[Dispatch|Cannes (France)=Jung Tae-yoon] "I brought a film, so I can't help but feel excited." (Koo Kyo-hwan)
In the early morning of Cannes, standing ovations poured out at the Lumière Grand Théâtre. It was right after the world premiere of the film "Swarm" (Director Yeon Sang-ho) ended. The next day, while the excitement was still fresh, Dispatch sat down with actors Koo Kyo-hwan and Shin Hyun-bin.
Koo Kyo-hwan said, "From the opening, the audience applauded us, and it felt like we were performing together" and added, "It felt like we were all riding a roller coaster together. I even applauded while watching."
Shin Hyun-bin also said, "It was a reassuring feeling knowing that so many people were supporting us. I realized we could meet Korean audiences with what we shared here, and it gave me anticipation."
# Cannes Midnight
The film "Swarm" depicts the story of isolated survivors facing infected beings that evolve in unpredictable forms inside a building sealed off due to an unidentified infection crisis.
It was invited to the Midnight Screening section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival and had its world premiere screening the previous day. After the screening ended, the actors could not leave the front of the theater.
Shin Hyun-bin said, "I felt the glory of the occasion. After coming down from the red carpet, we took a lot of photos together. They had to tell us to wrap up and leave."
Koo Kyo-hwan diligently responded to requests to take photos while walking down the street. He said, "The request itself to take photos felt like comments from the audience. As they pressed the shutter, they shared their impressions right away."
"You're hearing the audience's reaction vividly in that moment. So I deliberately took more photos. Since I sent a letter through the film, I should receive a reply, right? So I walked with very slow steps, waiting for people to speak to me." (Koo Kyo-hwan)
# Koo Kyo-hwan | Appearing Even When Not On Screen
Koo Kyo-hwan played 'Seo Young-chul,' a genius biologist and the architect of the infection crisis. He declares himself the only vaccine that can stop the crisis, making him a target for the survivors.
He approached this character from the perspective of a film director. "Seo Young-chul has his own scenario. Isn't he the one who created this world? When Kwon Se-jung (played by Jeon Ji-hyun) and her group open the door, it seems he was waiting and greets them," he said.
"Seo Young-chul was filming his movie well according to his storyboard, but he got caught up with a great actress like Kwon Se-jung. He's not a good person and unpleasant to watch, but he's a creative artist." (Koo Kyo-hwan)
Seo Young-chul is connected to the zombies inside the building. So even though Seo Young-chul is locked in a room and doesn't appear on screen, Koo Kyo-hwan thought he was still appearing in the film. That's why he studied other scenes more than his own scenes.
"Even though I'm restrained, my children are moving around, right? I studied other scenes more than my scenes, trying to understand how my children are moving right now. And since they're evolving, I tried to evolve with them too."
The unpredictability was what he focused on most for the character. Once Seo Young-chul's pattern is grasped, the audience won't find him scary, he judged. Instead of logic, he expressed it without order.
"I hope you'd pay attention to Seo Young-chul's energy rather than his logic. I didn't follow logic. He's someone whose words don't make sense. He's scary because he accomplishes whatever mission he plans to carry out."
Seo Young-chul moves throughout the film with relaxed gestures. That makes sense, as he controls hundreds of infected beings inside the sealed building like extensions of himself. But Koo Kyo-hwan's interpretation was different.
"I also thought that person was anxious. It's his own defense to hide that anxiety. Even as he thinks 'What if the experiment fails,' he never lets himself collapse. That actually seems even scarier."
# Shin Hyun-bin | Enjoying the Struggle
Shin Hyun-bin played 'Gong Seol-hee,' who stands on the opposite side. She is the only one struggling outside the building to understand and resolve the cause of the infection crisis. After losing contact with her husband Han Gyu-sung (played by Ko Soo) who entered the building, she throws herself into the investigation.
She said, "I was in a position that had to observe the situation at a distance. If I expressed too many emotions, the audience might feel frustrated, and if I only showed a professional side, I might become someone who isn't understood."
Balancing emotions was her biggest mission. Shin Hyun-bin revealed, "Director Yeon Sang-ho continuously monitored the situation inside the building and helped me achieve balance through detailed directing."
Throughout filming, she was also often alone. That loneliness actually connected with the character. She said, "I didn't know if anyone would believe what I was saying, but I thought this situation of struggling might be similar to my current self."
"Actually, it was very difficult. I worried, 'She can't let her emotions burst out, so what should I do?' But in the end, I'm enjoying the struggle, so I think I'm acting."
# Yeon-niverse | Who's Next?
Koo Kyo-hwan and Shin Hyun-bin are actors who have worked closely with Director Yeon Sang-ho over a long period. Koo Kyo-hwan first connected with him through the film "Peninsula" (2020), followed by "Concrete Utopia," "Parasyte: The Grey," and now "Swarm."
Shin Hyun-bin started with "Concrete Utopia" (2022) and this is her fourth film with the director, including "Revelation," "Face," and now this one. Koo Kyo-hwan compared the relationship to a sports team.
He explained, "If it's baseball, it's like 'This time the starter is you, a left-handed batter,' and if it's basketball, it's like 'The opponent has a strong offensive team, so let Kyo-hwan who's good at defense go.' It's like being used as a player in rotation, at the right place and time."
"There's a thrill to it. 'Today is my day to attack,' you know. And I don't ask questions. What's the point of asking? Since you're giving me what I can do, I figure I must be able to do it. I just think about which weapon of mine to pull out." (Koo Kyo-hwan)
Shin Hyun-bin talked about the changing textures each time. She said, "It seems like he subtly doesn't give me the same texture. This creature film was the first he gave me. There's a power in making something new with familiar people."
Finally, how will the Cannes experience remain with them? Koo Kyo-hwan added, "The experience of coming to Cannes to watch our film, getting tickets, standing in line, and watching together with the audience's support will remain with us for a long time."
<Photo=Lee Ho-jun, Reporter>
