'Log in Belgium' Yoo Tae-oh trapped in a Belgian hotel "I wanted to survive" [Comprehensive]

'Log In Belgium' Press Screening

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Actor Yoo Tae-oh presents a film that organizes the feelings he experienced after being trapped in a hotel due to the sudden pandemic.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, at the press screening of the film "Log in Belgium" held at CGV Yongsan in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Yoo Tae-oh stated, "After being isolated by the pandemic, I was scared and lonely, so I recorded my daily life."

The documentary film "Log in Belgium," presented by actor Yoo Tae-oh, depicts the story he found in a virtual world through the sensibility of film after being isolated in a strange hotel in Antwerp, Belgium, following the pandemic declaration.

On this day, Yoo Tae-oh said, "This film was not made to be screened in theaters. It was filmed due to sudden circumstances," adding, "In March last year, while isolated, I had to pull myself together. I wanted to survive, and because I was scared and lonely, I recorded my daily life," explaining the background of its creation.

He continued, "I showed the completed film to friends overseas, and later, with the help of the distributor Et9 Film, I completed the domestic shooting and finished the post-production," adding, "I made an essay in the form of a film."

Yoo Tae-oh also said, "I expressed my feelings by adding imagination based on reality," and added, "People call me a director, but I don't really feel like one. It's quite embarrassing," sharing his thoughts on presenting the film.

Yoo Tae-oh, who entered self-quarantine in Belgium where he visited for filming, recorded his daily life with a smartphone.

Yoo Tae-oh recalled the situation, saying, "During the filming of an overseas drama in Belgium, the pandemic suddenly started. Many European countries closed their borders, and most of my fellow actors were British nationals, so they returned to their countries, leaving me alone."

He continued, "My plane ticket was canceled, and I was only able to video call my wife," adding, "After a week, I was overwhelmed by fear, wondering what would happen if I caught the virus (COVID-19) reported in the news at the time or if something bad happened in the hotel room."

Yoo Tae-oh, who filmed everything himself from start to finish using only a smartphone, explained the filming process: "That was the only camera I had to record. I had to film after experiencing daily life. Later, I fixed the phone in place and reenacted daily life to make it look real."

Yoo Tae-oh participated in planning, production, directing, filming, editing, and music, while his wife, Niki Lee, who is also a photographer, was credited as producer and participated in filming and editing.

He said, "Niki Lee gave me a lot of ideas by my side. She even brought the director of the distributor Et9 Film to our house to watch the film and took on the role of producer," adding, "Niki and I always talk about creative works and discuss what would be fun."

Yoo Tae-oh then stated, "I have many stories. I don't know if I will become a director, writer, or producer in the future, but I will continue storytelling."

Regarding actors Lee Je-hoon and Chun Woo-hee, who made surprise appearances in the domestic shooting, Yoo Tae-oh said, "I talked about the film with people I am close to. I asked if I could film them watching the movie in exchange for buying them a meal, and they said they would help, so they came."

He added, "The parts where we ate and played were all edited out. When we gathered, we mostly played board games, and since none of the three of us drink alcohol, we had a good time and took notes," expressing gratitude to the two actors.

"Log in Belgium" will be released on the 1st of next month.

Photo = Et9 Film

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.