THE BERLIN FILE Press contacts North America: Silversalt PR Thessa Mooij 212.729.7071 thessa@silversaltpr.com Brian Geldin 917.549.2953 brian@briangeldin.com
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 Genre Language Running Time Rating Director Writer Cast Production Distribution US Release date February 15, 2012 Korea Release date January 31, 2012 The Berlin File (Original title: 베를린 Be-reul-lin) Action, Thriller, Drama Korean, English, German 120 mins NR not rated by the MPAA (US Rating) Original release rated 15+ RYOO Seung-wan RYOO Seung-wan HA Jung-woo HAN Suk-kyu RYOO Seung-bum Gianna JUN (a.k.a. JUN Ji-hyun) Film R&K Pictures CJ Entertainment 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 doubleagent 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 hardedged 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 25 th Seoul Independent Film Festival - Grand prize for Die Bad 1999 25 th Seoul Independent Film Festival - Audience award for Die Bad 2000 21 st Blue Dragon Award - Best New Director for Die Bad 2000 5 th Busan International Film Festival - PBS Audience award for Die Bad 2004 8 th Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival - Pucheon's Choice for Arahan 2004 8 th Pucheon Int'l Fantastic Film Festival - Prugio Audience award for Arahan 2004 58 th 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 6 th 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 13 th Director's Cut Awards - Director of the Year for The Unjust 2011 1 st Cinematheque Korean film choice by KOFA - The Unjust 2011 32 nd Blue Dragon Awards - 1 st prize in Feature film category for The Unjust 2011 32 nd Blue Dragon Awards - Best Director for The Unjust 2011 2 nd Korea Seoul Cultural Arts Awards - Best Film Director for The Unjust
2011 44 th 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 Hong RYOO and action choreographer JUNG Doo-
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. (2007), LOVERS IN PRAGUE (2005)
Character & Cast "From Macau to Berlin arms dealing, spying, assassination and defection... How do these all link up?" Veteran South Korean intelligence agent JUNG Jin-soo A fast-footed veteran field agent with the Korean National Intelligence Services, Jung Jin-soo stumbles upon the existence of a 'ghost' agent while infiltrating a North Korean weapons deal. His razor sharp intuition tells him that there is a much bigger scheme behind the botched operation, and dives in to discover the truth. Will he be able to unveil the identity of the mystery operative and find the missing link to the conspiracy? HAN Suk-kyu With his role in 1995's hit comedy, DR. BONG, HAN became one of the most sought-after actors in South Korea. HAN's name became synonymous of box-office success with his appearance in consecutive box office hits, including THE GINKO BED, GREEN FISH, THE CONTACT, CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST, SHIRI, and TELL ME SOMETHING. THE BERLIN FILE marks his return to the big screen as agent JUNG Jin-soo, nearly 14 years after his unforgettable role as a South Korean officer who falls in love with a North Korean agent in SHIRI (1999), Korea s most successful spy film to date. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY Movies VILLAIN & WIDOW (2010), WHITE NIGHT (2009), EYE FOR AN EYE (2008), SOLACE (2006), A BLOODY ARIA (2006), FORBIDDEN QUEST (2006), QUIZ KING (2005), THE PRESIDENT'S LAST BANG (2005), THE SCARLET LETTER (2004), DOUBLE AGENT (2003), TELL ME SOMETHING (1999), SHIRI (1999), CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST (1998), THE CONTACT (1997), NO. 3 (1997), GREEN FISH (1997) TV Drama DEEP ROOTED TREE (2011), THE MOON OF SEOUL (1994), PILOT (1993)
Character & Cast "Shouldn t you know by now that we can endure hunger, but never jealousy?" Cold-blooded North Korean assassin DONG Myung-soo DONG Myung-soo is a poker-faced assassin and the son of a powerful North Korean politician. Sent to Berlin with a secret agenda to take control of the North Korean embassy, DONG drives his colleague PYO Jong-seong into an impossible trap. RYOO Seung-bum Since his acting debut in WAIKIKI BROTHERS, RYOO has played anything but ordinary characters. From a small-time crook to a corrupt prosecutor to a genius mathematician, the prolific actor has displayed unequaled agility and screen presence in his films. In THE BERLIN FILE under the direction of his brother RYOO Seung-wan, he plays a cold-blooded North Korean assassin driven by a blind allegiance to power. RYOO s chilling portrayal of a facile killer and expertise with high-octane action scenes are bound to captivate audiences. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY Movies PERFECT NUMBER (2012), OVER MY DEAD BODY (2012), THE SUICIDE FORECAST (2011), DOOMSDAY BOOK (2011), FOXY FESTIVAL (2010), THE UNJUST (2010), THE SERVANT (2010), NO MERCY (2009), DACHIMAWA LEE (2008), RADIO DAYZ (2007), BLOODY TIE (2006), CRYING FIST (2005), ARAHAN (2004) TV Drama SUNLIGHT POURS DOWN (2004), SOLITUDE (2002), WONDERFUL DAYS (2001)
Character & Cast "Why must I trust you when you don't trust me?" A North Korean Interpreter entangled in a sinister plot RYUN Jung-hee North Korean operative PYO Jong-seong's wife, RYUN Jung-hee, is an interpreter working for the North Korean embassy in Berlin. Her only wish is to return home to Pyongyang and leave her painful secrets behind. When RYUN finds herself accused of treason and her own husband starts suspecting her, she is pushed into a corner with nowhere to turn. Gianna JUN Gianna JUN s famous role as the quirky but undeniably charming Girl in MY SASSY GIRL made her the icon of an era. After working on overseas productions such as BLOOD THE VAMPIRE and Fox Searchlight s SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN, she returned home for the first time in 4 years with Korea s highest grossing movie of all time, THE THIEVES. In THE BERLIN FILE, Jun changes gears from recent glamorous turns to become the emotional anchor of the film as a North Korean translator who walks straight into a political conspiracy. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY Movies THE THIEVES (2012), SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN (2011), BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE (2009), A MAN WHO WAS SUPERMAN (2008), DAISY (2006), WINDSTRUCK (2004), THE UNINVITED (2003), MY SASSY GIRL (2001), IL MARE (2000) TV Drama HAPPY TOGETHER (1999), FASCINATE MY HEART (1998)
Q&A with Director RYOO Seung-bum Q1. What kind of film is THE BERLIN FILE? THE BERLIN FILE is a story about 4 individuals equipped with their own agendas in the international city of Berlin, where an epic chase begins. HA Jung-woo, HAN Suk-kyu, RYOO Seung-bum, and Gianna JUN star together in this film and deliver excellent performances. Set in a background foreign to many Korean audiences, I hope that they will be as impressed with the actors performances as I was. Q2. What inspired you to make this film? Originally I was researching materials for a film I wanted to make about a spy carrying out a secret mission in another country. In the midst of my research, I attended the Berlin International Film Festival for my film, THE UNJUST. There, I visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and was struck by a strange inspiration. I sensed mysterious tragedy still lingering from the Cold War, and decided that I would have to work on something in the city of Berlin. Q3. How were you able to cast all of Korea s top actors in one movie? I always dreamt of making a film in which incredibly talented actors would come together in one place. When I was younger, there was a moment when I saw the greatest actors of the time engage in a fighting scene. My heart started beating faster and I started to wonder, what if that was something I could make? I was very fortunate to have been able to cast each actor who was perfect for the character. It was very exciting to shoot one scene with one actor and then anticipate the appearance of another in the next scene. Because the story is one in which all the characters come into conflict with each other, it s different from most films that cast multiple actors but have them all gravitate towards the same goal. Q4. What was it about each actor that you thought was perfect for each role? HA Jung-woo is an incredibly engaging actor. And he doesn t really get nervous. He does not make intense facial expressions, yet he still immerses himself completely. The length and depth of his image, as well as his acting really intrigued me. I liked the credibility that HAN Suk-kyu has as an actor. Personally, I think that all directors from my generation dream of working with someone like him, and I was no exception. While shooting, the best part was seeing HAN Suk-kyu remind everyone of his role as a South Korean agent in iconic SHIRI ten years ago. RYOO Seung-bum is also my brother and so naturally, I know a lot about his energy and abilities as an actor. I had him in mind for the role of DONG Myung-soo from the start. The one unexpected candidate for this film was Gianna JUN. I needed the role of RYUN Jung-hee to be a woman who held a secret someone strong yet feminine. With Gianna being such an iconic actress, I had my doubts as to whether or not she could pull this off. While we were in post-production, many of those who watched the film were very surprised to see that Gianna had this side to her. As a director, I felt good about that. She gave me a
good slap in the face (metaphorically speaking). Q5. Did you have a specific concept for the type of action you showed in THE BERLIN FILE? I initially had a broad concept for the action and gradually discovered specific movements fit for the individual actors while we were choreographing and training. The first and most important step was to construct moves that were used by professionals. From picking up a gun to how they walked, we paid attention to the smallest details. Rather than pure violence, I wanted the moves to look destructive yet exceptionally trained, and to do this it was important to create movements that were fit to each individual s body. HA Jung-woo s physique and movements are naturally rugged and good for action scenes, so for him I created sequences that would allow him to exude this energy. RYOO Seung-bum has done a lot of action films, so his body has this rhythm that comes with experience. I worked to maximize this rhythm. We also played a lot survival games to bring out key shooting postures and movements. Q6. What was it like shooting in a foreign location? We entered in into a contract with production companies in Berlin and Latvia and worked with the local production staff. The assistant director and head of production went to Berlin ahead of time to scout locations, and we used their photographs to plan out concepts for the space and action scenes. The most difficult part of shooting overseas was adjusting to the time difference. There was a bit of a language barrier too, but I don t think this became much of a problem once we started working.
Film Credits CJ ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS A FILMMAKER R&K PRODUCTION A FILM BY RYOO SEUNG-WAN HA JUNG-WOO HAN SUK-KYU GIANNA JUN RYOO SEUNG-BUM THE BERLIN FILE MUSIC BY CHO YOUNG-WUK PRODUCTION DESIGNER CHUN SOO-A COSTUME DESIGNER SHIN JI-YOUNG MAKE UP AND HAIR BY CHOI HYE-LIM (THE 0809) SOUND DESIGNED BY KIM CHANG-SUB SOUND RECORDING BY YOON SUNG-KI (B.O.B) EDITED BY KIM SANG-BUM KIM JAE-BUM (KIM SANG-BUM STUDIO) DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY CHOI YOUNG-HWAN LIGHTING SUPERVISOR KIM SUNG-KWAN LINE PRODUCERS KIM YONG-SUN PIELDO KEVIN JUN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JEONG TAE-SUNG ASSOCIATE PRODUCER PARK CHEOL-SOO INVESTMENT EXECUTIVE LEE HAN-SEUNG CO-PRODUCERS KUK SU-RAN HAN JAE-DUCK PRODUCED BY KANG HYE-JUNG WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY RYOO SEUNG-WAN 2013 CJ E&M CORPORATION ALL RIGHTS RESERVED