Actors Ji Chang Wook and Kim Shin Rok, who play siblings in the movie ‘Gunche’, revealed the reason behind their touching real-life bond.
On the 16th (local time), Ji Chang Wook and Kim Shin Rok met with Xports News on the terrace of the Palais des Festivals, the main venue of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.
‘Gunche’ (directed by Yeon Sang-ho) tells the story of isolated survivors in a building locked down due to a mysterious infection, fighting against infected beings that evolve in unpredictable ways. It is Director Yeon Sang-ho’s new zombie project following ‘Train to Busan’ and ‘Peninsula’.
Ji Chang Wook and Kim Shin Rok play siblings who were together in the building when the zombie outbreak occurred. As a close-knit pair who shared meals and planned camping trips, they showcase a powerful bond.
Choi Hyun Seok (played by Ji Chang Wook) is a younger brother who struggles to protect his sister, while Choi Hyun Hee (played by Kim Shin Rok) is the sister who becomes trapped among zombies after coming to have lunch with her brother.
Talking about their chemistry, Ji Chang Wook expressed his affection, saying, “How could the chemistry be bad with Kim Shin Rok? She is a senior, colleague, and sister whom I like very much. In reality, I was the one carrying her, but it felt like I was the one being supported.”
He added, “There is a certain strength that comes from constantly being close. During filming, we were always together with a jige (traditional Korean A-frame carrier). That created a feeling of relying on one another.”
Kim Shin Rok noted, “At the start of the project, the director worried about how much of the siblings’ backstory to include. At that time, Ji Chang Wook said that even without any backstory, just saying ‘She’s my sister’ would be enough for the later acting. I think it was a great choice.” In the film, the siblings’ past is not explicitly shown.
She also mentioned, “Since I was carried on the jige, the physical closeness created an emotional connection both physically and visually.”
Ji Chang Wook, who acted through a zombie apocalypse where surviving alone is hard enough, let alone while carrying someone, said, “Conversations like ‘Are you heavy?’ or ‘Are you okay?’ were over from the start. Carrying her was the basic setting.”
To this, Kim Shin Rok added, “I could see Ji Chang Wook’s cheeks hollowing out in real-time. In the beginning, I said ‘I’ll get down’ very often. We felt so much for each other. If I asked ‘Is it hard?’, of course it would be. But we were in a situation where I couldn’t get down. What could we do?”
Their relationship, filled with mutual concern while filming in uncomfortable positions, is expected to heighten the audience’s immersion.
Meanwhile, ‘Gunche’ will be released domestically on the 21st.
