tom Hanks’ first film, too.

Q: Doona, can you talk about working with the Chinese actress, Xun Zhou? Did you know her before this film?

Bae: No. Before this project, I hadn’t heard of her, but I knew that she was the most famous actress in China. She’s so charming. When we were on set, I felt a certain power from her. I loved her acting. [spoiler ALERT] When her character, Yoona-939, died, it felt so real, and because her acting was so convincing, I couldn’t bear it. She’s a great actress, I think.

Q: Jim, now that you’ve left your teen heartthrob phase behind you, do you still have people coming up to you singing Beatle songs?

Sturgess: Yeah, I feel like I might have that for the rest of my life. Just people singing Beatle songs at me. It doesn’t happen often, but there was a big group of people. The “Across the Universe” film really attracted an age group of young people and opened up their eyes and ears to the music of The Beatles. I didn’t take any kind of credit for that at all. I think that music has something in its DNA that just turns people crazy. I happened to be singing it, but I think the songs are what turn people on.

Q: Were you shocked that you had become this big teen idol? Was it hard to believe you were getting so much attention?

Sturgess: Yeah. It was crazy once “Across the Universe” came out. I started two starring films back to back, which were “Across the Universe” and “21,” and they came out quite quickly after each other. So, coming from nothing to having two big studio films was a bit of a shock.

Q: Is your beard for a role or just for being Jim in real life?

Sturgess: (laughs) It’s my “out of actor’s work” beard. No, it’s actually a disguise for a mustache I have to grow for a film I’m just about to start, and rather than walk around with a big, hairy mustache, I’d rather grow a beard, and then the day before we shoot, I’ll shave the rest.

Q: What are you shooting?

Sturgess: I’m doing a film called “Electric Slide.” It’s a period piece set in the 1980s. It’s a true story about a bank robber known as the Gentleman Bank Robber. He was a real guy called Eddie Dodson who basically robbed 64 banks in 9 months and managed to rob 4 banks in one day.

Q: Is he American or British?

Sturgess: He was American. He lived here in Los Angeles so it’s set here in L.A. and he ran a vintage furniture store on Melrose Avenue.

Q: Who are you doing it with?

Sturgess: The director is a really great young guy called Tristan Patterson. It’s his first feature film. He’s made some amazing documentaries which I’ve seen before anyway and we’re fans of the documentary. When he asked me to play the part and once I met him, I just knew he’s got it.

Q: Is Eddie in prison?

Sturgess: No, he died unfortunately. I can’t get to meet him, but there are plenty of people around who still remember him.

Q: Are you shooting it here?

Sturgess: Yeah, we’re shooting it here in L.A.

Q: What about you, Doona? Do you have any other projects coming up?

Bae: I don’t know yet. Actually, after “Cloud Atlas,” I’ve been learning English in London. I turned my job from Korea and I just focused on working on my English. So now I think I’m ready to work on something.

Q: Is it a fun adventure as an actor to have the opportunity to play multiple roles in one film?

Sturgess: It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was like the biggest joy you could get from being an actor. It felt like what it was like when you first dreamed of being into acting and it was all just dressing up and playfulness. It’s unheard of that you get to play more than one character in a film, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get that opportunity again, certainly playing different races and genders. So, it was everything that you could have imagined would be why you would want to do something like that as an actor.

Q: Did you play a woman, too?

Sturgess: (laughs) No, I meant everybody, the other actors.

Q: Did you want to play a woman?

Sturgess: Yeah, I kept begging them. Can this character be a woman?

Q: On to bank robbing!

Sturgess: Yeah, I’m going to rob some things.

[melusine]

Korean Star Doona Bae On Sonmi-451 And Her Crossover Journey To 'Cloud Atlas'

By: Jen Yamato || October 23, 2012 09:10 PM EDT
Movieline



You'll hear much of the movie stars and familiar faces that pop up again and again in Tom Tykwer and Lana and Andy Wachowski's sprawling, ambitious Cloud Atlas, from Tom Hanks to Halle Berry to frequent Wachowski Starship performer Hugo Weaving. But the beating heart of the film belongs to Korean actress Doona Bae, who makes her English language debut as the luminous Sonmi-451, a genetically-engineered "fabricant" whose fierce humanity and love for a freedom fighter (Jim Sturgess) will change the future.

Like Sonmi-451, Bae's world opened up with an unexpected offer from a stranger. A successful model and actress in her native South Korea, she starred in Park Chan-Wook's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Boon Jong-Ho's The Host — two of the most popular Korean crossover hits of the last decade, although the humble Bae is still surprised to hear that American audiences may have seen her work. Courted for the role of Sonmi-451 by the Wachowskis themselves, Bae won the part, then took a crash course in English to film her scenes.

Bae's Sonmi-451 (her name a nod to Fahrenheit 451 courtesy of author David Mitchell) inhabits the futuristic world of Neo Seoul circa 2144, where she's broken out of capitalist enslavement by Hae-Joo Chang (Sturgess), a rebellion operative. Although the actress, like her castmates, portrays multiple characters through the film's nested plots (including a pre-Civil War Caucasian belle with freckles and a hoop skirt), Bae commands the screen in one of the most transfixing performances of the year every time the film alights back on her ethereal Sonmi.

Movieline spoke with the eloquent, soft-spoken Bae in Los Angeles about her journey with Cloud Atlas and the childhood dream of traveling stateside that she couldn't follow then, but is living now.

How did you first meet the Wachowskis and hear about the vision they and Tom Tykwer had for Cloud Atlas?
They just called me! It was weird because I had no American agent at the time, and I didn’t even have a manager in Korea. I was in between managers, so it was hard to find me. [Laughs] But I got a call from my Korean friend, the film director Pil-Sung Yim [Doomsday Book], and he said, “Doona, some famous Hollywood filmmakers want to send you a script – do you want to read it?” I said, “Yes, of course!” I got the script and I found, “Oh my god – this is Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, this must be amazing.”

After you got the script, what happened next?
I did some auditions and sent in a self-taped recording – my older brother recorded it, and I just read the Sonmi part at home.

Which scenes did you record?
The scenes with the Archivist in the interrogation room, and one with Chang after I see the slaughterhouse. Two scenes. Then we met each other in Chicago and had camera tests. Then I got the part. [Laughs] It was like a dream. I’m still dreaming.

Were you already interested in doing English-language films or attempting to find Hollywood movies to cross over with before Cloud Atlas came along?
Actually, no. I wasn’t looking for any parts – if so, I would have learned English earlier. I think if so, I would have prepared. But I thought it might not be possible.

Here, science fiction and foreign film fans have seen your work – Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and The Host in particular played well stateside – so it felt like it would make sense for you to make that move.
Really? I haven’t thought about it. Actually, I wasn’t ready, I think – but I worked hard. I worked hard on the language. My favorite subject was English and I wanted to study English abroad when I was young, when I was a kid, but my mom said “No, it’s too dangerous to go abroad by yourself.” So I gave up. Now I’m learning English. I’ve been learning English in London for six months.

Jim [sturgess] says your English has improved quite impressively, and fast.
Oh, thank you Jim! So sweet.

Had the Wachowskis seen your film Air Doll? Your character follows a slightly similar path to Sonmi’s.
Yes! When I first met Lana and Andy on Skype, I was so curious about it. “How do you know me?” I asked. [Laughs] And Lana said, “We saw Air Doll and The Host and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance." "Oh, Air Doll!" I see. There is some connection between the two characters.

Sonmi has such a big arc – she changes so much, from being naïve and childlike at the beginning of her story to becoming such a powerful and intelligent woman.
That’s exactly what I think of her, actually. I like Sonmi because she has both purity and innocence and at the same time she’s got such a strength.

When you were playing her, did you feel a moment in her journey when you felt like she changed the most on her way to becoming who she would be?
Actually I don’t study the script – I didn’t analyze anything, I just emptied myself and felt Sonmi, let her into my heart. So when I first saw Yoona-939 die, it was a big shock. It was like I realized something at that time. Also when I met Chang and saw the slaughterhouse – it was gradual.

There are so many actors in this cast, but beyond Jim who you spent most of your time with, who did you bond with the most?
Ben [Whishaw]. We became good friends. We actually had no scenes with each other but personally we had a good time – and actually, I was very lonely because I went to Berlin by myself, on my own. I was lonely and a little bit depressed and stressed, and Ben was so sweet. He cheered me up. I’ve got some good energy from him.

You recently starred in As One, a film about a Korean table tennis team. Did you ever challenge Susan Sarandon to a match?
Oh, not yet! She’s got a ping pong club in New York City, I want to go there! I trained for six months with my left hand, so I can play ping pong with both hands. I should challenge her. I can beat her!

[melusine]

Trailer

Featurettes

[rubie]

October 31, 2012

'Cloud Atlas' star talks Hollywood experience

By Rachel Lee, Jung Hyun-mok Korea JoongAng Daily

‘When I saw the back of Tom Hanks, I was like, wow, I’m working with people I’ve seen in movies.’


Actress Bae Doo-na appears in a scene from “Cloud Atlas.” Wide Screen Media Group rated Bae as “the light the movie was looking for.” Provided by Warner Bros

LOS ANGELES - Bae Doo-na has played a host of unconventional roles. From a quirky lady who chases a dog serial killer in the film “A Higher Animal” (2000) to a sex doll that develops a consciousness and falls in love in “Air Doll” (2009), the model-turned-actress has proven her natural talents time and again.

After working with famed directors Hirokazu Koreeda, Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, Bae found herself in Hollywood alongside American directors Andy and Lana Wachowski of “The Matrix” fame and German director Tom Tykwer.

The team cast the Korean in “Cloud Atlas,” an adaptation of the 2004 David Mitchell novel of the same name. The plot consists of six interrelated stories that jump from the South Pacific in 1849 to “Neo Seoul,” a dystopian near-future city in 22nd-century Korea and then a post-apocalyptic distant future in the year 2346. 

“Cloud Atlas” follows the interwoven narratives of individuals and shows how their actions impact one another in the past, present and future. 

With a star-studded cast that includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant, the movie has been highly anticipated and received a 10-minute standing ovation at its premiere at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival in September. 

In the movie, Bae plays Sonmi-451, a clone serving at a fast-food restaurant who is interviewed before her execution. The JoongAng Ilbo recently sat down with the actress in Beverly Hills, California, to discuss her Hollywood debut.

“Cloud Atlas” will hit theaters in Korea on Jan. 10. 

Q. You just made your Hollywood debut. Is this a dream come true?

A. I never really dreamed of appearing in a Hollywood movie, but I’m happy that I came across great directors and got to see a whole new world.

How did the director notice you?

The Wachowskis contacted me after seeing me in the Japanese movie “Air Doll.” They also told me that they knew me from “The Host” and “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.” [Laughs] Have I just switched from being an air doll to a clone?

Were you nervous because this was your first role in a science fiction film?

When choosing a movie, I think it’s important to see who it is directed by because I believe that a good movie comes from a good director. I was also attached to my character. Sonmi-451 is a key character in the movie, and despite being a clone, her sacrifice for a better world is remarkable and touching. 

Was it hard adjusting to Hollywood?

Two days after filming the movie “Korea,” I went to Berlin all by myself, even without my manager. I thought that to adjust as quickly as possible just going for everything and anything was the right way. My English got better as I didn’t rely on any translators. 

How did you become friends with the actors on set?

When I saw the back of Tom Hanks for the first time, I got really excited and I was like, wow, I’m working with people I’ve seen in movies. They were top stars, so I didn’t feel any competition, and it was just really comfortable working with them. I especially got close with Jim Sturgess and Ben Whishaw. 

In Berlin, there was a soju bar and so I taught them how to drink soju the traditional way. Drinking soju became a fun daily routine for us.

How was acting in front of the green screen during the animated futuristic scenes?

At first it was hard. But somehow I became familiar with it, and the more I spent time on it, the more my imagination grew and my acting got better. It was amazing.

With “Cloud Atlas” you achieved the “Hollywood dream.” What do you want to do now?

I don’t think there will be many opportunities like this. If a movie is full of creativity and imagination, I go for it. Also, if it motivates me, that’s good, too. Indie movies are great to play in as well. 

By Rachel Lee, Jung Hyun-mok [estyle@joongang.co.kr]

[melusine]

Cloud Atlas Germany Premiere at CineStar on November 5, 2012 in Berlin, Germany.














credit: Zimbio

I hope @kaicito was there...