[HanCinema's News] Showbox Reveals the Fate of Animal Performers in "Exhuma"

On April 19th, the animal rights organization KARA revealed what Showbox told them in response to their query about "Exhuma" and how it dealt with the welfare of its non-human participants. According to KARA, "Exhuma" did in fact use real pigs and silverfish in the film. Apparently some of the silverfish were artificially made with advanced stage jelly, however. The foxes in the film were computer generated, however, as these wild animals were too difficult to train.

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According to Showbox, the pigs were acquired, transported, and handled from a reputable company that normally deals in livestock. This company recovered the pigs after filming was complete. Purportedly, the dramatic cinematic appearance of the pigs was largely due to effective makeup work. Similarly, the scene involving the death of a chicken did not involve a knife with a blade, the staging only implied that this was the case.

Showbox also claims that the on-site director personally oversaw all filming in which animals were involved. The pigs were not accompanied by a veterinarian as they did not undergo any harsh treatment on camera, while the silverfish were deemed as not needing a veterinarian because they had been sourced through a fish farm. KARA maintains that whatever the final intended fate of these animals, it was wrong for "Exhuma" to be cruel to them for entertainment purposes.

Written by William Schwartz

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"Exhuma" is directed by Jang Jae-hyeon, and features Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Do-hyun, Kim Jae-chul, Kim Min-jun. Release date in Korea: 2024/02/22.