'Concrete Utopia' shines light on post-disaster responses

Movies

Published: 21 Jun. 2023, 18:59 Updated: 01 Aug. 2023, 13:52

'Concrete Utopia' shines light on post-disaster responses

From left, actors Lee Byung-hun, Park Bo-young and Park Seo-jun pose for a photo during the press conference for ″Concrete Utopia″ at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University branch in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The upcoming film “Concrete Utopia” is not just another disaster movie but a “human black comedy” exploring how people connect with each other and survive after a disaster.

“Concrete Utopia” is about a group of survivors who gather at Imperial Palace Apartment, an apartment complex, the only location untouched by a monstrous earthquake that nearly wipes out the city of Seoul. The film stars actors Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-jun and Park Bo-young and is directed by Um Tae-hwa, who directed “Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned” (2016) and served as assistant director on Korean cinema masterpieces such as “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” (2005).

“We structured the story for ‘Concrete Utopia’ on the idea of what would happen if people faced an extreme situation in a familiar space,” said Um during a press conference for “Concrete Utopia” at Lotte Cinema's Konkuk University branch in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Wednesday. “Apartments are where most Koreans live their everyday lives. We have a love-hate relationship with apartments, and I thought it would be interesting to portray what people would do in such an event.”

Main poster for ″Concrete Utopia″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

“Most disaster movies center on the disaster itself,” said Lee during the press conference. “But ‘Concrete Utopia’ is about what happens to the people in the aftermath of a disaster. In that sense, it’s more of a black comedy than a disaster movie.”

Lee plays Yeong-tak, the de facto leader of the Imperial Palace Apartment residents, who does everything in his power to guard his and his neighbor’s home from outsiders after the earthquake.

“My character changes the most after the earthquake,” said Lee. “He learns how people come together and disintegrate in the face of a crisis. People are all different, and the way they cooperate and clash with each other is different. This is demonstrated in ‘Concrete Utopia,’ which is yet another point that distinguishes it from other disaster movies.”

Park Seo-jun and Park Bo-young both expressed their excitement about working with Lee during the press conference, saying that they chose to participate in “Concrete Utopia” for the opportunity. Lee is a household name in Korea for his appearances in a number of critically and commercially successful films, many of which have gained classic status over the years, including “Joint Security Area” (2000), “A Bittersweet Life” (2005), and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” (2008).

“I am a big fan of Lee and have always wanted to work with him,” said Park Seo-jun, who plays Min-seong, an earthquake survivor who is bent on protecting his family after the disaster. “I petitioned for myself to be cast in ‘Concrete Utopia’ after I heard that Lee would be starring in it.”

Park Bo-young experienced many moments where she felt “small” compared to Lee, according to the actor.

“Once, we were all joking on set and then filmed a scene where Lee had to act out his character being very angry, and he just changed so drastically in an instant that I felt this is is the mark of a true actor,” she said.

As “Concrete Utopia” has a large-scale backdrop, many overwhelming scenes, and an imposing sound design, audiences should watch the film in theaters, argued Lee.

“There will be a big difference between watching it on a large screen in theaters and watching it later at home,” said Lee. “I strongly urge viewers to go see it at the cinema.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]