[Site Y] 'Firefighter' dealing with the Hongje-dong fire disaster..."A movie to thank and remember".

"When I first received this story, I refused. As I talked about the death of a young student through my previous work, Jangsari: Forgotten Heroes, I thought it would be difficult for me personally to tell the story of a firefighter. But when I thought about it, I felt sorry just by hearing the word firefighter, so I really wanted to do something for you. I was able to direct the work with a sense of debt and appreciation for the firefighters."(Director Kwak Kyung-taek)
The production report for the
movie 'Firefighter' was held at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall at 11 a.m. today (8th). In addition to director Kwak Kyung-taek, who directed the film, actors Joo Won, Yoo Jae-myung, Lee Yoo-young, Kim Min-jae, Oh Dae-hwan, Lee Joon-hyuk and Jang Young-nam attended the production briefing to talk about the work.

'Firefighter' depicts the situation of firefighters who were deployed with a single goal of extinguishing fire and saving power even in poor environment during the 2001 Hongje-dong fire disaster. Based on the "Hongje-dong Fire Disaster Incident" caused by arson at a multi-family house in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul at 3:47 a.m. on March 4, 2001, it was reconstructed by adding cinematic imagination.

Director Kwak Kyung-taek said, "In the meantime, firefighters have appeared in various movies, but I borrowed part of the genre, and it's the first time we've dealt with it in the front like our work, so I thought firefighters would definitely see it. I thought it was a proper production if you told me that it looked very similar to the actual scene," he said, emphasizing that he worked hard on realistic production.

He continued, "I think it's up to the director to somehow embody scenes that have not been seen in existing movies. Fire is fire, but it was important to express the scary scene. I did my best to show you how scary the fire scene is and how courageous the firefighters need," he said.

Director Kwak also met with a person involved in the actual case for this movie. He said, "The person who was at the scene at the time is now the captain. To be honest, I couldn't ask questions about any situation or feelings at the time, and he didn't tell me either. However, I couldn't tell by feeling after seeing him many times. It didn't seem like he kept bringing up memories that would remain a deep wound to him. I studied the part of how to operate the site," he said, adding that he carefully transferred the true story to the screen.

Through this work, the actors' mindset toward firefighters and their view of the fire scene must have changed even more.

Joo Won, the lead actor, said, "When I was young, firefighters were so cool, I remember I liked fire trucks just by looking at them. I forgot a little while growing up, but after reading the script, I thought more about the firefighters just by hearing the sirens. As I thought about their hard work and dedication, I changed my mind before and after the movie," he said.

Yoo Jae-myung also said, "After completing the firefighting training, I personally experienced how difficult the firefighters are going through," and Kim Min-jae also added, "Since it is based on such a realistic story, I have experienced not only reality but also emotional exchanges, and I have a deeper look at the lives of firefighters even after the movie."

Lee Yoo-young said, "As I learned more about the incident while working on the work, I felt very sorry. When I heard sirens on the street, I felt heartbroken and remembered a lot about the filming site. Safely, I also hoped that no one would get hurt. As he played an important role, he said, "I filmed it with responsibility."

The movie "Firefighter," which will convey appreciation for the true heroes of our time, is scheduled to be released on December 4th.

[Photo provided = OSEN]

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