“Even the late Seo Yun-bok will be happy” Ha Jung-woo

[Star News | Konkuk University entrance = Reporter Kim Na-yeon]

The emotions of 1947, more like a movie than a movie, were vividly brought to life on the screen. ‘1947 Boston’ was completed through the actors’ intense efforts.

On the 11th, a press screening of the movie ‘1947 Boston’ (directed by Kang Je-gyu) was held at the Lotte Cinema Konkuk University entrance in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Director Kang Je-gyu, actors Ha Jung-woo, Im Si-wan, and Kim Sang-ho attended the event and shared various stories.

‘1947 Boston’ is a story about the challenges and thrilling journey of marathon runners to participate in international competitions wearing the Taegeuk symbol for the first time after liberation in 1947.

Director Kang Je-gyu, who pioneered a new genre called ‘espionage action’ through ‘Shiri’ and was recognized for both artistic value and box office success by mobilizing the second 10 million viewers in history with ‘Taegeukgi’, a representative Korean war film, is the first Korean national representative. I’m back with a movie that tells the true story of marathon runners.

He said, “Among the works I’ve done, there are many period pieces. I don’t know the exact turning point, but I was preparing a science fiction film after ‘Taegukgi’, but that film fell through and I did another film. But at some point, I realized the past we lived in. “I thought that looking into the future was like predicting the future. There was a part of me that became more interested in the footsteps of the past,” he said.

He continued, “After watching the movie ‘Chariots of Fire,’ I fell in love with the charm of running, and I thought that I should make a running movie someday. Naturally, I became interested in teachers Ki-Jeong Son and Yun-Bok Seo,” and “The appeal of the marathon event is great.” “I thought that the mind and movements of a marathoner, who runs 42.195km without any equipment or tools, challenges human limits and is the sport most suited to challenge and passion,” he said.

Ha Jung-woo takes center stage as Son Ki-jeong, the Korean marathon legend who led the Boston Miracle in 1947. He said, “When I take on a character, it starts with me, but this time, I discussed with the director and learned about what kind of person Mr. Ki-Jeong Son is. I went into it while thinking about what kind of person Ki-Jeong Son must have felt in this situation. Those feelings accumulated. “When I watched the first scene, there was a podium scene at the Berlin Olympics, and I couldn’t easily lose my footing. There were parts where my heart was heavy because it felt like it wasn’t a movie set, and I also felt a solemnity that I had never felt while filming.”

He continued, “When I was caught on screen with actor Im Si-wan, my first thought was, ‘I’m getting older.’ Other than that, there was nothing special. The biggest emotion I felt when Mr. Son Ki-jeong led the actual athletes on the journey to the Boston Games. “I think it was a sense of responsibility. I think I felt a lot of responsibility for not being able to display the Korean flag during the Berlin Olympics. I tried to film without forgetting that feeling,” he said.

Regarding his first collaboration with Im Si-wan, “(Im) Si-wan put in a lot of effort and looked like a real athlete. I watched all the efforts he made for this movie and to play the role of teacher Seo Yun-bok, so I naturally got emotional during the competition scene.. Most of the Boston competition was filmed near Melbourne, and it happened to be the second half of the movie, so I went into that scene full of emotion. I saw the finished version today, and I think the late teacher Seo Yun-bok would be happy because actor Im Si-wan expressed it so well.”

Im Si-wan said, “It was my first time working with Ha Jung-woo, and I felt like I had met a dependable older brother. I relied on him a lot while filming, and he knows more about the world than me in many ways, and it’s fun to hear him talk. At every moment, there are certain expectations. “I remember filming while anticipating whether there would be a funny point that I couldn’t make,” he said with a laugh.

As such, Im Si-wan takes on the role of ‘Seo Yun-bok’, an indomitable marathoner who dreams of becoming the next ‘Son Ki-jeong’. In order to completely transform into a marathoner from the 1940s, he went through an intense preparation process, including training 60-70% of the training volume of actual athletes, lowering his body fat to 6%, and consistently participating in marathon competitions.

Regarding taking on the role of ‘Seo Yun-bok’, he said, “I thought that the mere fact that there was a real person should not be someone to him. I approached this work with a certain sense of responsibility,”and added, “Seo Yun-bok is the first player to wear the Taegeuk symbol and participate in an international competition. “I went out. Although I am angry at a certain character in this work, when filming the work, I approached it with the idea that I would wear the Taegeuk symbol and represent the country,” he said.

Regarding the changes in appearance, “I dieted and exercised at the same time. I ate chicken breast and salad from the time I started filming until the end. I had to exercise every day, and my muscles needed to look strong, so I continued to exercise as much as possible. “As I was trying to resemble Seo Yun-bok’s appearance, I measured my body fat and it came out to be 6%. I was amazed to see that number for the first time in my life,”he said. “Also, because running had to look professional, I trained professionally two or three months before the project. “I continued training by learning from the coach until the end of the work and in between filming,” he added.

In addition, Sang-ho Kim played the role of Nam-hyeon Baek, a strong supporter of the national team. From interpretation to training support, transportation, and lodging, he acts as a local coordinator in Boston, USA, and not only adds pleasant vitality to the play, but also honestly portrays the ambivalent feelings that Koreans living in harsh times in a faraway place can feel toward their home country. paid it

Kim Sang-ho said there was no data on the real-life character of ‘Baek Nam-hyun’ and said, “Actors have an instinct to imagine, so not having a lot of data may have been helpful. He helped me with the parts that I felt would be interesting after receiving the script, but it was a blind way to do it. “It’s not helpful. That’s what appealed to me. It gave me imagination about the lives of individuals who lived in that era,” he explained.

Director Kang Je-gyu expressed his gratitude to the actors. He said, “While filming with actor Ha Jung-woo, we talked a lot about the scenario and Dong-si’s own role and function. In the original scenario, there was a part where they ran together, but it wasn’t this much. When filming the marathon section, of course, the person running was involved. Scenes of longing gazes are also important, but I thought it would be helpful for the director (Son Ki-jeong) to actively reflect how he feels while watching. Ha Jung-woo gave me some good ideas, and thanks to that, I think a more satisfying scene was created. “he said.

He said, “The character of Son Ki-jeong that I set up was a bit macho, stubborn, proud, and strict, like a father. Nam Seung-ryong (played by Bae Seong-woo) was a senior and played a more mother-like role. Without being too biased to one side, he was like a strict father. “I tried to draw three people running toward a goal,” he said.

Lastly, he said, “You may think that stories from the past are old-fashioned and uninteresting, but there are many good stories and great people contained in history. I think we can take time to check ourselves to see if we are living well and on the right path. “In that regard, I hope that this film will remind young audiences that looking back at the past at least once can give them strength and courage to live their lives,” he emphasized.

Konkuk University Entrance = Reporter Kim Na-yeon ny0119@mtstarnews.com