Cannes: Dangerous price for realism in South Korean cinema

[rikayla.livejournal.com]

The pulsating realism of Directors' Fortnight feature "A Hard Day" came at the price of actors enduring real pain -- but the Seoul production of "Avengers 2" has inspired the local industry to enforce safety on the set.

In 2003, South Korean actor Park Joong-hoon made headlines for demanding a "Hollywood-style contract" for Once Upon a Time in the Battlefield, as he specified strict working hours on the set. The actor, who was one of the first local stars to be cast in U.S. films in the 1990s, made the gesture in hopes of implementing structure in the rather "flexible" Korean filmmaking process -- but over a decade down the road Korean cast members remain largely exposed to compromising situations on the set.

"Korean cinema has a long way to go," said Jo Jin-woong about filming action scenes in A Hard Day. The film has been noted for its raw, intense sequences and is being shown at the 2014 Cannes Directors' Fortnight.

"The dangerous moments you see in the film were actually dangerous situations [captured on camera]. And the scenes where characters are in pain, we [the actors] were truly hurting. It really was very difficult," he said.

But the actor was far from sounding resentful, adding that the pain "is like medals of honor." His co-star Lee Sun-kyun, who was exposed to even more danger on the set as the lead of a violent cat-and-mouse chase, shared a similar attitude. "For the part where [Jo] slams a piggy bank down on my head, I was thankful we completed it in one shot," he said.

The film's director Kim Seong-hun feels "eternally grateful and apologetic to the actors."

"When I told the martial arts director what kind of action scenes I wanted, he told me that [the actors] would have to get beaten up for real," said the director, adding that he apologized ahead of shooting a long skirmish sequence. "Actors must be protected at all times, but there was mutual agreement about this concept of the film. The physical pain that characters feel can be felt skin-deep by the viewer."

Filmmaker Kim Ki-duk stopped making movies for a while following an accident on the set for the 2008 fantasy drama Dream. Actress Lee Na-young nearly choked while filming a suicide scene without proper safety equipment. Fortunately Lee wasn't critically injured, but Kim shudders to this day when he looks back.

"At first the mise-en-scene was so good that I didn't realize things had gone awry," he said. "Lee fell unconscious so she actually wasn't aware of the situation, but I was so shocked I went to cry by myself in another room." He eventually deleted the problematic scene.

"I asked, what is so important about cinema, to endanger someone's life like that? I wanted to rethink the meaning of filmmaking, so I stopped working and took the time for self-reflection," said the filmmaker. He voluntarily went into solitary confinement, after which he returned with the controversial Cannes-winning self-portrait Arirang.

Meanwhile, the Korean culture ministry has stepped up to prevent such hazards, and began funding emergency care on film sets this month. The state-backed Korean Film Council will share costs with a given film's production company for an ambulance and medical staff. Ministry officials took the cue from the Seoul production for Avengers: Age of Ultron.

"We were deeply impressed by the Avengers: Age of Ultron team, which didn't go into production unless a fire truck and ambulance were ready," said Vice Culture Minister Cho Hyeon-jae. "It's better late than never to enhance the working conditions and help implement staff for Korean cinema."

"Efforts must be made to increase awareness about safety among filmmakers, producers, crew members and investors, and to implement necessarily regulations and systems," said Choi Eun-hwa, head of the Producers Guild of Korea.


Source: Hollywood Reporterr

I had no idea majority of the stunts in movies are done by Korean actors themselves... That's really dangerous.

Comments

[torontok.livejournal.com]

JFC. This is unacceptable, how on earth can people without the popular training be expected to this?
Reminds me of a doc n the bollywood film industry which showed a stuntman getting burnt by a pyrotechnics disaster. Stunt people are ridiculously under appreciated in movies.

[asth77.livejournal.com]

So that's why Kim Ki Duk made "Arirang"? One reason added to watch it.
It's amazing that he really reflected on it for years because of such incidents.
Man, the actors, even in Dramas, film in terrible conditions.
For real I always wonder were are poeple who fight for correct working conditions in SK…? I mean I don't know much about the subject but the things I alr see and hear from the K-entertainment industry are crazy…

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

Why did it take a foreign film working there for the government to be like, "Hmm...this might be a problem? " Come on son...they just avoided it until they couldn't anymore

[yakuniku-8.livejournal.com]

my Korean teacher says they think less of what can happen. like, when she had to organize the TOPIK, the language center asked a few safety things in prevention but the Embassy asked why, they were kind of saying we worry too much here. as much as it felt embarrassing to make a fireman come for the few students taking the test, if an accident happens it's gonna be the language center's responsibility. I wonder if they were lucky enough to avoid accidents on sets or if there was no punishment for the directing team.

[waterpulse.livejournal.com]

The part about Lee Nayoung choking is so horrifying. The cynical side of me says that even if the studio heads say they want to do something about it, when it comes down, money talks louder. :(

[evilcoc0nut.livejournal.com]

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

I have a friend working in film production in Budapest (mainly US, but some Hungarian and Korean movies and series as well), and... Yeah, he told me that it's hard to watch some of the Korean shoots cause they don't really have stuntsmen. And that he has loads of respect for Korean actors -- but also it seems crazy dangerous what they're doing. Just echoing what is written above. (Also I'm jealous of his job kind of.)

[rikayla.livejournal.com]

wowww =//

[canxi.livejournal.com]

It definitely does seem like they all do most of their own stunts in these things. That's how T.O.P got hurt on the set of Commitment. I remember watching the bts of 'Ahjusshi' with Won Bin and that was him, too. I remember watching the fight scenes and even though the choreographer was there he was still trying his best not to actually hurt anybody (luckily, I think many of the extras were actual stunt guys, though). I don't remember well but I think he got hurt too.

I can't believe someone actually slammed a piggy bank over Lee Sun Kyun's head? Don't they usually make a special prop for that kind of thing? One that breaks easily? I also read about that incident with Lee Na Young, too. It seems if it's not something like riding a motorcycle or jumping off a building, no one gets a stunt person... :/ But, I mean, even if they do their own stunts there has to be all the proper safety procedures. At least they are changing things...it always seems like they change things so late, though...

[tsuyoi-hikari.livejournal.com]

I always know Korean actors do their own stunts. That's why when you watch the movies/dramas, it always seemed sooo real to the point it makes you sick.

I remember the part where Lee Byunghun get tortured in one of the scene in 'A Bittersweet' Life'. That scene was so real that even his vomits seemed real -- it was so awesome. That's why although many people like to make fun of him in this community, no one can deny that he is actually a really awesome actor -- and a professional one at that.

Or the strangling scenes in 'Heartless City' -- man, it looked so real and long and you actually see that he actor was strangled for real. >.>

[ababobaby.livejournal.com]

Every time I watch a torture scene I imagine myself as the actor... and the pain the person's feeling that time. I cry every time.

and to think they're really doing it for real jfc

[ababobaby.livejournal.com]

what the fuck