Kim Seong-hun’s filmmaking journey began as an assistant director on romantic comedies before directing his first feature, which unfortunately didn’t bring fruitful results. Determined to redeem himself, he took inspiration from Pedro Almodóvar’s work and spent years making his next project, A Hard Day. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, it received widespread acclaim and became a box-office success in South Korea. Kim’s meticulous storytelling earned him numerous awards, including Best Director at prestigious ceremonies.

His latest film, Ransomed, was also screened at the 26th Far East Film Festival, further cementing his status as a talented filmmaker. During the festival, we had the privilege of speaking to Kim Seong-hun about his new work, including why he brought this particular story to life.

View of the Arts: How did you approach balancing historical accuracy with fictional elements in portraying the real-life events of the 1986 hostage crisis in Beirut?

Kim Seong-hun: I would say there are three parts to the film: the first one is factual, the second is someone’s point of view, and the third is fictional. By putting these three things together, and as long as they don’t offend the people who were involved in the actual events, I tried not to limit the fictional elements. We actually got approval from a person who was abducted. However, in an attempt to remain respectful of this individual’s trauma surrounding this incident, we decided to limit the part of the kidnapping itself. 

View of the Arts: What inspired the creation of the character Kim Pan-su, played by the brilliant Ju Ji-hoon, and how does he contribute to the film’s narrative as both a comedic sidekick and a moral counterpart to the protagonist?

Kim Seong-hun: I would not say there was a specific inspiration for this character. [Kim Pan-su] is an illegal immigrant and he has a rough life, therefore, I wanted to show various sides to what kind of life he has, and his driving nature of wanting to survive also hides a sense of innocence and naivety. But apart from that, as the actor himself has charms of his own, I used it to the advantage of the character that [Ju Ji-hoon played].

View of the Arts: How did you work with the cinematographer, Kim Tae-seong, to capture the atmosphere of Beirut’s city streets and mountain scenery, balancing the gritty realism of the setting with the demands of action-packed sequences?

Kim Seong-hun: Me and Kim Tae-seong have been working for over ten years now and have worked on a few projects together; we know each other very well. Our main focus was to capture a sense of rawness rather than being delicate with [the camera work]. Portraying things in an authentic manner was our main goal, therefore, we decided to work more on different locations and sites rather than on the set itself. 

View of the Arts: Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon demonstrate great chemistry as the two leads. Can you discuss their collaborative process and how they brought depth to their characters while delivering the film’s entertainment value?

Kim Seong-hun: I am close with both actors, and I know them quite well. I also worked on other projects with them before. I think their real personas were translated into the film when they acted together. So, while spending our daily lives together, we separated screenplay readings for each actor, and that is how they were able to build their own individual characters. 

View of the Arts: The film blends the thriller genre with elements of comedy. How did you ensure that these tonal shifts enhanced the overall viewing experience?

Kim Seong-hun: In Korea, there is a sort of ‘Bibimbap’ culture: you set the rice as a base, then there are the veggies, the meat, and the hot sauce, and when mixed together, they can make the best meal. I think of filmmaking in the same way. When various genres are mixed well together, then you get a good film. 

View of the Arts: Part of this movie was shot in Italy, and the response of the audience was amazing. What are your general feelings about having your film screened in Udine for the first time and the great reception? 

Kim Seong-hun: It feels so good, but maybe the festival hired the audience? [Laughs]. 

_{Written by Maggie Gogler}

_{Interviewed by Sanja Struna for View of the Arts}

_{Interpreter: June Kim}

_{Questions by Maggie Gogler}

_{Featured image © Sanja Struna for View of the Arts}

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