Director Yeon Sang-ho Finds Inspiration inโ True Crime for New Thriller “Face” -โ and Sees a Shift in Korean โขCinema
Seoul, south Korea – Renowned director Yeon Sang-ho (“Train toโ Busan,” “Hellbound”) is breaking new ground with his โlatest project,โ the thriller “Face,” and is also offering a compelling perspective on the evolving landscape of Korean filmmaking. in a recent interview at a Seoul cafรฉ,โ Yeon revealed the surprising inspiration behind the film: the popular โฃKorean investigative journalism program, “I Want to No It.”
“Face” centers around โฃaโฃ chilling mystery: the discovery โคofโ skeletal remains believed to beโ those of a mother who vanished 40 years ago, and the unraveling of the truth surrounding her death. Yeon explained that theโฃ structure of “I Want to Know It,” with its unfolding revelations and โฃchapter-by-chapter approach, heavily influenced his vision for the film. โฃ
“I remember watching it with my wife and thinking how engaging โคit was,” Yeon said. “It doesn’t require the massive budgets of a typical movie, yet it’s incredibly compelling.” He consciously aimed to replicate that investigative feel in “Face,”โ envisioning a medium between a traditional film and the format of the true crime show.
Theโฃ production of “Face” was remarkably efficient. Yeon leveraged his existing webtoon toโ expedite pre-production, completing it in just two weeks.Filming itself took only three weeks,encompassingโข 13 shoots,and was completed withโข a modest budget of approximately 200โ million won (roughly โ$150,000 USD).
Yeon believes โthe Korean film industry is at a turning point. He noted the current investment system often prioritizesโฃ consensus and risk aversion, perhaps stiflingโค innovative approaches. “We need toโ find breakthroughs,” he stated, suggestingโ a willingness to explore choice production models and storytelling techniques.
“The theater film system isโ changing significantly,” Yeon observed. “I think there’s room for more experimentation,and for films that don’t necessarily rely on huge budgets to deliver a powerful story.”
“Face” promises to deliver just that – a gripping, suspenseful narrativeโ driven by a compelling mystery and a unique stylistic approach, signaling a potential new direction for the acclaimed director and Korean cinema as a whole.
[Image of Yeon Sang-ho – credited to Plus M Entertainment]
SEO Considerations:
* keywords: Yeon Sang-ho, Face (movie), Korean โfilm, Korean cinema, I Want to Know It, thriller, true crime, Korean movies, film industry, film production, budget filmmaking.
* Meta Description: Director Yeon sang-ho discusses his new thriller “Face,” inspired by the Korean true โขcrime show “