Actor Jo Bok-rae expressed his excitement about the release of the film 'The Informer' and shared anecdotes from the New York Asian Film Festival.
On the 27th, Jo Bok-rae, who stars in 'The Informer,' was interviewed at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.
'The Informer' is a crime action comedy about a demoted ace detective, Oh Nam-hyuk (played by Heo Sung-tae), and an informant, Jo Tae-bong (played by Jo Bok-rae), who stumble into a big scheme. Jo Bok-rae plays the role of Jo Tae-bong, a master of cunning.
Jo Bok-rae stated, "I'm overwhelmed with emotion that our small and precious film is being released. I'm satisfied just knowing that many people are interested. I think the production company's decision to support the film's release was significant. It feels like a dream. I even told the director that just being able to release the film is something to be grateful for."
Director Kim Seok, who made his directorial debut with this film, is a senior from Seoul Institute of the Arts. Jo Bok-rae shared, "It took a long time for the director to complete the film. He talked about it two years before I received the script. Since making a directorial debut is challenging, I wanted to help in any way I could. It's not because I'm great or successful, but because he has always been supportive and kind to me." He continued, "Back in school, the director majored in acting and was the vice president of the student council, showing leadership. He was also handsome. But he wasn't known for being funny, so when he said he wrote a comedy, I was surprised. Meeting him and hearing about the script, I realized he had a playful side beneath his serious and cool demeanor. I was even more surprised then. He had the ambition to capture that playfulness in the script and direct it into a film. It turned out to be more fun than I expected."
'The Informer' was invited as the opening film at the 24th New York Asian Film Festival held in July. Jo Bok-rae attended the festival in the U.S. for the first time. He said, "It was my first time in America. I had never flown business class or stayed in a five-star hotel before, so it felt like a dream. I didn't expect any of this when we started, so it all feels like a coincidence, and I still can't believe it."
In New York, the reaction of an elderly couple who watched the film was particularly memorable. Jo Bok-rae shared, "The first time I saw audience reactions was in New York. The response was so enthusiastic it felt like a hidden camera show. I wondered if the subtitles were translated in a funnier way. An elderly couple came up to me and said 'thank you.' It was shocking. It was the first time I received feedback like that, not just 'it was fun' or 'it was touching.' They seemed grateful for presenting them with an entertaining film." He added, "I was the one who felt thankful for such comments. It made me realize that I'm doing something positive and impactful, and I felt a great sense of responsibility."
'The Informer' is set to be released on December 3rd.
By Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr