What to expect from Fil-Korean film by ‘Big Bet,’ ‘Confidence Queen’ director?
A SOUTH KOREAN DIRECTOR IS DEVELOPING A PHILIPPINE-KOREAN FILM partly inspired by his firsthand experience of how Filipinos came together during a disaster in Cebu.
Nam Ki Hoon, a repeat visitor to the Philippines, is best known for the K-dramas and K-movies “Destined With You,” “Kiss Sixth Sense,” “Voice,” “Tunnel,” as well as “Big Bet” and “Confidence Queen,” both of which filmed scenes in the country.
He was on a holiday break in Cebu last September when a 6.9-magnitude quake struck, devastating, in particular, the northern part of the island province.
“I stayed in Cebu last year for one month. And while I was there, the earthquake happened,” director Nam Ki Hoon narrated through an interpreter during a recent presscon.
“I was actually at the epicenter of the earthquake itself. I was walking outside at that time, and while walking I saw people rushing out. But while they were doing so, they were not only taking care of themselves, but they were also helping one another, and of course, they were also helping me.
“While I was watching it (unfold), to be honest, it doesn’t happen in Korea, they are not that close to each other. But when I witnessed that, that’s when I really had this great impression in my heart about the Philippines.
“To be honest, the Philippines has been portrayed as this dark place, dark nation… wherein a lot of negative things are happening. I want to break that perspective — that the Philippines is a beautiful country and Filipinos are warmhearted and kind because that has been my experience, which I want to share with you,” he further said.
With that, Nam shared that the film will depart from his previous darker works.
“To be honest, the films I did previously were a bit dark in terms of theme,” he said.
But having been to the Philippines several times and that “everytime I visit here, I’m always happy and I always have new experiences,” according to him, “the project we’re preparing at the moment is focusing more on the human side… how the main character can experience how warm or how passionate Filipinos are when they treat other people.
“So, I’m very excited to see how we can express this positive emotion from the Philippines.”
Joining the filmmaker on this “groundbreaking” project, set to highlight the country’s scenic destinations, while bringing together Filipino and Korean talents, are Filipino producer Tristan Cheng of Trifecta Brand Lab and Korean co-producer Ilho Lee of Life Communications Korea.
“We must admit that the Korean film industry… its standards are so high, not just for the Philippines but globally, so that is something that we’d also want to be part of,” said Tristan on why he decided to join production.
The firm of Lee, on the other hand, has been involved in marketing, sales and distribution. Most recently, it served as a coordinator for Netflix’s “Love On Demand” shoot in the Philippines.
Described by Tristan as “a Korean national but a Filipino at heart,” Lee is marking his venture into full-scale production work through this Fil-Korean cross-border romance.
The story follows a Korean superstar dealing with burnout. He returns to the Philippines, only to find a place changed by a recent typhoon.
The director teased the synopsis: “During his burnout, he remembers a childhood memory he had in the Philippines. Through this memory, he visits a very peaceful place that he remembered.
“But once he arrived there, he noticed that everything was different from what he remembered because a typhoon had just passed. He had a misunderstanding that something bad was happening around the area. He meets the (lady) owner of the hotel where he stays, and together they rebuild the place.”
The production is expected to lean heavily on local talent.
“This project is a very new experience because before, when I would shoot here in the Philippines, most of the staff would be 80 percent Korean and 20 percent Filipino,” said Nam. “But through this new project, 90 percent of the staff we will work with would be Filipinos. During this process, I’m still learning how to adapt to Filipino staff and Filipino people.”
Lee further said, “There are so many work processes happening simultaneously. In Korea, our major focus is the first draft of the script. Right now, we’re also looking for a writer in the Philippines who can collaborate and localize the script.”
Location scouting is still ongoing, with the team working closely with tourism stakeholders.
Tristan noted, “We’re currently exploring… we’ve been traveling around and we’re closely working with the Department of Tourism (DOT). Hopefully, we get to seal the deal with the DOT. This is something that we want and this is something that we need.
“With tourism news about how low our tourism numbers are, I think one of the main purposes is really to promote how beautiful the Philippines is,” the former talent manager added.
Naturally, one of the most exciting parts of pre-production is finding the South Korean leading man and the Filipino leading lady. Announcement is expected this April.
“One of the main things that I’m looking for (in the main actress) is harmony with our male lead. At the moment, we are continuously searching for our possible female lead,” Nam said in response to a STAR question.
“For your reference, we would like to have a female that is very bright, cute and energetic.”
Several top Filipina actresses were floated during the presscon. Among the names mentioned were Nadine Lustre, Kim Chiu and Liza Soberano, though there was no confirmation as to which ones are up for serious consideration.
The team is currently meeting with management companies and networks, confirmed Lee and Tristan. The latter added that ideally, the actress is in her late 20s because she will portray a hotel owner.
As for the male lead, they are eyeing a major Korean star with an established fan base.
“We wanna make sure that he has a good following when it comes to the fan base. That’s the No. 1 trait or strength for the actor. And then of course, No. 2, someone who is really talented. So you may expect someone who has already been (to the Philippines), who already has good shows and has proven himself when it comes to creating films and series,” said Tristan.
“For the male lead, we already have a shortlist of two to three actors whom we know have ticket-selling power if they hold a fan meet in the Philippines,” added Lee.
Asked if the actor will come from his previous projects, Nam only said that it will be a bigger star from Korea.
Among the names in the media wishlist are Park Seo Joon, Park Bo Gum and Son Sukku, whom the director personally worked with in the action-packed Disney+ series “Big Bet.”
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