(Korean Movies) My Father, 2007

Beginning of <My Father>
The moving true story of 'Aaron Bates' more like a movie than a movie
<My Father> is based on the true story of 'Aaron Bates', a real person who has lived a more dramatic life than any movie or novel.
As an overseas adoptee, his Korean name is 'Sung Jin-cheol' and he was adopted to the United States in 1979 when he was 6 years old. After graduating from high school in Florida, he enlisted in the U.S. Army while attending Arizona State University and began his military service. He grew up without lacking anything, but as time passed, he realized that he was an adopted child, and eventually applied to the USFK to find his biological parents. In July 2000, I finally got to meet my father, after inquiring here and there in search of the whereabouts of my biological parents and appearing on TV. It has been 22 years since he was adopted to the United States and left Korea. The reason why his story, which may sound ordinary, could be so special that it made the world noisy is after the meeting between Aaron Bates and his father.

The story of 'Aaron Bates', who became known to the world through 'KBS Sunday Special – My Father' in November 2003, brought tears to the eyes of many viewers at the time. My father, whom I longed to see, was a death row inmate who was the number one executioner, and the place for the reunion that should be touching was a prison. Their first meeting was awkward and sad. But Aaron Bates' next move made a big impression on people. He sincerely accepted the death row inmate's father, who had abandoned him and even tried to hide the truth.
The touching story of 'Aaron Bates' awakens true family love and love.

Jewel of <My Father>
Daniel Henney's Challenge! Kim Young-chul's passion!! Their meeting is inspiring.
'Daniel Henney', a charming man representing the era, and 'Kim Young-chun', a pronoun of an actor, met.
Drama <My Name is Sam-soon Kim> and movie , and Daniel Henney, who showed an attractive appearance through numerous commercials. Throwing away the image of a romantic guy who has put him in the top position as a celebrity, he chose <My Father>, which depicts the true story of an adopted child 'Aaron Bates' who met the father of a death row inmate. For him, who had to play the role of 'James', an adopted child, and show off his acting as a real person, it was also a dangerous challenge that could possibly lose all of his existing image and glory. However, the image of him completely immersed in <My Father> was at some point in time, the USFK adopted child 'James' who had long hair cut short and changed into military uniforms. Instead of a soft smile, you can find Daniel Henney, who has been reborn as a true actor in the smoke that swallows sadness and sheds hot tears that make your heart flutter.

Kim Young-cheol, a box-office actor and a brilliant supporting actor on the screen, knows how to express his own color in any role. Kim Young-cheol, an actor who has always delivered the best performances, such as the mean boss of <Sweet Life> and the humanistic homicide detective in <The Voice of the Gnome>, rose to prominence for the first time in 18 years with <My Father>. In order to digest the character of the death row inmate's father, he tried external efforts such as adjusting his weight to close to 10 kg and trying to change his image by changing his front teeth. The delicate inner acting, which contains more stories than a hundred words in each expression, made the film more sincere.

Daniel Henney's transformation of acting, who boldly threw away the existing image, and Kim Young-cheol's passionate performance, who did not spare himself, will be another reason to look forward to <My Father>.

Impression of <My Father>
A true emotion from a true story, a movie to share with your loved ones!
<Marathon>, which was produced based on the true story of Hyungjin Bae, a young man with autism who likes to run, captured the hearts of more than 5 million viewers nationwide in 2004, and <The Voice of the Gnome> and <Glamorous Vacation> that touched the hearts of the people in 2007. You will remember three films based on true stories. It can be said that the impression given by these three films comes from the truth that they are true stories. Events that someone has actually experienced, or events that have actually existed, have become the main material of the film vessel that captures human life and the truth. And those films were able to catch the two rabbits of box office performance and workmanship, thanks to the power of the true story.

<My Father>, produced based on the true story of 'Aaron Bates', shows how deep the emotion of the true story has. The love of the adoptive parents, who accepted James as their family, contains a warm affection that makes them feel fortunate that they did not inherit the heart disease inherited from the family because they were adopted sons. This shows the family love that is no different than a family connected by blood. On the other hand, the father of a death row inmate who had to sacrifice himself and lie in order to leave only good memories for his adopted son, can feel affectionate fatherly love. And we can read the importance of family from the good heart of 'James', who sincerely accepts his father even though he knows that the father he so desperately wanted to meet is a death row prisoner, and faces a bigger truth than that. The emotion of <My Father>, derived from a true story, will remind us of the family love we need in this era and will be remembered as a beautiful film that we want to share with our loved ones.

[ Production Notes ]

LA shooting with overseas locations
An international project completed with the participation of famous Hollywood actors and local American staff
<My Father> was partially filmed in an overseas location near LA. And a large number of famous Hollywood actors and veteran staff participated in this, and this was possible because of the trust in the film's solid screenplay.

'Richard Riehle' was cast as the adoptive father of 'James' in the play, and he is a veteran actor who has appeared in more than 100 Hollywood films and TV dramas, including <The Fugitive> <Casino> and <Resell Weapon 4>. In addition, 'Ilean Graff', who plays the role of the adoptive mother, is an actress who is active in a number of TV dramas and musicals, including <Remington Steel>. Like seasoned Hollywood actors, they played the role of adoptive parents who adopted James and created a harmonious family in the play.

In addition, as a staff member, 'A Common Thread Inc', which produced music videos for world-class singers such as Christina Aguilera, Usher, and Jennifer Lopez, and automobile commercials such as Toyota and GM, played an active role as the general manager of the local location. 'Christina Fiobizan', the coordinator of the film festival's secretariat, participated as a local producer, and 'Casey Osmond', who participated as the casting director of <Titanic>, was in charge of LA casting. In addition, 'Peter Mishara', who was in charge of shooting dozens of commercials and music videos and director Hwang Dong-hyuk's short film <Miracle Mile>, participated in the film and completed the international project of <My Father>.

Greater impression reproduced on the screen
Until the true story of 'Aaron Bates' was made into a movie
The movie <My Father> is based on the true story of Aaron Bates, an adopted child who met her father on death row after 22 years. His story, which was aired on 'KBS Sunday Special – My Father's side' in November 2003 and brought tears to many people, was made into a movie.

In 2005, Jin-ho Yoon, the writer of <Marathon>, came across the broadcast of 'Aaron Bates' while excavating items for the screenplay, and this story soon entered Cineline, who had great success by producing <Marathon>, a film based on a true story. Cineline decided to make the story of 'Aaron Bates' into a movie, and immediately went into action. I met PD Hyunmo Jeong, who produced documentaries in March and April, and had a phone interview with Aaron Bates. In May, Aaron Bates visited Korea and signed an agreement for film adaptation. Then, in October, writer Jin-ho Yoon and producer Chang-wan Shin visited the United States and interviewed Aaron Bates' family, and completed the screenplay based on all these interviews and materials. In the process, I met director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who majored in film at USC, USA.

Director Hwang Dong-hyeok was invited to the Cannes International Film Festival for <Miracle Mile>, which depicts the life of an adopted Korean youth, and has received international attention. Directing <My Father> was an inevitable result for him, who showed a deep interest in the issue of adopted children along with his personal experience that the director's aunt was an actual adopted child. After that, everything went smoothly as if sailing in the wind. 'Daniel Henney' was cast as James, the adopted child, and Kim Young-chul was cast as the father of a death row inmate. Daniel Henney, who gained a lot of courage through the encouragement of his mother, who is an actual adoptee, played the role of James wonderfully, and the story of 'Aaron Bates' was born like this.

Music Director Kim Hyun-cheol, Cinematographer Choi Hyun-ki, Art Director Cho Geun-hyun
The best staff in Korea in one place!
For <My Father>, the best talented staff in Korea gathered together. Music director Kim Hyeon-cheol of <Siwol Ae>, Choi Hyeon-gi, cinematographer of <About Cruelty>, and Cho Geun-hyeon, art director of <Janghwa, Hongryeon> are the main characters.

Music director Kim Hyeon-cheol, who presented sweet and lyrical music through his previous work <Siwol Ae>. After seven years, he returned as a film music director. Based on the popular sense he has cultivated over the years, he composed music that stimulates the emotions of the film and placed them in the right place to melt into the scene.

Choe Hyun-ki, who has been in the spotlight as the best cinematographer, has been in the spotlight as the best cinematographer, starting with <Crazy Street> and crossing various genres, including action, thriller, and drama, from <Crimson Letter> <Wisdom Teeth> to <Mean Street>. His skillfulness and sharp shooting sense penetrating the inside of the character add to the emotion and depth of <My Father>.

Art director Cho Geun-hyeon, who showed off his unique colors through <Janghwa, Hongryeon> and won the 2006 Korean Film Critics Association Award for Art for <Sexual Life>, contributed to enhancing the realism of <My Father> by taking on the art. did. As one of the leading art directors in the Korean film industry, he gave reality to the limited space of <My Father> and creatively realized it by demonstrating his own personality.

The true value of <My Father>, completed with the participation of the best staff in Korea, can be seen on the screen in early September.