Image credit: Lotte Entertainment |
The story begins in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic disaster. What if our apartment complex is the only building left standing after a devastating earthquake? Produced by Climax Studio, the production house known for their creative storytelling and exceptional directing in Netflix's Hellbound and D.P., Concrete Utopia is "a dystopian disaster movie with a difference" that makes you think, "if I were in this movie, what would I do?" – Variety
Concrete Utopia begins as survivors from the hellish outside world converge at Hwang Gung Apartments, the only building left standing in Seoul after a disastrous earthquake. As everything collapses and a brutal cold snap takes hold, desperate survivors seek refuge in Hwang Gung Apartments, posing a threat to the original residents. Starring Korean superstars Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game, Mr. Sunshine), Park Seo-jun (The Marvels, Itaewon Class), and many beloved character actors, the film "[shapes] familiar genre tropes into a brutal study of class warfare and the stifling of pity… [where] human kindness [is] the first casualty of social disorder." – The New York Times.
Director Um Tae-hwa discusses his award-winning film.
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
About the Director:
Um Tae-hwa is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Um made his directorial feature debut with Ingtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls (2013) and received the Best New Director Award at the 54th Grand Bell Awards for Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2016). In 2023 his film Concrete Utopia was selected as South Korean entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards after winning numerous accolades, including the Best Picture Award at the 59th Grand Bell Awards and the Best Director award at the 44th Blue Dragon Award.
