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| From left, actor Go Chang-suk, director Kim Ji-hoon and actors Chun Woo-hee and Seol Kyung-gu pose during a press conference for the film, "I Want to Know Your Parents," in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Mindmark |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
The cast of "I Want to Know Your Parents" echoed sentiments that their film is an essential and urgent story which may allow audiences to start a "much-needed" conversation about the social problem of bullying.
Inspired by a true story, the nerve-wracking drama is set in the cruel world of a top-tier private school. An eighth-grade student kills himself after writing down the names of the students who bullied him. The bullies' parents are then called into the school and a dispute arises regarding the note.
Unlike many other films on school bullying that follow a fragile victim or guilt-ridden parents, "I Want to Know Your Parents" is told from the perspective of the perpetrators' parents. It raises questions about the adolescents' and adults' shortcomings and the cruelty at some of these elite private schools.
Anger and pain are the most powerful emotions that gripped filmmaker Kim Ji-hoon as he shot the film. He offers a wide range of characters for audiences to relate to: frustrated parents, a helpless teacher and confused classmates.
Seol Kyung-gu, who plays the role of the culprit's father, fights for his son's innocence and said that he was drawn to the film's title.
"This film is based on a true story that occurred in Japan. I was angry after reading the script and thought, 'We need to tell this kind of story to audiences,'" he said during a press conference for the film, Thursday. "However, I acted in a way to make the audience think rather than putting it all together for them."
Chun Woo-hee, who stars as the teacher in the film, revealed that she initially turned down the offer after seeing the original Japanese theater play.
"At first, I declined the offer because I liked the theater version. I wanted to remain a fan of the original play. But then, Seol and Oh Dal-su called me to persuade me into the role. I was deeply moved. As a person who has a keen interest in social issues, I felt obliged to tell this story," she said.
Chun said she hopes the story will resonate with audiences who may realize they have missed out on provocative, yet essential stories about bullying.
Director Kim paints a clear picture of a society where bullies are not punished.
"I concentrated on the stories of bullies to find out what's made them so horrific. Clearly, efforts need to be made to tackle the school bullying issue, which is also a big problem in Korean society," Kim said.
"I Want to Know Your Parents" will hit local theaters, April 27.
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