Sci-fi film 'The Fin' explores discrimination in unified Korea

A scene from “The Fin” / Courtesy of Emu Films

The new dystopian sci-fi film "The Fin," directed by Park Sye-young, offers a grim look at a post-unification Korean Peninsula where environmental collapse has created a deeply divided society.

The movie follows the struggle of the Omegas, a marginalized group of mutants with fins and three-toed feet, who face severe discrimination and labor exploitation by the human population.

Park said the inspiration for the film came from his reflections on historical discrimination and modern social issues.

"I came up with the idea of the Omegas while thinking about how marginalized people in Korean society face discrimination and how they are altered by government propaganda and image washing," Park said during a press conference for the movie, Friday.

"It was a challenging project, where a small team poured everything they had into it for four years, and I think that intense effort and sweat can be felt in the film."

Director Park Sye-young, center, poses with actors Kim Pu-reum, left, and Goh Woo during a press conference for their movie “The Fin” at a theater in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Emu Films

The film centers on an unnamed Omega (Goh Woo), who escapes his harsh labor duties at East Colony 114, drawing the attention of Su-jin (Kim Pu-reum), a government official tasked with tracking down abnormal individuals.

The pursuit leads to an indoor fishing center, where they encounter a mysterious employee named Mia (Yeon Ye-ji), who holds a crucial secret.

The actors, when asked why they joined the project, explained that they were drawn to the movie's unique and dark vision.

"The worldview of the film was highly appealing and it gave me a chance to deeply explore a species other than humans," Goh said. "Since my character has lived in a heavily marginalized environment outside the walls, I wanted to use a distinct accent and tone to reflect that separation, and I tailored all my lines to match that setting."

Kim, who plays the determined young bureaucrat, described her character as a complex figure caught between her duty and morals.

"I viewed Su-jin as a young animal who has suddenly developed a fierce conviction without fully understanding its origin, making her unable to distinguish between good and evil at first," Kim said. "She firmly follows her goals at first, but soon becomes confused as she begins to doubt what she has always believed."

A scene from “The Fin” / Courtesy of Emu Films

Park chose to avoid creating a clean and shiny world for his characters, focusing instead on a rough and dystopian future version of Seoul. He spent about four years editing the movie to make it look dark and heavy, using the lonely feeling of the pandemic era as inspiration.

The film has already garnered international recognition, making its world premiere in the Filmmakers of the Present section at the 78th Locarno Film Festival last year and securing distribution in France and North America.

"The Fin" is scheduled to hit local theaters on July 22.