Sea Fog
{{short description|2014 South Korean film directed by Shim Sung-bo}}
{{about|the 2014 South Korean film|other uses|Sea fog (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Sea Fog
| image = The official poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Shim Sung-bo
| writer = {{Plainlist|
- Shim Sung-bo
- Bong Joon-ho
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Bong Joon-ho
- Lewis Taewan Kim
- Jo Neung-yeon
}}
| based_on = {{based on|Haemoo|Kim Min Jeong}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| music = Jung Jae-il
| cinematography = Hong Kyung-pyo
| editing = {{Plainlist|
- Kim Sang-bum
- Kim Jae-bum
}}
| studio = {{Plainlist|
- Lewis Pictures
- Finecut
}}
| distributor = Next Entertainment World
| released = {{film date|2014|8|13}}
| runtime = 110 minutes
| country = South Korea
| language = Korean
| budget = {{USD|10 million}}
| gross = {{USD|11.4 million}}{{cite web|title=Haemoo (Sea Fog)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&id=_fHAEMOOSEAFOG01|website=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=January 23, 2015}}
| native_name = {{Infobox Korean film name
| hangul = 해무
| hanja = 海霧
| rr = Haemu}}
}}
Sea Fog ({{korean|hangul=해무|rr=Haemu}}) is a 2014 South Korean crime thriller film directed by Shim Sung-bo. The film is adapted from the 2007 stage play Haemoo,{{cite web|script-title=ko:해무|url=http://www.playdb.co.kr/playdb/PlaydbDetail.asp?sReqPlayNo=1320|website=PlayDB|language=Korean|accessdate=July 1, 2014}} which in turn was based on the true story of 25 Korean-Chinese illegal immigrants who suffocated to death in the storage tank of the fishing vessel Taechangho; their bodies were dumped by the ship's crew into the sea southwest of Yeosu on October 7, 2001.{{cite web|last=Gluck|first=Caroline|title=S Korea says sorry over dumped corpses|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1590762.stm|work=BBC News|accessdate=August 19, 2013|date=October 10, 2001}}{{cite web|last=Jung|first=Seung-ho|title=Crew Members Closed the Exit of Net Storage|url=http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2001101025588&path_dir=20011010|work=The Dong-A Ilbo|accessdate=August 19, 2013|date=October 10, 2001}}
It was selected as the South Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards and the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, but was not nominated.{{cite web|last=Frater|first=Patrick|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/korea-sets-sea-fog-on-foreign-language-oscar-course-1201310651/|title=Korea Sets Sea Fog on Foreign-Language Oscar Course|accessdate=September 22, 2014|date=September 22, 2014|website=Variety}}{{cite web|last1=Ford|first1=Rebecca|title=Oscar Nominations 2015: The Complete List|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscar-nominations-2015-complete-list-academy-award-nominees-763162|website=The Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=January 23, 2015|date=January 14, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/global/foreign-language-films-compete-golden-globe-25781|title=Foreign Language Films Compete For Golden Globe|accessdate=December 2, 2014|website=Golden Globe Award|first=Serge|last=Rakhlin}}
The original play, written by Kim Min Jeong and directed by Ahn Kyung-mo, was performed in 2007 as part of Yeonwoo Stage's 30th anniversary celebration. {{Cite web |title=Singing the Tragedies of the Era in the Time and Space of Plays |url=https://www.snunews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=22050}}
Plot
The 69-ton fishing vessel Jeonjinho fails to catch as much fish as its crew had hoped. To make more money, the crew decides to smuggle thirty illegal immigrants into Korea. But things don't go according to plan when the Jeonjinho encounters heavy fog, rain and waves on its return journey, while also being chased by a ship from the South Korean Maritime Police. On orders from the captain, several crew members hide the illegal immigrants inside the fishing tank, where they are in danger of suffocating to death. Amid the chaos, the youngest crew member Dong-sik tries to protect a young female migrant with whom he'd fallen in love.{{cite web|last1=Ahn|first1=Sung-mi|title=Herald Review: Under the ocean, ugliest side of human desire|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140817000321|website=The Korea Herald|accessdate=August 19, 2014|date=August 17, 2014}}
Cast
- Kim Yoon-seok as Captain Cheol-joo
- Park Yoo-chun as Dong-sik
- Han Ye-ri as Hong-mae
- Lee Hee-joon as Chang-wook
- Moon Sung-keun as Chief engineer Wan-ho
- Kim Sang-ho as Boatswain Ho-young
- Yoo Seung-mok as Kyung-gu
- Jung In-gi as Oh-nam
- Kim Young-woong as Gil-soo
- Ye Soo-jung as Dong-shik's grandmother
- Yeom Hye-ran as Shipowner's wife
Production
Sea Fog is the first feature film directed by Shim Sung-bo, who co-wrote the screenplay of Memories of Murder with director Bong Joon-ho. Bong is this film's producer.{{cite web|last=Conran|first=Pierce|title=Bong Joon-ho to Set Sail as Producer with SEA FOG, Song Joong-ki in Talks to Star|url=http://twitchfilm.com/2013/05/producer-bong-joon-ho-to-set-sail-with-sea-fog-song-joong-ki-in-talks-to-star.html|work=Twitch Film|accessdate=August 19, 2013|date=May 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007235547/http://twitchfilm.com/2013/05/producer-bong-joon-ho-to-set-sail-with-sea-fog-song-joong-ki-in-talks-to-star.html|archivedate=October 7, 2013}}
Kim Yoon-seok was first cast in the role of the ship's captain in June 2013. Song Joong-ki was originally offered to star opposite Kim,{{cite web|last=Conran|first=Pierce|title=Kim Yun-seok Climbs Aboard Bong Joon-ho Produced SEA FOG|url=http://twitchfilm.com/2013/06/kim-yun-seok-climbs-aboard-bong-joon-ho-produced-sea-fog.html|work=Twitch Film|accessdate=August 19, 2013|date=June 14, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819195557/http://twitchfilm.com/2013/06/kim-yun-seok-climbs-aboard-bong-joon-ho-produced-sea-fog.html|archivedate=August 19, 2013}} but had to turn down the role when he received his enlistment papers for mandatory military service. K-pop singer and actor Park Yoochun was cast instead in August 2013, in his big screen debut.{{cite web|last=Kang|first=Jung-yeon|title=JYJ Yuchun Confirms Big Screen Debut|url=http://www.tenasia.com/jyj-yuchun-confirms-big-screen-debut/|work=TenAsia|accessdate=August 20, 2013|date=August 20, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714204646/http://www.tenasia.com/jyj-yuchun-confirms-big-screen-debut/|archivedate=July 14, 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Ha|first1=Ji-won|title=JYJ's Park Yoo-chun talks about love-making scene in Sea Fog|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140729000254|website=The Korea Herald|accessdate=July 29, 2014|date=July 29, 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Lee|first1=So-dam|title=Interview: JYJ Park Yoo Chun Makes Another Leap Through Film Sea Fog|url=http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/72262/interview-jyj-parkyoochun-talks-about-acting-in-sea-fog|website=enewsWorld|accessdate=August 4, 2014|date=August 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221100/http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/72262/interview-jyj-parkyoochun-talks-about-acting-in-sea-fog|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last1=Lim|first1=Ju-ri|title=JYJ's Park makes big-screen debut|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2993108|website=Korea JoongAng Daily|accessdate=August 8, 2014|date=August 7, 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Lee|first1=Ji-yeong|title=K-wave Actor PARK Yoo-chun: Look How He Starts Up|url=http://koreanfilm.or.kr/webzine/sub/interview.jsp?mode=A_VIEW&wbSeq=115|website=Korean Cinema Today|accessdate=September 20, 2014|date=September 3, 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Choi|first1=Song-hee|title=Interview: Sea Fog's Park Yoo Chun, Actor Beyond Expectations|url=http://www.bntnews.co.uk/app/news.php?nid=13019|website=BNTNews|accessdate=September 26, 2014|date=September 3, 2014}} Filming began on October 6, 2013, with locations in Masan, Goyang, Busan and Ulsan,{{cite web|last=Tae|first=Sang-joon|title=SEA FOG Goes into Production|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=2698|work=Korean Film Council|accessdate=October 15, 2013|date=October 8, 2013}} and ended on March 6, 2014.
Budgeted at {{USD|10 million}},{{cite web|last=Frater|first=Patrick|title=Berlin: Finecut Adds Night Flight, Sells Sea Fog|url=https://variety.com/2014/biz/news/berlin-finecut-adds-night-flight-sells-sea-fog-1201091217/|work=Variety|accessdate=February 7, 2014|date=February 7, 2014}} the film was pitched for pre-sales at the American Film Market in November 2013.{{cite web|last=Kim|first=Nemo|title=AFM: Bong Joon-ho Backs Shim's Shipwreck Tale Haemoo|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/afm-bong-joon-ho-backs-shims-shipwreck-tale-haemoo-1200777444/|work=Variety|accessdate=October 31, 2013|date=October 30, 2013}}{{cite web|last=Cremin|first=Stephen|title=Finecut takes Sea Fog and Obsessed for AFM|url=http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/finecut-takes-sea-fog-and-obsessed-for-afm|work=Film Business Asia|accessdate=January 19, 2014|date=October 30, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116043939/http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/finecut-takes-sea-fog-and-obsessed-for-afm|archivedate=November 16, 2013}}{{cite web|last1=Tae|first1=Sang-joon|title=Bong Joon Ho-Produced SEA FOG to Open in August|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=3052|website=Korean Film Council|accessdate=July 1, 2014|date=June 2, 2014}} The first official press conference was held on July 1, 2014.{{cite web|last1=An|first1=So-hyoun|title=JYJ Park Yoo Chun Shares on Filming His First Movie Sea Fog|url=http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/69656/parkyoochun-is-nervous-about-his-first-movie-sea-fog|website=enewsWorld|accessdate=July 1, 2014|date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055106/http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/69656/parkyoochun-is-nervous-about-his-first-movie-sea-fog|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last1=An|first1=So-hyoun|title=Kim Yoon Suk Says JYJ Park Yoo Chun Will Have Long Acting Career|url=http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/69667/kimyoonsuk-praises-parkyoochun|website=enewsWorld|accessdate=July 1, 2014|date=July 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220119/http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/69667/kimyoonsuk-praises-parkyoochun|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last1=Kim|first1=Min-jin|title=Director praises Park Yoo-chun over acting in Sea Fog|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140702001154|website=The Korea Herald|accessdate=July 3, 2014|date=July 2, 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Sunwoo|first1=Carla|title=Sea-themed movies set to make their maiden voyages|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2991516|website=Korea JoongAng Daily|accessdate=July 4, 2014|date=July 3, 2014}}
Box office
Sea Fog was released in South Korea on August 13, 2014. It reached 1,084,375 admissions after one week.{{cite web|last1=Kim|first1=Min-jin|title=Actors of Sea Fog celebrate surpassing 1m viewers|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140820000810|website=The Korea Herald|accessdate=September 3, 2014|date=August 20, 2014}}
Critical reception
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 77% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 6.17/10.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sea_fog |title=Sea Fog (Haemoo) (2015) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango |accessdate=May 25, 2020}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 based on 6 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/sea-fog |title=Sea Fog Reviews |website=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |accessdate=May 25, 2020}} The Hollywood Reporter described the film as "A possible riveting nightmare fogged up by concessions to blockbuster conventions."{{cite web|last=Tsui|first=Clarence|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/haemoo-toronto-review-730697|title=Haemoo: Toronto Review|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 6, 2014|accessdate=January 23, 2015}} It praised Hong Kyung-pyo's cinematography and Lee Ha-joon's production design as "effective in highlighting the differences between the lands of vast, cold port and the unforgiving environments of the sea and cramped insides of the fishing boat," but criticized director Shim Sung-bo's lack of subtlety and reflection, "with Haemoo subscribing to many of the conventions of both disaster epics and revenge drama, and the over-dependence of a central seaborne romance."
Variety wrote, "Turning a real-life human trafficking tragedy into a comment on social inequality and the cost of survival, Haemoo dramatizes a stark nautical ordeal fraught with tension. Produced and co-written by internationally recognized Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, The Host) this directing debut by helmer-scribe Shim Sung-bo echoes Bong's trademark cynical vision of human nature, but the characters lack dimensionality and psychological depth."{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/toronto-film-review-haemoo-1201302574/|title=Toronto Film Review: Haemoo|website=Variety|date=September 10, 2014|accessdate=January 23, 2015|last=Lee|first=Maggie}}
== International release==
Sea Fog made its international premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.{{cite web|last1=Conran|first1=Pierce|title=SEA FOG Lands Gala Spot in Toronto|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=3113|website=Korean Film Council|accessdate=July 25, 2014|date=July 23, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Sea Fog Invited to Toronto Film Festival|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/07/24/2014072401478.html|website=The Chosun Ilbo|accessdate=July 25, 2014|date=July 24, 2014}} It was also invited to the following:
- 2014 Toronto International Film Festival
- 2014 Vancouver International Film Festival
- 2014 San Sebastián International Film Festival
- 2014 Taoyuan International Film Festival
- 2014 Busan International Film Festival
- 2014 Fantastic Fest
- 2014 Festival du Film Coréen à Paris
- 2014 Hawaii International Film Festival
- 2014 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival
- 2014 Stockholm International Film Festival
- 2014 London Korean Film Festival
- 2014 American Film Institute Festival
- 2014 Philippines Cinema One Originals Festival under the Asian Gem category
- 2014 Mar del Plata International Film Festival
- 2014 Madrid Premiere Week
- 2014 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
- 2014 Marrakech International Film Festival
- 2014 Filmasia Festival in Prague
- 2014 Dubai International Film Festival
- 2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival
- 2015 Fantasporto Oporto International Film Festival
- 2015 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
- 2015 Annual Waimea Town Celebration
- 2015 New Directors/New Films Festival in New York City
- 2015 Florence Korea Film Festival in Italy
- 2015 Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
- 2015 Beaune International Thriller Film Festival
- 2015 Art Film Fest in Slovakia
The film's rights were also pre-sold at the Cannes Film Market to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and France. Its Japanese release was scheduled for early 2015 while Taiwan and Singapore released the movie at the end of 2014.
Awards and nominations
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|3303728|Sea Fog}}
- {{kmdb film|14111|Sea Fog}}
- {{hancinema film|Haemoo|Sea Fog}}
{{Bong Joon-ho}}
{{South Korean submissions for the Academy Award}}
Category:South Korean drama films
Category:Crime films based on actual events
Category:South Korean films based on plays
Category:2010s Korean-language films
Category:Next Entertainment World films
Category:South Korean thriller films
Category:Films produced by Bong Joon-ho
Category:Films scored by Jung Jae-il