Director Kim Tae-yong (age 55) made a comeback 13 years after “Late Autumn” with the feature film “WONDERLAND.” The plot revolves around using AI to resurrect the dead, enabling family members to reunite via video chat. “WONDERLAND” is a moving family picture that tries to fill the absence left by the deaths of loved ones, even though it is seemingly a sci-fi movie. The movie, which debuted on June 5 and had a star-studded cast that included Park Bo-gum, Suzy, and Tang Wei, topped the box office.
“WONDERLAND” represents a virtual realm where unfulfilled aspirations can be realized. Bai Li (Tang Wei), an AI created to hide her death from her young daughter, becomes an archaeologist exploring deserts in the movie. Jeong-in (Suzy), mourning her comatose boyfriend Tae-ju (Park Bo-gum), transforms AI Tae-ju into an astronaut. Director Kim Tae-yong mentioned, “The story began with curiosity about how far we could accept AI family members or lovers,” adding, “I imagined a future where we might never have to say goodbye to anyone as AI technology advances.”
- The movie has different family relationships, like an AI mother for a little girl and a silly AI grandson, which makes me think of your earlier work “Family Ties.”
“Last time the producer read the script, he said it was like an SF version of ‘Family Ties.’ When I filmed ‘Family Ties,’ I used to wonder what the limits of family were. Now, I’m interested in how far our connections can go by adding machines to them.”
- Watching this with family could lead to a lot of interesting discussions. It makes you think about asking for the job. How much does it cost?
“There was a “WONDERLAND White Paper, but it wasn’t shown in the movie. A joining fee of 2 million won (about $1,464) is needed to make your own virtual world. If you choose a plan after that, the monthly fee starts at 50,000 won (about $36.60).”
- The movie mostly leaves out scientific explanations. Some watchers who were hoping for more traditional sci-fi might be let down.
“The neuroscientists and physicists I talked to found it interesting how technology has changed ties between people. Instead of focusing on how scientifically possible something was, I wanted to look into how people feel and think about technology.”
- Why was physics necessary?
“We discussed how AI figures could discover their world isn’t real. A cinematic hypothesis is that in WONDERLAND, AI emotions are translated into physical phenomena. By observing the evolution of AI through emotions such as wrath, loneliness, and the desire for recognition, viewers can glimpse how people grow.”
Director Kim Tae-Yong and his wife Tang Wei whom he met during “Late Autumn,” are reunited in this picture, which is also a family endeavor. The story drew from their experience as a dual-income foreign couple who frequently spoke over video calls. During the press preview, Tang Wei joked that the only change since “Late Autumn” was her weight. She also commended Kim for his unwavering patience, keen observation, and strong convictions, citing these as the reasons she still admires him.
- It has been reported that you and Tang Wei engage in an interminable amount of conversation at home.
“We deliberated on the appropriate level of human-likeness for Tang Wei to portray an AI and the most effective approach to ensuring that WONDERLAND was credible. Although it is difficult to communicate in Korean, Chinese, and English, it also prevents us from making our conversations pretentious with academic jargon.”
- As a wife, what is Tang Wei like?
“She is a diligent and energetic individual who is an actress, wife, and mother. I would characterize her as a friend if I were to select her most notable quality. Despite our age disparity, she treats me as a friend and, occasionally, as an older sibling.”
- Where would you go if you could utilize WONDERLAND?
“I would request that Tang Wei portray me as a film director who is shooting on Mars. I am frequently criticized for the excessive length of time it takes to produce a film. I would prefer to be a prolific director who releases a film on a monthly basis (laughter). It is conceivable that I would compose unconventional family narratives that incorporate both humans and extraterrestrials.”
