SEOUL, “Night Fishing,” a short thriller film about mysterious occurrences at a rural electric vehicle charging station, will hit theaters this week, Hyundai Motor Co., which co-produced the movie, said Tuesday.
Starring Son Suk-ku, star actor of the crime-thriller film “The Roundup” (2022) and the TV series “My Liberation Notes” (2022), the 12-minute and 59-second film revolves around an agent who experiences a mysterious incident at a car charging station at night.
It is directed by Moon Byoung-gon, who won the Palme d’Or for Short Films at the Cannes Film Festival with “Safe” in 2013. The new film will be shown exclusively at select CGV theaters for two weeks starting Friday, with ticket prices set at 1,000 won (US$0.73).
“Night Fishing” distinguishes itself from other car movies by focusing on the scenes around the car, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV, while subtly showing how the vehicle cameras aid in safer driving by reducing blind spots.
It is shot entirely from the perspective of the cameras on the Ioniq 5
model, creating a crossover between automotive technologies and artistic expression. The movie marks Hyundai Motor’s first foray into film production.
For a project with a short running time, “Night Fishing” features intensely choreographed action moments, with one scene having the front glass window of the Ioniq 5 completely destroyed due to tribulations of Son’s character.
“I believe the actions sequences were intense even compared with when I was beaten by Ma Dong-seok during the shooting of ‘The Roundup,'” Son said during a press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday, referring to the crime thriller’s lead actor.
Moon said the film was conceptualized with the idea proposed by Hyundai Motor to create a film from the perspective of a vehicle camera. It was recently invited to compete in the short film category at Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival.
“Initially, I thought it was a somewhat difficult challenge, but I figured that if I considered the car camera angle like a body cam attached to the
body, I could convey a unique sense of presence and realism,” he said.
“Night Fishing” is also unique in that it never shows the Ioniq 5 model in its entirety, unlike traditional product placement in films that focus on showcasing the appearance of a product in an impactful way.
Jee Sung-won, global chief marketing officer at Hyundai Motor, said the company is adapting its customer communication methods “to align with the rapidly changing media environment and content consumption trends.”
He added that Hyundai Motor plans to pursue innovative content marketing through films, streaming platforms and other mediums to engage with a diverse range of customers in new ways.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
