Sewol Ferry Diver True Story Made into a Movie... Directed by 'Marathon' Director Jung Yoon-chul

'Badahorang-i' to Premiere in the First Half of Next Year

Still from the movie 'Badahorang-i'. Provided by the 4.16 Foundation.

A movie about the stories of divers who participated in the search for missing persons immediately after the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014 is coming out.

The 4.16 Foundation announced on the 12th that the movie "Badahorang-i" (Sea Tiger), based on the true story of the late diver Kim Gwanhong who died from decompression sickness, will be released in the first half of next year. It is the winning work in the feature film screenplay category of the 3rd 4.16 Foundation Cultural Contents Contest in 2021, and the original work is the novel "Geojitmalida" (It's a Lie) by writer Kim Takhwan.

The film is directed by Jung Yoon-chul, who made movies such as "Marathon" (2005) and "The Fortress" (2017). Director Jung said, "I felt the need to inform that among the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster, there were civilian divers besides the bereaved families. I wanted to create a work that forms social empathy by showing what kind of pain they endured, the unreasonable responsibilities forced upon them, and how the state neglected and treated them after the disaster recovery."

The movie was filmed on a low budget using indoor sets by adopting a theatrical format. This was because it was difficult to secure large-scale production costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the slump in the film market. During post-production, rich sound effects and audio were added to complete the film. Even the underwater diving scenes inside the Sewol ferry were recreated solely through the actors' mime performances and sound effects.

The production company announced that it plans to start social funding from January to raise distribution, promotion, and marketing costs for the release in the first half of next year. Park Seung-ryeol, director of the 4.16 Foundation, said, "It is meaningful that the film will meet audiences and open discussions on the significance of the Sewol ferry disaster, respect for life, and a safe society. We want to honor the spirits of the late divers Kim Gwanhong and Han Jaemyung, who devoted themselves to the recovery of victims, and reflect on the humanity and goodwill held by fellow divers who continue to live lonely and harsh lives."