The independent film ‘Ghosts’, which is based on AI, will hit the screens this spring.
On the afternoon of the 1st, a press screening and meeting for the film ‘Ghosts’ was held at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Seoul. Director Hwang Seung-jae and actors Lee Yo-won, Kang Chan-hee, Jung Kyung-ho, and Oh Hee-joon attended.
‘Ghosts’ depicts a story set in the near future, where AI that embodies humans coexist with humans in South Korea. It is the latest work by director Hwang Seung-jae, who directed ‘Job Seekers’, ‘Sseol’, and ‘Anna Purna’, and is an omnibus film composed of stories like ‘Update’, ‘Voice Phishing’, ‘Voice Recognition’, and ‘Mortgage’.
It is an expanded story from the world of Hwang Seung-jae's ‘Job Seekers’, which won the Grand Prize in the video category at the 8th SF Awards in 2021, implementing a future that is more realistic than reality while addressing the issues faced by contemporary Korean society one by one.
Director Hwang Seung-jae stated, “Time has flown by quickly from when the phone lines disappeared to when smartphones came. I think AI will be the same,” and added, “In the near future, what we imagine will become reality, so I introduced humanized AI.”
He continued, “The scale is small, but the worldview is large,” and clarified, “Some people misunderstand it as a horror movie, but that’s a misunderstanding.”
Kang Chan-hee, who is currently performing as the top groom candidate in ‘Chunhwa Love Story’, will surprise audiences with a twist character. Jung Kyung-ho, who leaves an unforgettable strong presence in every work, and Oh Hee-joon, who is recognized for his delicate acting skills across both screen and television, also star in the film.
Lee Yo-won, returning to the screen after 8 years, expressed, “It was a new and enjoyable experience. I feel regret that we shot it so briefly, but I think that’s the charm of independent films,” and added, “I’m happy that it’s being released and that there’s a lot of interest.”
She continued, “I worked with the director on ‘Gwangsik Teacher Gwangtae’, and we have a connection as school seniors. I happened to read the script and found it interesting and the ideas fresh. I really wanted to try independent film,” and explained, “Shooting in just one day was a bit burdensome, but after doing longer works, it was challenging to keep the pace short, but I worked with 100% trust in the director.”
Oh Hee-joon said, “It was my first time working with the director, and I talked a lot about my story without seeing the script, and it was incorporated into the screenplay. It felt like my story and was unique. I wanted to take on the challenge because the director said we would shoot in one day. I realized again how amazing he is.”
Kang Chan-hee mentioned, “This is my second shoot after ‘Sseol’, and since I’ve matched my rhythm with the director before, it was really fun and comfortable to shoot. Like my seniors, I feel regret that the shoot was short, but thanks to that, it was new and enjoyable.”
When asked about the reason for participating, he said, “The material was interesting and fun, and I was curious about how the director’s color would come through. I said I would run anywhere if the director called me while filming ‘Sseol’. I’m always ready to run if the director calls.”
Kang Chan-hee added, “I wanted to try various characters and colors. I was asked to look very human, so I didn’t pay much attention to it, but I focused on the parts where emotions change drastically,” and said, “In movies or works, AI used to look like robots, but while shooting ‘Ghosts’, I thought it would be scary yet exciting if robots really advanced to think and have emotions like humans.”
Before the event, they paid tribute to Lee Joo-sil, who passed away in February after battling stomach cancer. The late actor delivered a remarkable performance in the ‘Voice Phishing’ episode of ‘Ghosts’.
A representative from ‘Ghosts’ stated, “We will take a moment to remember actor Lee Joo-sil. She was looking forward to the release of our film, but she passed away in February,” and added, “Thank you, Teacher Joo-sil. Your passion for acting will always be remembered in our hearts.”
‘Ghosts’ will be released on the 9th.
