"Intense"... 'Without a Sound' Yoo Ah-in X Yoo Jae-myung, Fresh and More Special Resonance [Comprehensive]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actors Yoo Ah-in and Yoo Jae-myung return as new faces.

On the morning of the 21st, actors Yoo Ah-in, Yoo Jae-myung, and director Hong Eui-jung attended the production briefing for the film Voice of Silence, held via online live broadcast.

Voice of Silence is a film depicting the precarious story of two men who become kidnappers unexpectedly due to a client who entrusted them with a kidnapped child and then died.

Yoo Ah-in plays Tae-in, the silent cleaner of a crime organization. To portray the diligent and sincere life of a subcontracted worker for the crime syndicate, he demonstrated a bald dedication and even gained 15kg, undergoing external changes to present a new look never seen before.

On this day, Yoo Ah-in said, "The script was very surprising. It was shocking. It’s not just talk. It was very unique. How do they combine a story that is not overly dramatic or theatrical, but rather everyday and familiar, to poke at strange spots? To stimulate the heart?" explaining his reason for joining the cast.

He continued, "I was strongly drawn to the script. The tone felt like an old movie, but the story was very contemporary. It’s a work that throws a heavy resonance into a world where one has no choice but to worry and act."

Regarding Tae-in, Yoo Ah-in said, "I thought he was a character who refuses to connect closely or communicate with the world," adding, "Since there were no lines, it was comfortable as an actor, but at the same time, it was a challenge." He added, "After gaining weight and changing my appearance, there is an energy that arises when standing in front of the camera."

Director Hong Eui-jung, who created a character without dialogue, said, "It was a challenge. Even though I explained it with conceptual words, they accepted it without finding it strange."

Then Yoo Ah-in expressed satisfaction, saying, "She sent me gorilla videos as a reference. It was fresh and made me feel a different approach to the character. It became a trigger that heightened my expectations for the work."

Yoo Jae-myung plays Chang-bok, a faithful cleaner of the crime organization. To survive, he works more faithfully and diligently than anyone else to clean up after the crime syndicate. About his role, he introduced, "He is a character who lives with gratitude and humility for the given work. So he talks nonstop. He speaks words without malice."

He explained, "One day, he received a request and does part-time work cleaning up after those who have inevitably passed away. His main job is an egg seller. He is resourceful enough to make a living, but he does part-time work."

Yoo Ah-in added, "You might feel, 'Is it okay to do such work?' but Chang-bok approaches it sincerely as if doing something sacred."

Regarding working with Yoo Ah-in and Yoo Jae-myung, director Hong Eui-jung laughed, saying, "I couldn’t believe it, and I still can’t." She recalled, "I met the two with the mindset of holding auditions. I think I said many things to persuade them, but I don’t remember exactly what I said."

Then Yoo Jae-myung said, "I thought she was a scary person. The aura of the writing was intimidating, so my first impression was fear. At the first meeting, I was excited and said, 'I’m a fan.' The more we talked, the more fun and free she was. It wasn’t a senior-junior relationship but a comfortable colleague collaboration."

Yoo Ah-in nodded, saying, "Unlike Yoo Jae-myung, I felt she was a scary person who wrote scary scripts. Making things scary and tense is also exciting. I felt excitement and was fully satisfied with the work."

Yoo Ah-in, who worked closely with Yoo Jae-myung, showed affection, saying, "He was like a father or an older brother. He treated me like a friend so I could work without discomfort."

Also, Yoo Ah-in expressed satisfaction with working with rookie director Hong Eui-jung. Director Hong said, "I heard that Yoo Ah-in is a strong-willed and unique actor. I was very nervous, but he was someone I could accept comfortably," smiling.

Then Yoo Ah-in said, "Director Hong was a type of person I had never met before. Meeting a new person made me wonder what would happen if I worked on a project with someone like this. I felt that she might be a good person. There are many people who charm others badly, but I think the director might be the light and salt of the world."

He added, "She is someone who will constantly ponder the attitude toward the ethics that a film holds, showing something new and interesting."

Voice of Silence is set to be released in October.