The Berlin File
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THE BERLIN FILE Press contacts North America: Silversalt PR Thessa Mooij 212.729.7071 [email protected] Brian Geldin 917.549.2953 [email protected] Prologue “It's said that during the Cold War, 6 out of 10 people walking the streets of Berlin were spies. Although that crushing period has passed, I feel that tragic history still hanging in the air. I wanted to tell a story about human beings who are defined by dangerous secrets bigger than their own lives.” - Writer/Director RYOO Seung-wan - General Information Title The Berlin File (Original title:베를린 Be-reul-lin) Genre Action, Thriller, Drama Language Korean, English, German Running Time 120 mins Rating NR not rated by the MPAA (US Rating) Original release rated 15+ Director RYOO Seung-wan Writer RYOO Seung-wan Cast HA Jung-woo HAN Suk-kyu RYOO Seung-bum Gianna JUN (a.k.a. JUN Ji-hyun) Production Film R&K Pictures Distribution CJ Entertainment US Release date February 15, 2012 Korea Release date January 31, 2012 Synopsis A tense illegal arms deal in a Berlin hotel descends into sudden mayhem after a “ghost” agent named Jong-seong (HA Jung-woo) appears on the scene. Secretly watching the deal go down is embattled South Korean intelligence chief Jin-soo (HAN Suk-Kyu), the North Koreans and the US CIA, who are all left trying to decode whether the ghost is a double- agent or taking the fall for a more insidious plot. Myung-soo (RYOO Seung-bum) a young but notorious North Korean agent jumps into these treacherous waters to investigate loyalties of all involved and begins to implicate Jong-seong’s wife, Jung-hee (Gianna JUN), a translator at the North Korean embassy in the German capital. Caught between his love of country and his wife, Jong-Seong must quickly prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice in this thrilling tale of political intrigue. South Korea’s Top Actors Come Together for THE BERLIN FILE! “I feel very lucky to have cast four actors that fit their roles so perfectly” Set in the present-day, THE BERLIN FILE features a truly star-studded Korean cast. Bringing together HA Jung-woo (THE CHASER, NAMELESS GANGSTER), successfully transformed from riveting character actor into Korea’s newest action hero; RYOO Seung-bum (THE UNJUST, NO MERCY), who displays dizzying range from psychos to romantic comedy leads, and the glorious return of HAN Suk-kyu (SHIRI), nearly 14 years after playing the iconic role as a South Korean officer who falls in love with a North Korean agent. Also featured is Gianna JUN (THIEVES), who changes gears from recent glamorous turns to become the emotional anchor of this all too potentially real story. Says the film’s director RYOO Seung-wan of the cast, “I was very satisfied with the casting. I think I was able to find actors that were perfect for these characters, which makes me very lucky.” About the Director RYOO Seung-wan Action auteur RYOO Seung-wan comes back to the genre with his most ambitious project yet, pitting Korea’s most charismatic actors HA Jung-woo, RYOO Seung-bum and HAN Suk-kyu against each other in the twisty tale of political intrigue and personal redemption, THE BERLIN FILE. Since taking the Korean film scene by storm with his artsy action indie debut, DIE BAD, RYOO has carved out a name for himself in the action genre through films such as ARAHAN, CRYING FIST, CITY OF VIOLENCE, and most recently the critically acclaimed THE UNJUST. THE UNJUST (2010) was a crime drama that delved into the corruption amongst modern Korean society’s privileged class. The film met with both critical and commercial success in South Korea, with over 2.8 million in admissions. Known as “Chungmuro’s Action Kid” in Korea, RYOO’s pulpy crime thrillers stand out for their hard- edged stylization and emphasis on lavish action sequences. Three years later, RYOO returns to the director’s chair with a story about four individuals from a divided Korea, playing the highest stakes game of cat and mouse in modern-day Berlin. With the symbolic Cold War capital as his backdrop, RYOO’s latest masterpiece features thrilling chase sequences between North and South Korean operatives on an unprecedented scale, all while capturing the essence of Korean action that film fans admire him for. FILMOGRAPHY 2010 THE UNJUST (Director, Producer) 2010 TROUBLESHOOTER (Writer, Producer) 2008 DACHIMAWA LEE (Director, Writer) 2006 THE CITY OF VIOLENCE (Director, Writer, Producer, Actor) 2005 CRYING FIST (Director, Writer) 2004 ARAHAN (Director, Writer) 2002 NO BLOOD NO TEARS (Director, Writer) 2000 DIE BAD (Director, Writer, Producer, Actor) Awards 1998 Busan Asian Short Film Festival - Runner-up for Rumble 1999 Korea Independent Film Festival - Grand prize, Audience award for Modern Man 1999 25th Seoul Independent Film Festival - Grand prize for Die Bad 1999 25th Seoul Independent Film Festival - Audience award for Die Bad 2000 21st Blue Dragon Award - Best New Director for Die Bad 2000 5th Busan International Film Festival - PBS Audience award for Die Bad 2004 8th Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival - Pucheon's Choice for Arahan 2004 8th Pucheon Int'l Fantastic Film Festival - Prugio Audience award for Arahan 2004 58th Festival de Cannes - International Critics' award for Crying Fist 2004 Dauville Asian Film Festival - Lotus Flower award, Action Asia award for Arahan 2004 Montreal Fantasia Film Festival - Audience award for Arahan 2005 6th Busan Film Critics' Association Awards - Best Director for Crying Fist 2005 New York Asian Film Festival - Audience award for Crying Fist 2005 Flanders International Film Festival - Audience Grand prize for Crying Fist 2010 13th Director's Cut Awards - Director of the Year for The Unjust 2011 1st Cinematheque Korean film choice by KOFA - The Unjust 2011 32nd Blue Dragon Awards - 1st prize in Feature film category for The Unjust 2011 32nd Blue Dragon Awards - Best Director for The Unjust 2011 2nd Korea Seoul Cultural Arts Awards - Best Film Director for The Unjust 2011 44th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival - Casa Asia award for The Unjust “South Korea’s Poet of Pugilism”, RYOO Seung-wan Described by Variety as “Korea’s poet of pugilism”, director RYOO Seung-wan’s films have garnered overseas acclaim for the signature style and grit that he infuses into the action genre. DIE BAD (2000), his first feature film, became a cult hit in South Korea and met an unexpected level of international attention. With its story about a man’s descent into a life of crime triggered by a murder he committed in his youth, the film featured the director himself along with actor and younger brother, RYOO Seung-bum. The film was also the first of RYOO’s many collaborations with preeminent action choreographer JUNG Doo-hong, whose realistic and gritty action scenes heighten RYOO’s later films, including ARAHAN (2004), CITY OF VIOLENCE (2006), and now THE BERLIN FILE. In an interview with Twitch Film in 2010, RYOO said of his film’s action sequences, “It all depends on character, and how the protagonist drives the plot forward. Character is always key. Beyond that, genre is obviously important. Are we in a comic book world or one of gritty realism, in which the objective might be to convey a tangible sense of pain to the audience? In a film like ARAHAN, for example, the action could be compared to Gene Kelly's dancing, or Buster Keaton-style slapstick, whereas in CRYING FIST or DIE BAD, the style of action is scrappier and more violent, which reflects the way of life of those films' characters. Like the films of Abbas Kiarostami, or Italian Neorealist movies, the lives of these people are very hard - very oppressive - and their lifestyles, accordingly, involve constant fighting against forces beyond their control.” Inhabiting the tinderbox of the North-South Korean conflict, the four protagonists of THE BERLIN FILE must be prepared to fight to the death for their allegiances, but who they are loyal to is another question. RYOO returns with his most ambitious plot and largest scale action film yet with THE BERLIN FILE. DIE BAD (2000), RYOO’s first film CITY OF VIOLENCE (2006), featuring RYOO and action choreographer JUNG Doo- Hong Character & Cast "Make it out alive, no matter what." North Korea's top operative | PYO Jong-seong Nationality unknown. No finger prints in the system. PYO Jong-seong is a North Korean operative known as the 'ghost.' While working in Berlin under a covert identity, he becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy when an illegal arms deal goes haywire. Forced to trust no one, including those closest to him, Pyo struggles to unravel the clandestine plot. Caught in the tightening noose of a fellow agent and a relentless South Korean operative, Pyo learns an unexpected truth and must escape or prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice. HA Jung-woo With his chilling portrayal of a causeless psychopath in THE CHASER, HA Jung-woo captured the attention of the Korean film scene and swept up countless domestic and international film awards. He has since given remarkable performances playing a variety of characters in TAKE OFF, THE YELLOW SEA, NAMELESS GANGSTER and LOVE FICTION. THE BERLIN FILE marks Ha's return to intense form as a hard-boiled North Korean operative who is betrayed and cut loose when a weapons deal is exposed. The charismatic actor promises a passionate performance worthy of his reputation. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY Movies PROJECT 577 (2012), CINE NOTE (2012), NAMELESS GANGSTER (2012), THE CLIENT (2011), LOVE FICTION (2012), THE YELLOW SEA (2010), PARALLEL LIFE (2010), TAKE OFF (2009), BOAT (2009), MY DEAR ENEMY (2008), THE CHASER (2008), MOONLIGHT OF SEOUL (2008), BREATH (2007), NEVER FOREVER (2007), TIME (2006), THE FOX FAMILY (2006), THE UNFORGIVEN (2005), SHE'S ON DUTY (2005) TV Drama H.I.T.