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| The poster of the film "Live Stream" / Courtesy of Triple Pictures |
By Pyo Kyung-min
Director Choi Joo-yeon and actor Park Sung-woong have joined forces to shed light on the issues of "molka" crimes and sexually exploitative live broadcasts that have recently emerged as problems in Korea. Molka refers to hidden cameras illegally installed mostly to capture voyeuristic images and videos of unsuspecting victims.
The filmmaker and the actor emphasized that raising awareness of these crimes was their top priority in making the film.
Making her commercial feature film debut with the upcoming film "Live Stream," director Choi Joo-yeon revealed that she had concerns about dealing with such a sensitive topic. She said the film started from a 12-minute short about digital sex crimes which she encountered in 2018.
"The experience immediately sparked my interest in the social issue," the director said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. "When crafting this film, my thoughts were centered around my loved ones, family members and acquaintances, hoping to raise awareness of the dangers and prevent them from having to experience such crimes."
Actor Park said that while filming, he became aware of the seriousness of the social problem of online sex crimes and molka live broadcast. "If there is no demand, there will be no supply," he said. "I wanted to convey that the people who create a demand for illegal sexual exploitation content are just as criminal as those who produce it."
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| Actor Park Sung-woong in a scene from "Live Stream" / Courtesy of Triple Pictures |
Choi said she wanted to raise a social alarm and highlight the reality of these recurring issues. "I resorted to books and documentaries to accurately portray the matter. I also studied crime shows to draw up scenarios that would evoke outrage from the audience," she said.
The movie features continuous chase scenes that take place simultaneously with a live broadcasting. Freelance producer Dong-joo (played by Park Sun-ho) learns that his girlfriend is at risk of being broadcast live in a compromising situation. To protect his girlfriend from falling victim to the digital sex crime, he finds himself in a desperate confrontation with an unidentified broadcast jockey known as "Gentleman" (Park).
Park Sung-woong portrays the enigmatic broadcast jockey who hosts private live broadcasts for his high-paying customers. Newcomer Park Sun-ho makes his screen debut as Dong-joo, a freelance producer struggling to find a job. Kim Hee-jung plays Soo-jin, Dong-joo's girlfriend, who is on the verge of becoming a victim of a spycam live broadcast.
The film fully immerses the audience in a live chase format. Edited to simulate an actual live broadcast, a mounting sense of tension is created. "Through the live broadcast-like editing, I aimed to convey both Dong-joo's desperate emotions as he strives to rescue his girlfriend and the menacing presence of the broadcast jockey named Gentleman" the filmmaker explained.
"Live Stream" is set to hit local theaters on June 28.
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