베를린 The Berlin File 2013

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.

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A tense illegal arms deal in a Berlin hotel suddenly descends into 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.

CAST

Set in the present-day, THE BERLIN FILE features a truly star-studded cast bringing together, Ha Jung Woo, successfully transformed from riveting character actor into Korea’s newest action hero; Ryoo Seung Bum, who easily displays dizzying range from psychos to romantic comedy leads, and the glorious return of Han Suk Kyu, 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, who changes gears from recent glamorous turns to become the emotional anchor and heroine of this all too realistic story.

"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.

"From Macau to Berlin—arms dealing, spying, assassination and defection... 

How do these all link up?"

A 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.

"Shouldn’t you know by now that we can endure hunger, but never jealousy?"

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A 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.

​"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.

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       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

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