“The past is the future”… ‘1947 Boston’ Ha Jung-woo

[OSEN=Reporter Kim Bo-ra] “I became interested in the precious footsteps of the past.”

Director Kang Je-gyu said at the press screening of the movie ‘1947 Boston’ held at Lotte Cinema at the entrance to Konkuk University in Jayang-dong, Seoul on the afternoon of the 11th, “When I thought about what it means to prepare for the future, I thought about looking back at the past.”He stated that this is the future.

‘1947 Boston’ (directed by Kang Je-gyu, distributed by Lotte Entertainment·Contents Geo, produced by BA Entertainment·Big Picture) is a story about the challenges and heart-warming journey of marathon runners to participate in international competitions wearing the Taegeuk symbol for the first time after liberation in 1947..

Directing was done by director Kang Je-gyu, who previously directed films such as ‘Shiri’ (1999), ‘Taegukgi’ (2004), and ‘Jangsu Store’ (2015).

On this day, director Kang Je-gyu said, “If you look at the films I have made so far, many of them deal with times past. I don’t know the exact turning point (that led to this conversation). “After finishing ‘Taegukgi,’ I was preparing for the science fiction genre, but it fell through,” he said, adding that he was not focusing on period dramas or historical works.

Director Kang then asked about the reason for depicting the lives of our ancestors immediately after liberation, saying, “I think it is similar to the process of marathon runners running towards 42.195km challenging human limits. I think the sport that best suits human passion is the marathon. “So, I felt that I had to develop this scenario into a movie, so I prepared it,” he said.

Director Kang continued, “There are many precious stories and great people in history. Through their lives, I thought we needed time to check whether we are living well and whether I am on the right path. “I can examine my current life through history,” he emphasized.

Director Kang Je-gyu explained, “Young audiences may not be used to looking back on the past, but I believe that history is a great help in looking back on my life in the present.”

However, Coach Kang said, “I wanted to express not just running 42.195km, but what kind of mindset I have when running. “I focused on how that feeling would meet Heartbreaker Hill,” he said of his focus on directing.

Actors such as Ha Jung-woo, Im Si-wan, and Kim Sang-ho doubled the emotion by portraying real people. Regarding the reason for basing it on a true story, Director Kang explained that the actors did a lot of visual preparation to increase synchronization, saying, “There were real people, so the actors had to resemble them both internally and externally.”

Ha Jung-woo plays the role of Korean marathon legend Son Ki-jeong. In fact, Son Ki-jeong competed under the Japanese name Son Kitei and won the gold medal at the 11th Berlin Olympics in 1936, wearing the Japanese flag.

Ha Jung-woo delicately expressed everything from Son Ki-jeong’s anger at having to go up to the podium with the Japanese flag on his chest to the charismatic leadership of the national marathon team coach who became the first to participate in an international competition wearing the Taegeuk symbol in 1947.

On this day, Ha Jung-woo said, “Now that I think about it, I think this is my first time playing the role of a senior and a director,”and added, “Like Son Ki-jeong’s desire to run the marathon wearing the Korean national flag, I worked on the project while maintaining that deep mindset. In the final competition scene, I was full of emotions. I watched the movie today and Im Si-wan expressed it with such great attitude. “I think Teacher Seo Yun-bok will be happy when he sees it,” he said, expressing satisfaction.

Seo Yun-bok, played by Im Si-wan, is an indomitable marathoner who has never properly learned running due to a difficult family situation, but sweeps through various competitions with his violence and wickedness. At the age of 24, he competed in the 51st Boston Marathon held in 1947 and set a new world record. He was the first Asian player to win the championship. He also participated as a national team member at the 14th London Summer Olympics held the following year, and after his retirement, he served as a track and field coach.

Im Si-wan went through intense training, including participating in a marathon, to portray this character. He also managed a thorough diet to recreate the hard and stocky physique of a marathoner, lowering his body fat to around 6%.

In response, Im Si-wan said, “I managed my diet and exercised from the beginning to the end of filming,” and added, “It’s natural, but I lived with chicken breast throughout filming. I checked InBody and my body fat was in the 6% range. “It was the first number I’ve seen in my life,” he said, feeling embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Im Si-wan said, “Just like this movie, when I reach a certain goal, I often think, ‘I have to complete this.’ “I filmed the final scene of ‘Boston’ based on that heart and attitude,” he said, sharing the vivid emotions he felt at the time.

Baek Nam-hyeon, the national team’s reliable local coordinator, was enraged by Kim Sang-ho. Namhyun Paik is a local coordinator who supports the Boston Marathon national team in both material and spiritual ways, from financial guarantor to interpretation, training support, transportation, and lodging. It honestly expressed the ambivalent feelings that Koreans may feel toward their homeland during difficult times and living in harsh conditions in a faraway land.

‘1947 Boston’ is scheduled to be released in theaters nationwide on September 27th.

Director Kang responded, “It’s been three years since we finished filming, but we had to keep postponing the release due to the coronavirus schedule. During the process, my heart ached and ached. He was also jealous as he watched other movies being released. “But during that time, I used it as a time to refine ‘Boston,’” he said. “I felt and learned a lot ahead of this release. “Korean films are lagging behind in recovery for many reasons, so we have to do our best, but I hope you will give us strength and support,” he said, hoping to see it in theaters.

/ purplish@osen.co.kr