"Bogota: City of the Lost" tells the story of Guk Hee (Song Joong Ki), who escaped with her family to Bogota, Colombia, after South Korea received an IMF bailout in 1997.
Struggling to survive in a foreign land, Guk Hee works for a powerful smuggling boss, gradually establishing herself in the Korean community in Bogota in an effort to return to Korea.
The film began filming in January 2020, but its filming and release schedule were delayed several times due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, the producer confirmed that "Bogota: City of the Lost" will hit theaters on December 31.
Sharing with the media, Song Joong Ki described Guk Hee as the most passionate and thirsty character in his acting career.
“What impressed me the most was the conflict between Koreans and how it played out in the context of people living abroad. These conflicts portrayed in the context of South America really caught my attention.”
According to the father of two, he adjusted Guk Hee to suit the age and circumstances the character faced.
"Among the recent roles I've played, Guk Hee is the character most driven by intense desires - the desire to survive, but also accompanied by a sense of responsibility.
"When I first read the script, the story began and ended around the father, played by Kim Jong Soo. The beginning and end were dark. That's why the character felt a deep sense of duty and an unwavering determination to survive," the Korean actor added.
To prepare for his role, Song Joong Ki learned Spanish. It was a difficult but rewarding process for him. "The rhythm of Spanish is so appealing and makes me want to learn more. I actually found it more interesting when I spoke Italian in 'Vincenzo.'"
The 39-year-old star added that "Bogota: City of the Lost" revolves around the theme of responsibility towards others, which is about family, the Korean community and people from many different countries.
"Everyone has their own responsibilities to their loved ones and what it means to live together. Instead of focusing on a specific period of time, I prioritized the general theme of responsibility and incorporated that into my performance."
It is worth mentioning that, although Song Joong Ki had high expectations for the project, in reality, "Bogota: City of the Lost" was not highly appreciated by critics and the media when it was shown at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival in October.
SMCP rated the film as "terrible" because of the script and the acting of the cast, including Song Joong Ki. Another part, although filmed in Colombia, the work did not have any local actors participating.
In Korea, the actor's acting has always received mixed reactions. The media said that in the past few years, Song Joong Ki has struggled with his acting, despite always trying to portray many characters with different fates and colors.
For example, in the movie earlier this year - "My Name is Loh Kiwan" (My Name is Loh Kiwan) in which he co-starred with Choi Sung Eun, it was also criticized because the setting was too harsh, the content lacked depth, the storytelling was uninteresting, and the main actor's acting had no "chemistry".
