A Taxi Driver

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Movie: A Taxi Driver (English title)
Revised romanization: Taeksi Woonjunsa
Hangul: 택시 운전사
Director: Jang Hun
Writer: Uhm Yoo-Na, Jo Seul-Ye
Producer: Seo Kang-Ho, Yoon Seo-Young, Park Eun-Kyung
Cinematographer: Ko Nak-Sun
Release Date: August 2, 2017
Runtime: 137 min.
Genre: Based on True Story / Gwangju Uprising
Distributor: Showbox
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

In May, 1980, German reporter Peter (Thomas Kretschmann) works on assignment in Tokyo, but the news is slow there. He hears from a colleague that something ominous is occurring in Gwangju, South Koea. The phone lines have been completely cut off to the city. Peter decides to go there.

In Seoul, South Korea, Kim Man-Seob (Song Kang-Ho) struggles to make ends meet as a taxi driver, while also taking care of his daughter. He needs money to pay for his rent. At a restaurant, Kim Man-Seob overhears that a foreigner is offering to pay a lot of money to be driven to Gwangju. The drive would cover Kim Man-Seob's rent. He dashes out of the restaurant to pick up the foreigner.

Soon, Peter and Kim Man-Seob head for Gwangju from Seoul. They don't know what is going on there or the countless lives that will soon be lost.

Notes

Based on the true story of German reporter Jürgen Hinzpeter and Korean taxi driver Kim Sa-Bok. Jürgen Hinzpeter covered the Gwangju Uprising, which took place from May 18-27, 1980 in Gwangju, South Korea.
Director Jang Hun and actor Song Kang-Ho previously worked together in 2010 film "The Secret Reunion."
Filming began June 5, 2016 and finished October 23, 2016.

Cast



Song Kang-Ho	Thomas Kretschmann	Yu Hae-Jin	Ryoo Joon-Yeol	Park Hyuk-Kwon
Kim Man-Seob	Peter	Hwang Tae-Sool	Koo Jae-Sik	Reporter Choi



Choi Gwi-Hwa	Um Tae-Goo	Jeon Hye-Jin	Ko Chang-Seok
undercover military chief	Sergeant at checkpoint	Kang Sang-Goo's mother	Kang Sang-Goo's father

Additional Cast Members:

Yoo Eun-Mi - Kim Eun-Jung
Kwon Soon-Joon - Kang Sang-Goo
Cha Soon-Bae - Taxi driver Mr. Cha
Shin Dam-Soo - Taxi driver Mr. Shin
Ryoo Sung-Hyun - Taxi driver Mr. Ryoo
Park Min-Hee - Lieutenant Colonel Kwon
Lee Jung-Eun - Hwang Tae-Sool's wife
Lee Ho-Cheol - Hong Yong-Pyo
Lee Yong-Lee - Hong Yong-Pyo's mother
Han Sa-Myung - college student demonstrator 1
Hong Wan-Pyo - college student demonstrator 2
Kim Na-In - Gwangju demonstrator
Lee Won-Gu - Gwangju demonstrator
Song Ji-Un - Gwangju demonstrator
Park Do-Jun - Gwangju demonstrator
Kim Jung-Soo - Department Head of Seoul newspaper
Lee Sae-Byul - female college student with rice balls
Yoo Soon-Chul - elderly farmer
Koo Sung-Hwan - auto repair shop employee in Suncheon
Son Kyoung-Won - man from Suncheon
Lee Sae Ro Mi - shoe stall owner in Suncheon
Lee Sol-Gu - street stall customer 1 in Suncheon
Sung Do-Hyun - soldier at byway checkpoint
Kim Kyoung-Il - soldier 1 at unpaved road checkpoint
Han Yi-Jin - soldier 2 at unpaved road checkpoint
Seo Hyun-Woo - Defense Security Command 1
Jang In-Ho - Defense Security Command 2
Ryu Abel - dabang coffee shop employee
Choi Jae-Sup - Seoul taxi driver originally hired to drive to Gwangju
Oh Jae-Kun - taxi driver 1 in Seoul
Heo Jung-Do - husband of pregnant woman in Seoul
Baek In-Kwon - plainclothes special force 2
Song Jin-Woo - plainclothes special force 4
Park Joo-Yong - gas station employee
Lee Bong-Ryun - pregnant woman in Seoul
Jo Seung-Yeon - airport employee
Yang Shin-Ji - airport counter employee
Park Sung-Hyun - junior reporter
Daniel Joey Albright - rookie reporter
Moon Tae-Yoo - drunk taxi passenger (year 2003)
Jung Jin-Young - Reporter Lee (cameo)
Jung Suk-Yong - auto repair shop owner in Seoul (cameo)
Ryu Tae-Ho - Gwangju newspaper manager (cameo)
John D. Michaels - foreign reporter 1 voice
Kim Min-Hyuk
Kim Min-Suk

Trailers

Awards

2017 (38th) Blue Dragon Film Awards - November 25, 2017
- Best Film
- Best Actor (Song Kang-Ho)
- Best Music (Jo Young-Wook)
- Top Box Office Seller
2017 (1st) The Seoul Awards - October 27, 2017
- Best Actor (Song Kang-Ho)
2017 (54th) Daejong Film Awards - October 25, 2017
- Best Film
- Best Planning

Comments

Noonaloveskdrama Jan 26 2021 8:34 am Brilliant brilliant brilliant movie. I laughed and crieed at the same time while watching this movie. I got to know the Gwangju Massacre. SKH is really an excellent actor.

cambrbatch Mar 15 2020 6:41 am @aiko really? The driver was died? My deep condolance for him and all the victim of this tragedy

emilly Oct 14 2019 11:40 am Wow i loved this movie...those who liked it should surely watch may 18...its also based on the same incident...both of these movies are favorites ♥

Yourfan Jul 05 2019 7:58 pm Daebakk it's Thomas from Jungle 2017

aiko Feb 14 2019 8:36 am The movie is so touching. It was a true story regarding about Gwangju Uprising and about Mr. Hinzpeter. The son of the taxi driver however revealed that his father and the reporter already knew each other way back in 1975. Mr. Hinzpeter died in 2016, unable to meet his friend, Kim Sa-bok. But to inform many of you, the taxi driver had died in 1987 due to liver cancer after drinking due to depression about what he witnessed in Gwangju...

justalovelyfan Jul 10 2018 9:59 pm Wow this movie is really great and touching, even more since it is based on a true real life situation. I loved it!!

njo Apr 14 2018 10:50 am i am here for junyeol, but no lie this movie is so damn good. for god sake, please find the real taxi driver or his family and give 'em rewards or something

Fina Apr 11 2018 9:58 am I just now watch this movie. I think the true story is just about Gwangju, but I just realized that taxi driver is also true. OMG.. I imagine how that driver feel if he know this movie. I wonder where is he now....

rendiishere Jan 17 2018 11:47 am i like how it is based on true story, making the intense and thrill story more real, however i feel the filmmakers exaggerate quite much especially the overshadowing role of gwangju taxi drivers including their "kamikaze" last act.. if those were true, the title should be "taxi drivers" bcs not only kim man who play important role, they helped him big times and repeatedly, and, again, if those characters are real, peter should've given credit to them, im sure he can go to gwangju again with his korean friend and meet those drivers (or their families if they didnt survive).. well, i take it as it is and it's still a good movie.. it shows how heroes can arise from unlikely place or profession, kinda remind me of dunkirk for that particular reason.. the oppressing from army toward college students, just like @mudah baper said, also remind me the chaos of indonesia in 1998, pretty similar tone, also happened in May..

Aigoo Dec 28 2017 8:13 am Very good movie.. Big recomended.. it's so touching and tensing. I really enjoy this movie..

Fangirl #666666 Dec 25 2017 8:14 am I really enjoyed the 2 hours of this movie, very good acting and nice background music... If you like movies based on true stories just watch this one

BT Nov 17 2017 5:22 pm wondergal:) // With a taxi driver Kim sa bok's assistance truth of Gwang ju filmed by a reporter Hinzpeter at the risk of his life was reported all over the world, that become a decisive factor notified oppression of military dictatorship.

Since May, 1980 although Hinzpeter seeked for Kim sa bok several times, he breathed his last breath with him not met him in January 2016.

wondergal:) Nov 04 2017 2:25 pm anyone can translate the wordings that appears on screen at the end?

Gt Nov 03 2017 5:51 am I love movies and dramas based on true stories. This was a great one! Highly recommended. Worth your time. It is more about friendship rather than propaganda.

anon Oct 26 2017 10:10 pm This was such a great movie. All the actors did a wonderful job. Totally recommend it!! I cried so much during this movie TT

dd Oct 26 2017 6:56 am what is the title of the song on the opening?

Dwi Oct 14 2017 2:15 pm Best story!!!

Mudah Baper Oct 11 2017 8:05 am totally recomended! dont trust this poster. i think its funny movie, but after watched this, i'm crying sekebon :((( i just remember tragedy 1998 in Indonesia! must watch!!!!

Thumb Oct 07 2017 9:02 pm Two thumbs up!

Millow Sep 30 2017 2:58 am I can't say anything, it's a very very good movie!!!!! good job ryu oppa!! acting is really amazing

Panda Aug 04 2017 2:45 pm trailer starts off funny, then BAM, the feels, my mouth was just hanging open trust Ryu Joon Yeol to pick a good project

jojisputa Jul 24 2017 2:14 am Is hyomin here

chiaki-tan Feb 21 2017 11:04 am wow, I'm gonna watch this because of ryu joon yeol, but now I know the german reporter played by Thomas K, wow I'm very happy and can't wait to watch this. Whoa I really like The Pianist movie, cant waittttt

faw Sep 01 2016 2:00 am wow dream team. congrats ryu oppaaaa ♡

Yoonjae Aug 08 2016 8:26 pm Wow, I can't wait for this movie this one looks promising

TK May 17 2016 2:39 am Wow!Daebaek!

A Taxi Driver

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Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Notes

Cast

Trailers

Awards

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