While the idea of Korea and space exploration in reality may still be too far-fetched, South Korean filmmakers seem to be interested in exploring the search of mysterious planets above the sky. After we got the high-octane space adventure Space Sweepers on Netfllix earlier this year, the service recently gave us another outer-space show. The Silent Sea is a mystery thriller series that tackles the darker aspect of space missions and goes even further and deeper into conspiracy and mystery with its revelations and how this all connects to human civilisation's impending doom.
The eight-episode series is a reimagined and expanded version of director Choi Hang-yong's short film The Silent Sea, which garnered much attention at the 2014 Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival. The new series features impressive cast members including Gong Yoo, who previously starred in Train To Busan and the smash-hit Netflix series Squid Game. And Bae Doona who has previously starred in Air Doll, Cloud Atlas, and Netflix series Sense8 and Kingdom.
The two are part of a special astronaut team in a future dystopian Earth -- the depletion of natural resources has devastated life on the planet, and humans must find hope elsewhere in order to survive. They are sent on a 24-hour mission to secure a mysterious sample from an abandoned lunar research facility on the Moon, which shut down five years earlier. While crew members desperately search for clues to save mankind from extinction, they confront evidence of why no one from the previous mission returned alive.
The Silent Sea is suspenseful, intriguing, thought-provoking and is South Korea's latest success in the sci-fi genre. In a recent round-table interview with the cast of The Silent Sea, Gong Yoo and Bae Doona told Life all about the challenges of working on the show.
What drew you to the project?
Gong Yoo: The main reason I chose to be a part of the show is because I wanted to challenge myself to play a role in a genre series. As a member of the audience, I enjoy good content, and I'm very interested in the dystopian backdrop. So, everything kind of came together, in terms of the subject matter, the story, and it all felt very refreshing.
Bae Doona: When I received a TV script and a short film by the director, I didn't know what they were about at all. But then I became fascinated by all these things happening in such a mysterious and unknown space. I love being on adventures and taking part in worthwhile projects. The Silent Sea piqued my curiosity and roused my ambition, since it's the first Korean series set in space.
Did you enjoy shooting scenes set in space?
Gong Yoo: First of all, the spacesuit was something I'd never worn before. It was carefully designed to make acting as easy as possible, but was heavier than the armour worn in period dramas. I've never been hooked up to that many wires. I remember how tough it was to move with seeming weightlessness attached to wires all over my body while depicting high-pressure situations in the storyline. I'm hoping all that will result in amazing images people haven't seen before. The environment and sets were also novel. The landing module was designed in great detail, moving sideways and shaking instead of staying still. The set was so convincing, I felt like a tourist on the Moon. It really immersed me in my scenes.
Gong Yoo and Bae Doona in The Silent Sea. (Photos: Han Sejun | Netflix)
Life in space seems to be so far from our daily life and none of us have experienced what it's like up there. What was in your mind while portraying a role that you've never experienced?
Bae Doona: Of course, it was difficult and it needed a lot of imagination. Actually, it is our job as actors to bring any character to life and being in front of the camera requires lots of imagination. My role in The Silent Sea was a bit different from Gong Yoo's as I was supposed to be going on a space trip for the first time, so it was natural for my character not to be familiar with space. I think Gong Yoo's character, Captain Han, needed even more imagination as he was supposed to be experienced.
Gong Yoo: Yes, it really needed a lot of imagination. My character was a veteran and not a person who expresses emotions in front of the crew. It was challenging for me to portray him well as I wanted to make him tough. I was worried about portraying motion in zero gravity and low gravity, but with the help of the choreographer and the shooting wires, it seemed to turn out well. I have been equipped with wires in other series and films but it was different this time. Actually, I think I could do even better on my next trip to outer space.
Filming on a set that was meant to be on the Moon and a weightless environment must have been a challenging task for the actors and crew in order to make it look realistic. Can you share your experiences working on some of those scenes?
Bae Doona: During pre-production, I underwent training for low gravity and zero gravity. Beyond the basic wire training, there was also a choreographer who taught me how to look like I was spacewalking in low gravity. The sets impressed me too. The surface of the Moon was so realistic; I felt like I was stepping on the real thing! And the hallways of the Balhae Lunar Research Station were so beautiful I wanted to take them with me, if only I had a space large enough to fit them all. Most interesting though, was the spacesuit. This was the first time where a costume posed a challenge for me. When I wore the full set, from helmet to boots, it was really heavy. A physical coach on set taught me a lot. Finally, the breaks I took with my co-stars in the rest area for astronauts brought us closer, as we shared difficulties and decompressed together.
Gong Yoo as Han Yoon-jae, the exploration team leader who must carry out a crucial mission with limited information.
This project was shot with a virtual production technique that uses LED walls. What was that like?
Bae Doona: From a performer's perspective, this technique helps so much more than a green screen, which is basically empty. By contrast, the LED walls were so realistic, they nearly convinced me I was acting on the surface of the Moon. The Moon and its surroundings outside the window seemed so natural and real.
If you guys could take one thing into space with you, what would you take?
Gong Yoo: I would take some games. Oh no, I want to change my answer: I'd take the cat I have at home with me. Not sure if the cat can make it to the Moon, though. Could I put an astronaut suit on the cat, too?
Bae Doona: I would take a smartphone with me, but there wouldn't be any signal. Maybe a camera?
