TEST YOURSELF: A Korean space opera

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Space Sweepers finally hits the small screens

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Read the following story by Tatat Bunnag from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.


After months of delay due to the pandemic, Space Sweepers, one of the most anticipated high budget South Korean sci-fi action films of the year, has found a home on Netflix and is providing movie fans an opportunity to see what the first blockbuster Korean space opera looks like.

"Well, this might be something obvious but in Space Sweepers, you will for the very first time see Korean people speaking in Korean in an outer space setting," said film director Jo Sung-hee at a recent online press conference for the film.

Set in 2092, the film shows an Earth which is almost uninhabitable. As people rush to flee the planet, a corporation takes the opportunity to build a new orbiting home for humanity. The plot revolves around the crew of a space junk collection ship called The Victory, one of many that survive by finding space debris.

However, one day, after crashing the shuttle in a space chase, the team discovers a seven-year-old child robot named Dorothy -- known to be a weapon of mass destruction. The crew decide to get involved in a risky business deal and maybe something far more menacing than they might have imagined.

Jo revealed that the concept of the film came to him about 10 years ago.

"I had heard stories about space and the orbital debris from friends and I found it quite fascinating. So, this was an idea that we had tried to develop," he said.

Space Sweepers is also a 10-year reunion project between the director and Korean superstar Song Joong-ki, who worked together in A Werewolf Boy, a fantasy romance film back in 2012. In fact, Song said that he decided to come on board on this project without reading the full script first.

"When I worked with Jo in A Werewolf Boy, I had actually already heard that he was planning to create this sci-fi movie and I thought it would be interesting and amazing. And after a decade, he proposed this role and when he mentioned it, I immediately thought I would do it," said Song.

The crew of The Victory spaceship consists of three humans and a robot. Each character has their own unique personality and characteristics. Song plays pilot Tae-ho who flies alongside ex-pirate Captain Jang, played by Kim Tae-ri. Captain Jang is a former special forces squad officer who deserted her post to create her own pirate organisation. Despite being the youngest on the team, she still succeeds in running the spaceship and bossing everyone around.


Section 1: Write the correct answer in the space provided.
1. The film is the first Korean film to be set in space. True or false? …………….
2. The crew of The Victory find a dangerous robot. True or false? …………….
3. The director had the idea for the film a decade ago. True or false? …………….
4. Song joined the movie after reading the script. True or false? …………….
5. How many people are on The Victory? …………..
6. Which member of The Victory crew is youngest? …………….

Section 2: Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
With its high budget …7… and stunning visuals and sound, Space Sweepers was originally …8… for theatrical release. However, due to Covid-19, the film has landed on Netflix …9… . When the cast members were asked whether or not they're …10… that the film wouldn’t be in cinemas, one said that the most important thing is being able to communicate with the audience.

7. __A. produce             __B. production            __C. product
8. __A. means             __B. meaning               __C. meant
9. __A. instead            __B. despite               __C. also
10. __A. disappointing        __B. disappointment            __C. disappointed

       
Section 3: Find words that match the following definitions.
11. a film that is very successful ……………
12. broken pieces of something larger ……………
13. the words of a film ……………
14. a person who sails in a ship and attacks other ships to steal from them …………

Answers: 1. true. 2. true. 3. true. 4. false. 5. three. 6. Captain Jang. 7. B. 8. C. 9. A. 10. C. 11. blockbuster. 12. debris. 13. script. 14. pirate.