The Fake (2013 film)

The Fake (Korean: 사이비; RR: Saibi) is a 2013 South Korean animated film written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho.[2][3][4]

The Fake
Film poster
Directed byYeon Sang-ho
Written byYeon Sang-ho
Produced byCho Young-kag[1]
StarringYang Ik-june
Oh Jung-se
Kwon Hae-hyo
Park Hee-von
Edited byYeon Sang-ho
Lee Yeon-jung
Music byJang Young-gyu
Production
company
Studio Dada Show
Distributed byNext Entertainment World
Release dates
  • September 7, 2013 (2013-09-07) (Toronto)
  • November 21, 2013 (2013-11-21) (South Korea)
Running time
101 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
BudgetUS$360,000
Box officeUS$147,632

The film had its world premiere in the Vanguard section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2013,[5][6] and went on to screen at various international film festivals before being released domestically on November 21, 2013. It won Best Animation awards at the Sitges Film Festival and Gijón International Film Festival, and was named the Best Korean Independent Film of 2013 by the Association of Korean Independent Film & Video.

A blistering critique of organized religion set in a rural village where a manipulative church minister schemes to defraud his flock, The Fake is Yeon's sophomore feature after the acclaimed and divisive The King of Pigs (2011).[7][8]

Plot

With their municipality scheduled to be flooded to make way for the construction of a new dam, the devout denizens of a rural village have placed their faith in Choi Gyeong-seok, a church elder who promises to relocate the flock. Choi tells the villagers they will build a church and a new housing development where they will all be able to live together after the town is completely submerged. He also says that only 144,000 people can go to heaven, and that church offerings are mandatory if one wants to "secure their spot." Even the town's much-revered Reverend Sung, a young and good-looking minister who seemingly has the ability to heal the sick, approves of Choi's plans. Behind his guise of devotion, however, Choi is a practiced con man posing as a representative of a fake religion; his true aim is to defraud the villagers of their resettlement compensation. The only obstacle to the scheme is Kim Min-chul, a skeptical outcast who accidentally discovers evidence of Choi's past misdeeds and suddenly finds himself becoming the center of resistance against the church institution.

But Min-chul himself is hardly a saint. One of the village's most vile and untrustworthy characters, Min-chul is a low-life neighborhood thug who gambles and drinks too much. He regularly beats his wife and daughter Young-sun, a young factory worker who's been saving up for her lifelong dream of going to college in Seoul.

No one in the village believes Min-chul and his attempts to expose Choi to the authorities fall on deaf ears. But after Young-sun is forced into prostitution by Choi, Min-chul becomes obsessed with revenge and makes a fateful decision to take matters into his own hands.

Cast

Release

The Fake went on limited release in South Korea on November 21, 2013. It received almost 22,000 admissions, which is a solid figure for a low-budget independent film.[9]

The film also had a one-week theatrical run from November 15–20, 2013 at the CGV Cinema in Koreatown, Los Angeles, in order to qualify for submission to the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.[10] It did not get nominated.

Television adaptation

The second season of OCN's Save Me was based on this film. It premiered in May 2019 and concluded in late June 2019.

Awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryRecipientResult
2013 46th Sitges Film Festival[11]Best AnimationThe FakeWon
51st Gijón International Film Festival[12][13]Best AnimationThe FakeWon
7th Asia Pacific Screen Awards[14]Best Animated Feature FilmThe FakeNominated
Association of Korean Independent Film & Video[9]Best Korean Independent Film of 2013The FakeWon
2014 1st Wildflower Film Awards[15][16]Best DirectorYeon Sang-hoWon
Best FilmThe FakeNominated
23rd Buil Film AwardsBest ScreenplayYeon Sang-hoNominated
34th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards[17]FIPRESCI AwardThe FakeWon
201525th Animafest Zagreb[18][19]Special MentionThe FakeWon

Film festivals

The Fake was screened at the following film festivals:

References
  1. Song, Soon-jin (4 December 2013). "CHO Young-kag, Lord of Korean Independent Cinema". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  2. Lee, Ju-hyun (8 November 2013). "YEON Sang-ho, Director of THE FAKE". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  3. Baek, Byung-yeul (24 November 2013). "Animation is growing up". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  4. Conran, Pierce (28 October 2013). "THE FAKE and Prospects of Korean Animation". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  5. Conran, Pierce (31 July 2013). "Toronto's Vanguard Program Taps THE FAKE". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  6. Kim, June (30 September 2013). "Korean Films at TIFF 2013". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  7. Sunwoo, Carla (8 November 2013). "The Fake presents a raw look at Christianity, belief in Korea". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  8. Lee, Claire (7 November 2013). "A modern-day Cassandra in rural Korea". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  9. Conran, Pierce (2 January 2014). "THE FAKE Chosen as Best Korean Independent Film of 2013". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  10. Conran, Pierce (18 November 2013). "THE FAKE Submitted for Academy Awards". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  11. Conran, Pierce (22 October 2013). "THE FAKE and NEW WORLD Bag Awards at Sitges". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  12. Lee, Claire (25 November 2013). "Korean animated film wins award at Spanish festival". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  13. Conran, Pierce (26 November 2013). "THE FAKE Claims Best Animation in Gijón". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  14. Conran, Pierce (14 November 2013). "Three Korean Films Nominated at Asia Screen Pacific Awards". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  15. "Wildflower Film Awards". Koreanfilm.org. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-04.
  16. Frater, Patrick (1 April 2014). "'Jiseul' Plucks First Wildflower Korea Award". Variety. Retrieved 2014-04-04.
  17. Conran, Pierce (4 November 2014). "Top Honors for HILL OF FREEDOM at 34th Korean Film Critics Association Awards". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
  18. Milligan, Mercedes (15 June 2015). "Animafest Zagreb Names 2015 Winners". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  19. Kil, Sonia (19 June 2015). "Animated Feature THE FAKE Wins Special Mention at Spain's Animefest Zagreb". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  20. Conran, Pierce (10 September 2013). "Fantastic Fest Takes 4 from Korea". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  21. Conran, Pierce (13 August 2013). "YEUN Sang-ho's THE FAKE to Open Sitges Animation Program". Korean Cinema Today. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  22. Conran, Pierce (28 October 2013). "AFI Fest to Screen THE FAKE in New Auteurs". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  23. Conran, Pierce (15 October 2013). "SNOWPIERCER to Close HKAFF". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  24. Conran, Pierce (13 January 2014). "Göteborg Takes Four Korean Films". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  25. Conran, Pierce (10 February 2014). "Dublin Invites Three Korean Films". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  26. Conran, Pierce (6 January 2014). "Fantasporto Grabs THE FAKE for Main Lineup". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
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