[INTERVIEW] Song Joong-ki navigates challenges, tests boundaries in 'Bogota: City of the Lost'

Actor plays ambitious young man chasing dreams in Colombia

By Baek Byung-yeul

Actor Song Joong-ki, known for his baby face and gentle eyes, doesn't hesitate to take on roles in films or TV series that portray characters with rough edges or ambitious personalities.

As seen in popular TV series like "Descendants of The Sun" (2016), "Vincenzo" (2021) and "Reborn Rich" (2022), as well as hit movies such as "A Werewolf Boy" (2012) and "The Battleship Island" (2017), he has consistently challenged himself with diverse genres.

Song, who often receives questions about his unexpected choices, will soon unveil his latest project, crime film "Bogota: City of the Lost." He plays Guk-hui, an ambitious young man who travels to Colombia with his family in the 1990s, in search of a new life. The film explores the competition and friction among Korean merchants there, bringing out Song's tough side.

The 39-year-old actor said he is driven by a sense of challenge and has always chosen projects that allowed him to show a different side of himself compared to his previous roles.

"I often get asked about making unexpected choices. Even becoming an actor was unexpected for me. I debuted as an actor at 26. At that time, while my college classmates were working, I hadn't even completed my military duty. My life has always been about making choices that are different from the norm," Song told The Korea Times during an interview at a cafe in Seoul, Monday.

"In this industry, I often hear from people that my project choices seem unusual. I'm not particularly thirsty for a specific genre, but if I've played a bright character in a TV drama, I try to balance it out by choosing a film that deals with a darker character that's difficult to portray on TV for my next project."

He revealed that he enjoys challenging himself in his daily life as well.

"I'm not the type to be afraid of trying new food. For instance, I wasn't scared about food or other aspects about Colombia. It's better to try and regret than not try at all," he said.

Difficulties due to pandemic

He left for Colombia in December 2019 to film "Bogota: City of the Lost." Shooting began in January 2020 and about 50 percent of the footage was shot over the next three months. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, filming was eventually halted. It resumed in May of the following year and they were able to complete filming in Korea and Cyprus.

"We went through a lot while making this film. Due to COVID-19, something beyond human control, we had to pause filming once and that caused a lot of internal struggle. While I've had projects that were scrapped during preparation, it was the first time a film was halted after nearly 50 percent of shooting was completed," he said.

Song added that director Kim Seong-je and investors must have suffered particularly more due to this filming suspension.

"Between the filming suspension and the release now, I completed six projects. However, the director was solely focused on this film, so it must have been harder for him. The investors in this project must have had a tough time, too," he said. "When the film shooting was suspended, I filmed the drama 'Vincenzo,' but even then, we couldn't go to Italy and had to use computer graphics instead."

Because of these struggles, when the actors first watched "Bogota: City of the Lost" together with film fans at the Busan International Film Festival last October, they found solace and encouragement in each other’s presence.

"At the festival, we saw the completed version of this film for the first time. The actors encouraged each other. We're not telling the audience, 'We went through so much hardship, so please come to the theater and watch it.' That would be very unprofessional. However, among ourselves, watching the film reminded us of the struggles we went through together," he added.

'It's all about responsibility'

Song believes that "Bogota: City of the Lost" is fundamentally about responsibility.

"Guk-hui is a guy with a strong desire to carve out his own life and take good care of his family. When I first read the script, I thought this film was about responsibility. If the audience feels the same way I did, I think they will empathize a lot with Guk-hui," the actor said.

Just as Guk-hui strived for success as a Korean merchant in a Colombian city in the film, the actor also made extensive preparations for this movie.

He learned Spanish, obtained a large truck driving license and wore earrings to appear more localized, despite never having had piercings before.

"The production team told me there would be many scenes of me driving a truck in this film, so I obtained a large truck driving license. I took the test with a city bus, which was an interesting experience. I obtained this license with a perfect score," he said with a laugh.

"Although I can't speak Spanish as well now as I did when filming this movie, I learned a lot of Spanish for the shoot. Also, I tried to incorporate as much of the local Colombian staffers' language into the script as possible."

As one of the few leading actors in the Korean cinema scene, he expressed his support not only for "Bogota: City of the Lost," but also for other Korean films whose releases have been delayed due to the pandemic.

"I also attended the preview event for the film 'Harbin.' Some people asked why I was there, considering it a competitor to our film. That's ridiculous. We all need to succeed. I hope 'Harbin' and its lead actor Hyun Bin achieve great results. And I hope 'Firefighters,' a film that was created through so much hardship, receives even more love," he said.

"Bogota: City of the Lost" will hit theaters on Dec. 31.