Hangul Celluloid: The London Korean Film Festival 2012 Interviews

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LKFF INTERVIEWS

AT THE FESTIVAL

Of course, you can still find links to all the previous Hangul Celluloid interviews with various directors/actors/actresses in the main 'Interviews' section of the site. Click the 'Interviews' link in the main Hangul Celluloid banner at the top of any site page or, alternatively, you can go directly to the page by clicking here: http://www.hangulcelluloid.com/interviews.html

Introduction:
Lee Byung-hun first achieved fame as a border-guard soldier in the box office hit Joint Security Area (2000). He went on to star in popular television dramas including Beautiful Days (2001) and All In (2003) and received critical acclaim for his performances in Kim Ji-woon's A Bittersweet Life (2005); The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) and I Saw the Devil (2010). His latest film is period drama ‘Masquerade’ (2012) which has already won numerous awards.

The following interview took place at the Korean Cultural Centre UK on Saturday November 10th 2012 prior to a special screening of director Choo Chang-min's film 'Masquerade' - the Closing Gala of the London Korean Film Festival 2012, at the Odeon West End, Leicester Square, London.

Please Note: The following interview was a ten-minute slot and is therefore slightly shorter than the majority of the other interviews that can be found in the 'Interviews' section of the site. I hope it will be worth reading, nonetheless.

Interview:

Hangul Celluloid: First of all, thank you so much for allowing me to interview you.

Lee Byung-hun: It’s my pleasure.

Hangul Celluloid: You’re here at the London Korean Film Festival promoting your film ‘Masquerade’ which is being screened as the Closing Gala of the festival. The narrative of ‘Masquerade’ contains both humour and a more serious underlying political message that could even be related to politics today. How much did these elements play a part in your decision to sign up to star in the film and what ultimately drew you to take the part(s)?

Lee Byung-hun: Audiences can feel a lot of the political messages within ‘Masquerade’ and while I feel that is incredibly important to the film it’s ultimately not the reason that I decided to take the role. What I like about that political message is that there’s no specific colour to it and the overall story could be summed up by “if you were a king, what would you do?” That’s a question that everyone who watches the film can ask themselves, regardless of their beliefs or political colours. The story is based on a historical tale with some fictional assumptions mixed in and that in itself really drew my attention. The fact of the story is that the king’s diary was written every day but for 15 days it was inexplicably empty so we never know, and can never know, what he did or what happened in that two weeks and I thought that idea was so full of promise that I really wanted to be involved. Also, as you said, the narrative has comic elements mixed in – we can laugh a lot in this movie and I love that touch – but at the same time the comic parts of the film were the very things that concerned me most because the humour was so basic and not in any way sophisticated. In fact, that fact worried me so much that I asked the director to make sure the humour was not just stupid comedy and I almost begged him to make it more sophisticated. Once I was happy with that element, I knew at last that I wanted to make this movie.

Hangul Celluloid: You’re also in London filming the English language film ‘Red 2’. Considering the fact that several Korean film directors who have been making English language films in the West (for example Kim Ji-woon and Park Chan-wook) have admitted finding the differences of working within Western movie industry difficult, do you as an actor find there are differences that affect you?

Lee Byung-hun: Acting-wise, the differences I’ve felt in the movie industries of different countries are far less than a director might feel but one huge difference for me is the fact that the whole cast in Red 2, apart from me, are acting based on their culture. That’s the hardest part for me. Even though I can speak English almost fluently some days, getting culture is much harder because I simply didn’t grow up in the States. So, yeah, it can sometimes be difficult and sometimes the system is different but I’m trying to adjust to it as much as I can. Of course, the best that I can possibly be is acting in Korea with a Korean cast, Korean culture - which I really understand - and speaking in the Korean language too, that the best conditions for me to act but I’m slowly learning the Hollywood system and I hope that in the future I’ll be able to show Western audiences what I’m capable of when I’m at the top of my game.

Hangul Celluloid: You are a huge star in Korea while at the same time you are known as a true actor and you have a massive fan base both in Korea and across the world...

Lee Byung-hun: Really? Even here? I don’t think anyone knows me here... honestly.

Hangul Celluloid: Since I announced that I was interviewing you this afternoon I’ve had numerous well-wishing messages, emails and comments, and every time the Korean Film Festival trailer plays before cinema screenings there is a cheer from the crowd when you appear on screen.

Lee Byung-hun: Maybe I should cheer as well if they play the trailer at the screening tonight [Lee Byung-hun laughs].

Hangul Celluloid: As I said, you are a huge star and you and Ryoo Seung-ryong are easily the best known acting names in ‘Masquerade’. However, the film also features Shim Eun-kyung, a rising teen actress, in a supporting yet incredibly memorable role. Considering the numerous awards that Kim Go-eun has received this year for her performance in ‘EunGyo’, even though she had never acted in a feature film before, where do you feel the balance lies, in Korean cinema, between star power and the influx of younger, less experienced actors and actresses who are receiving huge accolades for their natural performances? Do you see star power as still being important to Korean films?

Lee Byung-hun: Every actor, especially the beginners, if they’re asked “Do you eventually want to be a star or a real actor?” will answer that they want to be a real actor and not a star, 100%. However, being a star is incredibly important too, I think. I mean, they don’t specifically set out to be a star, though they could just be a star if they wished, but every actor does have to go through that process to a degree in their career and in their striving to be true to their craft and successful in the long term. Even when I started 20-something years ago, I heard a lot of bad things said by audiences saying that my acting was terrible and everybody really needs to pay attention to that kind of criticism in the process and sometimes those kinds of harsh words can be the best motivation to become a better actor. In your question, you mentioned ‘EunGyo’ and I have to tell you that I really liked that movie and that actress. She is just starting out in her career but I really see bright things ahead for her and to produce a performance as excellent as the one she gave in that film shows how naturally talented she is. Talking about star power, what often happens in films is the casting of a star name and an inexperienced actor together in a movie project and that too is part of the process of making a mainstream movie. It, of course, happens a lot but it is ultimately the way of the industry and I guess it goes someway to creating a balance of its own. However, there are also other types of films that concentrate on the strength of the story itself and the strength of the acting performances adds to the overall film rather than being the focus of it, and I think the fact that films like those co-exist with mainstream cinema is a really positive thing for films and Korean cinema in general.

Hangul Celluloid: There is a lady waving frantically behind me, so I think I’m being asked to wrap things up, but I’d just like to thank you once again for taking the time to answer my questions today.

Lee Byung-hun: I enjoyed the interview very much.

I would sincerely like to thank the London Korean Film Festival and the Korean Cultural Centre UK for allowing me to interview Lee Byung-hun.

Introduction:
Ryoo Seung-ryong made his acting debut at the age of 15 in a stage musical. After his screen debut in 2004's Someone Special, he has since become one of the most versatile and dependable character actors in Korea and starred in numerous films including The Front Line, War of the Arrows and All About My Wife. His latest film is Choo Chang-min’s period drama Masquerade.

Director Choo made his feature film debut with hit comedy Mapado: Island of Fortunes (2005), following it with melodrama Lost in Love (2006) and romance Late Blossom (2011) which became a sleeper hit. His latest film Masquerade (2012) was a huge critical and commercial success, for which director Choo won Best Director at the prestigious Grand Bell Awards

The following interview took place at the Korean Cultural Centre UK on Saturday November 10th 2012 prior to a special screening of director Choo Chang-min's film 'Masquerade' - the Closing Gala of the London Korean Film Festival 2012, at the Odeon West End, Leicester Square, London.

Please Note: The following interview was a single ten-minute slot with both Choo Chang-min and Ryoo Seung-ryong (together) and is therefore slightly shorter than the majority of the other interviews that can be found in the 'Interviews' section of the site. As a result of time constraints several of the questions are asked to both director Choo and Actor Ryoo. I hope it will be worth reading, nonetheless.

Interview:

Hangul Celluloid: You’re both here promoting ‘Masquerade’ which is screening at the Closing Gala of the London Korean Film Festival 2012. [To director Choo Chang-min] What drew you to make a period drama when all of your previous films are based on present-day, contemporary stories, and [to actor Ryoo Seung-ryong] what drew to want to star in the film?

Choo Chang-min: As a director, to be able to make a period drama enable you to create something very beautiful as well as realise it in various ways, and hopefully imaginative ways. So, when I was given the script there were basically two reasons why I decided to go ahead with the project: Firstly, the fact that it was a period piece and secondly the appeal of the story.

Ryoo-seung-ryong: The story, although it is set in the far distance past, can be applied to modern day life and modern society and I truly believe that the issues the films details resonate with audiences. I felt that being offered a part in this exceedingly excellent script was a huge honour and I jumped at the chance to say yes and become involved in the project.

Hangul Celluloid: [To both Choo Chang-min and Ryoo Seung-ryong] Shim Eun-kyung is a lesser known actress than either Lee Byung-hun or Ryoo Seung-ryong and her role is ‘Masquerade’ if a much smaller, supporting one but her performance is nonetheless memorable, emotional and nuanced throughout. Do you feel that these smaller roles played by lesser known actors and actresses are necessary to the success of the larger roles of well known names?

Choo Chang-min: As a director, when I was casting ‘Masquerade’, I made a concerted effort to find the balance that you mentioned. So, I deliberately gave the biggest, most in-depth role to Lee Byung-hun and cast Ryoo Seung-ryong in the role that would allow the main character adequate support. However, it was a deliberate decision to give smaller supporting roles to lesser known actors, including Shim Eun-kyung, because I wanted the balance of cast to almost mirror the balance of power within the story itself, and I do have to say that I agree that Shim Eun-kyung’s performance was everything I could have asked for and more. In general, I would say that while there are actually a lot of good male actors around, it’s not as evident that there are that many good new female actors in comparison.

Ryoo-seung-min: Because we live in a capitalist society, I feel it really would be a case-by-case example and somewhat different for each film. However, I do believe that if you have a very well known actor and an extremely good script, you can have a synergy effect that produces something magical and, likely, successful. While that is the case with many films, there are also examples of films that really require a totally new, unknown face, so I feel the balance is within Korean cinema as a whole rather than being within a particular film.

Hangul Celluloid: [To Choo Chang-min] With as visually stunning a film as ‘Masquerade’ is, did you face any constraints, financial or otherwise, from investors or film companies in realising the film as you envisioned it to be?

Choo Chang-min: Thankfully, form the moment I received the script I was given full artistic control and had no constraints or impediments placed between me and creating the film as I wanted to make it. My ultimate intention in making ‘Masquerade’ was to capture an old-fashioned aesthetic beauty which I hope I successfully achieved.

Hangul Celluloid: [To Ryoo Seung-ryong] You have played numerous roles in numerous films; some straightforward dramas; some incredibly physical roles. Was playing your role in ‘Masquerade’ easier than some of those films requiring physicality or did it present difficulties of its own?

Ryoo Seung-ryong: Every role has its own difficulties and while some are very noticeable, as you mentioned discussing physical roles, others are almost imperceptible but are difficulties nonetheless. In the case of ‘Masquerade’, the large amounts of make-up and having to prepare my hair in a specific way were perhaps the hardest parts. It may sound like I’m mentioning something inconsequential but as I mention it even now it must have been an issue [Ryoo Seung-ryong laughs].

Hangul Celluloid: Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.

I would sincerely like to thank the London Korean Film Festival and the Korean Cultural Centre UK for allowing me to interview Choo Chang-min and Ryoo Seung-ryong
.

Introduction:
After graduating from the Korean Academy of Film Arts, Choi Dong-hoon made his feature film debut with ‘The Big Swindle’ in 2004. He worked as first assistant director for Director Im Sang-soo on his acclaimed film "Tears" and has earned the reputation as an innovative and excellent screenwriting filmmaker. His subsequent films, ‘Tazza: The High Rollers’ and ‘Woochi’ further cemented his place as a talented director, leading producer Cha Seung-jae to describe him as a "genius storyteller" for his ability to develop elaborate yet gripping stories. His latest film ‘The Thieves’ has broken box office records in Korea, overtaking even Bong Joon-ho’s ‘The Host’ in cinema admissions.

The following interview took place at the Korean Cultural Centre UK on Thursday November 1st 2012 prior to the European premiere of director Choi's film 'The Thieves' - the Opening Gala of the London Korean Film Festival 2012, at the Odeon West End, Leicester Square, London.

Interview:

Hangul Celluloid: Between 2003 and 2006, you were an actor as well as a director; having roles in ‘A Good Lawyer’s Wife’, ‘The President’s Last Bang’ and your own film ‘The War of the Flower’. In your career as an actor was it always your intention to move full-time into solely directing or did you, for a time, considering continuing to run both careers simultaneously?

Choi Dong-hoon: When I attended university, I joined a theatre and social club and that’s where I first experienced acting but almost instantly I realised it was no fun whatsoever and so I quit it right away. Directing is my “thing”, if you like, but I was curious to know how actors work and to understand as much as I could about that particular craft. So, I actively sought out acting roles while I was also directing early in my career but I feel I’ve “been there, done that” and, yes, directing is now my sole focus and career and probably always will be.

Hangul Celluloid: You’ve worked with director Im Sang-soo on a number of occasions; once again, ‘A Good Lawyer’s Wife’ and ‘The President’s Last Bang’, and you were also First Assistant Director on director Im’s film ‘Tears’. Considering the amount of adult content that Im Sang-soo chooses to put in so many of his films, what are your thoughts on the growing use of graphic sexuality in Korean films; especially considering the fact that many would claim its inclusion is a deliberate attempt to attract young Korean adults and draw them away from the competition of Hollywood films and blockbusters?

Choi Dong-hoon: While, as you say, there is an increasing use of sexual content in Korean cinema there are relatively few films that use that content to discuss and dissect serious, worthy subject matter and a great many that I feel use sexual scenes simply to try to titillate and be seen as controversial. Im Sang-soo does use a lot of adult content in his films but he always ensures that there is a valid reason for it and a note-worthy narrative to surround it. As far as those types of films are concerned, I really feel that there should be far more of them in Korea and we as filmmakers and viewers have a great deal to thank Im Sang-soo for. With regard to your question about the competition from Hollywood and how Korean cinema can successfully differentiate itself, yes, growing sexual content may well be one way in which some Korean films attempt to attract the audiences you mentioned, and even international audiences, but I think the one thing more than any other that allows Korean cinema to stand out from the crowd both domestically and on the world stage is Korean actors expressing Korean lives using the Korean language; well realised stories, deftly acted, that discuss important matters, with social commentary presented as an integral part of the narrative.

Hangul Celluloid: If I can take that point further: Your latest film, ‘The Thieves’ could be described as a blockbuster; certainly now as it has broken box office records and has even overtaken Bong-Joon-ho’s The Host on cinema admissions. While it is at its core a heist movie, a genre that you are incredibly adept at making films within, what were your thoughts on adding the social commentary you mentioned and discussing issues that do relate to Koreans? Was the setting of a large part of the plot of ‘The Thieves’ in Hong Kong part of your attempt to do so?

Choi Dong-hoon: I almost wish I was psychic and had known you were going to ask that question; then I might have been able to find a way to say that ‘The Thieves’ is socially vital, but I have to be honest and say that there was no social commentary intended within ’The Thieves’. After the film was released, some people even said that if there really was no social commentary present that that would be a rather problematic issue in itself. In fact, what I really set out to create was a genre movie, plain and simple, and while others may say that makes it a low-profile genre film that just happened to become a huge hit, in my view the story was just great to work on and the quality of acting was exemplary, and I still don’t feel that this particular film actually needs anything else; especially in its scenario of ten thieves getting together giving me the dynamics of characters some exciting or excitable and some who are actually evil. Actually, I think that may even be why many audience members in Korea have actually seen the film twice. The Hong Kong element helps this dynamic, I feel, but the main reason it was included was because I visited Macau and thought it was such a beautiful place that I wanted to set a film there and, in fact, it was while I was there that the idea for ‘The Thieves’ started.

Hangul Celluloid: You cast Jeon Ji-hyun [also known by the name she uses in English Language films, Gianna Jun] as a thief who is a wire expert. How did her casting in the film come about?

Choi Dong-hoon [speaking English]: My wife is a producer and Jeon Ji-hyun worked with her around ten years ago. I’d never met her but one day my wife said that Jeon Ji-hyun wanted to visit my home; about 15 days before I started writing the script for ‘The Thieves’. Of course, my immediate reaction was to clean everywhere and make sure my house was spotlessly clean [Choi Dong-hoon laughs] and when I finally met her at my home, well, she was just so incredibly attractive as a person. At that point, I began to wonder why we haven’t seen that side of her in films anywhere near as much as we should and I quickly realised that I wanted to show her true nature to the world. So, as I wrote the script for ‘The Thieves’, I began to create a character specifically for Jeon Ji-hyun to play.

Hangul Celluloid: That actually almost covers another of my questions: Kim Hye-soo was also cast in ‘The Thieves’. Did the fact that both she and Jeon Ji-hyun are renowned for their beauty play a part in your decision to cast them both?

Choi Dong-hoon: I am really close friends with Kim Hye-soo but when I first gave her the screenplay she refused it right away. In one of my previous films ‘Tazza: The High Rollers’, Kim Hye-soo played Madame Jung and she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to produce anything extraordinary or particularly different from her portrayal of that character. So, I said “Completely forget Madame Jung and you’ll be able to give this role exactly what it requires” and at that point she said yes to the role. In fact, when she decided to take the role, she texted me at 3am and said she wanted the role so I got out of bed and texted her back, saying “Welcome to ‘The Thieves’”.

Hangul Celluloid: You mention ‘Tazza’ and I guess ‘The Big Swindle’ and even ‘The Thieves’ would all be termed heist films and, in fact, heist films are almost your trademark. What led to your decision to make ‘Woochi’ which in genre terms is almost a million miles away from any of those films?

Choi Dong-hoon: Following the success of ‘Tazza’ I almost felt that investors would be willing to fund any film whatsoever that I wanted to make and I thought that was my perfect opportunity to make a film like ‘Woochi’. I’ve always been interested in the fantasy genre film and I have to say that it was an incredibly fun project from start to finish, and I’d love to do it again. It made a lot of money too [Choi Dong-hoon laughs].

Hangul Celluloid: With ‘The Thieves’ being so incredibly successful domestically in Korea and now screening internationally, how important is the international market to you in terms of all your films?

Choi Dong-hoon: I think ‘The Thieves’ has a very rich generic colour to it and while my first priority is to make films for the Korean market, but as I get to make more films my interest in international audiences grows. I want people in other countries to share in the same quality and experiences as Korean audiences get from my films and I hope that the Thieves will be received well by international audiences too. Actually, some have said that that is why I added the Hong Kong element to the story, but as I said earlier that isn’t really the case. Besides all that, I want to communicate the wonderful qualities of Korean films to the world and show the amazing acting talent Korean actors and actresses possess because I consistently have a great time working with some truly wonderful actors.

Hangul Celluloid: I’m being asked to wrap things up but I have one final question: Producer Cha Seung-jae described you as “a genius storyteller” in your ability to develop elaborate yet gripping stories. What are your thoughts on his description of your talent?

Choi Dong-hoon: I’m both deeply flattered and slightly embarrassed by Cha Seng-jae’s comment [Choi Dong-hoon laughs]. Previously, I thought that the three most important elements to a film were good story, good story and good story. However, now I feel that the three important elements are good character, good character and good character.

Hangul Celluloid: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions.

Choi Dong-hoon: You are very welcome and I look forward to seeing you at the screening of ‘The Thieves’ tonight.

I would sincerely like to thank the London Korean Film Festival and the Korean Cultural Centre UK for allowing me to interview director Choi at such length.

Introduction:
Actor Kim Yoon-suk began his acting career working in the theatre and after a short period acting in several Korean TV dramas made his film debut in Choi Dong-hoon’s ‘The Big Swindle’. He will likely be most well known in the UK for his starring roles in Na Hong-jin's ‘The Chaser’ and ‘The Yellow Sea’, as well as for a supporting role in Choi Dong-hoon's‘Woochi’. His latest film is Choi Dong-hoon's ‘The Thieves’ which has broken box office records in Korea, overtaking even Bong Joon-ho’s ‘The Host’ in cinema admissions.

Interview:

Hangul Celluloid: You began your career in the theatre and since moving into film acting you have starred in a large number of films. However, between 2005 and 2006, you also acted in several television dramas which you don’t seem to have done of late. Have you decided to work solely in film and can you tell us a little about why you briefly chose to also work in TV?

Kim Yoon-suk: I was, as you pointed out, a theatre actor and a TV drama director came and saw me performing in one of my plays. He then said that he wanted to cast me in one of his projects and that’s essentially how I got involved and how I ended up starring in a few TV series. Quite quickly that actually linked to film as well but once I started working on film roles there was simply no time to work on TV dramas. However, it is my personal choice to work solely in film now; in terms of production, time constraints or your concentration levels. TV drama is an incredibly face-paced environment, especially if a script isn’t ready, and that leads to concerns about the quality of the end product as well. So, yes, working in film is what my career will solely be from now on.

Hangul Celluloid: Certainly in the UK, you are best known for your roles in ‘The Chaser’ and ‘The Yellow Sea’. The Chaser won you a huge number of awards and it could be said that it played a part in cementing your place as one of the biggest acting stars in Korea today. What attracted you to work in ‘The Chaser’ and ‘The Yellow Sea’; was it working with director Na Hong-jin or were you more drawn by the story, inherent social issues discussed - such as the plight of the Joseon-joks in ‘The Yellow Sea’ - and character depth of the roles you would be playing?

Kim Yoon-suk: At the time ‘The Chaser’ was made, the thriller genre was pretty much avoided in Korean cinema and was liked really only by a small niche market. However, when I read the script, I really loved the story and the dialogue and sentences used within it were very different from the norm; the narrative and character development was to my mind very distinct. By the point when Na Hong-jin was making ‘The Yellow Sea’, I’d come to trust him deeply as a director and the film’s storyline was extremely attractive to me. The Joseon-joks that the film deals with is a huge social problem that needs to be talked about; the fact that so many of them are employed her and as such are separated from their families for a long time, which causes problems in itself, and also that we can even find aspects of ourselves in them. As well as adoring the story, working with an incredibly talented young actor like Ha Jung-woo, who I first met on ‘The Chaser’, was just one more draw that made the project just too good to miss.

Hangul Celluloid: The film that you are here promoting is, of course, Choi Dong-hoon’s ‘The Thieves’. Was the physicality of the role the hardest aspect of making the film from your point of view or, having had several very physical roles before, were other aspects more difficult?

Kim Yoon-suk: There were so many difficulties in preparing for this role: Learning Chinese and Madarin was so hard and I had to work almost incessantly to get it all right because I knew that it really did have to be absolutely perfect. As well as that, while the first half of the film has a lot of action, in the second half that action becomes extreme and intense and there was a lot of wire work that I had to prepare for. I think those two things were by far the most difficult for me.

Hangul Celluloid: With ‘The Thieves having broken all box office records in Korea, how important is the international market to you and your career?

Kim Yoon-suk: It can only be important because, in order for Korean cinema to develop further, young directors need to meet with the world on the international stage to develop and I think that’s a really crucial factor.

Hangul Celluloid: I believe that one of your next projects is providing voice acting for an animation called ‘Robot Taekwon’, based on a manga comic book. Is that still the case and, in terms of live action films, what will you be working in the future?

Kim Yoon-suk: ‘Robot Taekwon’ was previously a Japanese manga but even that is not the original. Yes, I signed up to voice act in the film but the production has since been put on hold and I’m not entirely sure when it will actually be made. I’ll also be working with director Jang Jun-hwan, who made a film called ‘Save the Green Planet’, in the future and that’s going to be an extremely hardcore thriller as well. I think my films generally are more successful when I play hardcore, dark, dark characters.

Hangul Celluloid: On that very subject: A lot of the films released in the UK are fairly, as you say, hardcore thrillers and for many who may not have seen many Korean movies there is somewhat of a misconception that Korean cinema is inherently violent. What are your thoughts on this misconception and how would you describe Korean cinema? I’ve asked many directors this very question but I’m very interested to hear your thoughts from an acting, rather than a directing, perspective.

Kim Yoon-suk: Korean cinema actually has a great deal of very funny comedies and I feel that these should be made more international. Some films such as Hong Sang-soo’s ‘Day and Night’ are genuinely funny but the appeal of comedy films is based on the dialogue and language and the humour within that can sometimes be lost when it’s translated. Conversely, hardcore thrillers are felt quite physically by the body and the problems with translations are diminished as a result. Whether that situation will ever change is open to debate but I think for a fair time to come, hardcore films will continue to thrive internationally, far more than other genres.

Hangul Celluloid: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me.

I would sincerely like to thank the London Korean Film Festival and the Korean Cultural Centre UK for allowing me to interview Kim Yoon-suk.

Introduction:
Jung Ji-woo first became known for his short film ‘A Bit Bitter’ (1996), which was produced by an independent film production, Generation Blue Films, and subsequently achieved both box office success in Korea and film festival honours overseas with his debut feature film ‘Happy End’ (1999). ‘Blossom Again’ (2005) was a less bold melodrama from director Jung, while ‘Modern Boy’ (2008) was the director’s challenge to the genre of historical suspense. Jung Ji-woo also worked on the screenplay of Kang Woo-suk ‘Moss’ in 2009. His latest film is ‘EunGyo’, telling the story of the relationship between a 70-year-old poet and a schoolgirl.

The following interview took place at the Korean Cultural Centre UK on Tuesday November 6th 2012 prior to the London Korean Film Festival 2012 screening of 'EunGyo' at the ICA London.

Interview:

Hangul Celluloid: If I can start by asking a question about your latest film, ‘EunGyo’ which is being screened tonight as part of the London Korean Film Festival 2012: The storyline of ‘EunGyo’ – detailing the story of a 70-year-old man’s relationship with a schoolgirl – could be, and has been, seen as fairly controversial; even if that relationship is partly imagined. What are you feelings regarding the social norms and moral beliefs in Korea today that drew you to tell this story and do you feel those norms have changed significantly over the years?

Jung Ji-woo: In my opinion, there are certainly certain tendencies and beliefs in Korean society today where things appear from an outside point of view to be very rational and ethical; society seeming to abide by “the rules”. However, while that’s how the situation appears to be, but I tend to believe that underneath all that are a plethora of issues that haven’t been talked about significantly. Especially, Korean people greatly worry about how they are seen by others and what other people think of them. It’s always been my wish, my intention, to tell stories that are truthful to the voice of the Korean people and to what Koreans really feel about themselves. Throughout my career, that has been the starting point for my films, and ‘EunGyo’ had the same objective in telling its tale of the relationship between a 70-year old poet and a schoolgirl, and while it doesn’t really say much on its own, I hope that audiences - both in Korea and abroad - will take a look at the underlying issues and the references I made beneath the narrative to see what I was attempting to convey.

London Korea Times: Regarding the 70-year-old man in the story of ‘EunGyo’, how did you go about reflecting a representation of that generation in Korea? I assume the older generation think about their past or what their lives hold in the future, so how did you choose to details those thoughts through the character?

Jung Ji-woo: As far as the older generation in Korea is concerned, it wasn’t that long ago that someone over 60-years-old was simply considered as “retired” and thought to no longer have any social function in Korean society, but nowadays thanks to an increasingly relaxing of feelings in modern Korean society, that’s no longer really the case. Korea is now a member of the OECD countries, so that process of aging and how the older generation is accepted in society is massively changing. Older people are now largely considered as “older” rather than “retired” or past usefulness and that’s why I started to think about life from the perspective of older people and I feel it’s a good time to talk about the assumptions of what older people are, in my films.

Eastern Kicks: Leading on from that question: You chose Park Hae-il to play the 70-year-old character in ‘EunGyo’. What is it about his performances that you like so much and what convinced you that he would be able to play a 70-year-old man?

Jung Ji-woo: Thank you for asking that question. Considering Korean society today, older people in love with a schoolgirl is without doubt likely to be considered very controversial and it may even be quite uncomfortable for viewers to follow the story. What I wanted was for the audience to feel empathy for the 70-year-old character so when I cast Park Hae-il, it was because he has a quality of convincing audiences that he is conveying truthfulness both as a character and as a person and actor. His relationship with the general public seems to be one where he elicits faith from people and is image is almost inherently trustworthy and that was important for me in bringing out viewer empathy with the elderly character.

Korean Class Massive: How did you come to adapt the original novel to make ‘EunGyo’? Was an adaption suggested to you or did you always want to use the novel’s story as the basis for the film?

Jung Ji-woo: The idea was actually suggested by a friend. They said they thought I should read the novel and added that they felt anyone in their forties or older would be quite moved by the story, and once I had read the novel I completely understood what they meant. The process of aging and the underlying issues associated with it is quite predominant in the novel, but what I added was the growing-up of the young girl: That process is in itself quite unstable and I felt the contrast between their lives, hope and dreams would be an interesting thing to discuss and dissect.

Koreaffinity: I wanted to ask about two actresses in particular: In casting the character of EunGyo, I believe you auditioned over 300 actresses and you ultimately chose a girl who had never acted in films before, and I wondered if a similar situation occurred when you were casting your film ‘Happy End’: Did you feel the same way about Jeon Do-yeon at that time and do you feel both actresses were similarly in the right place at the right moment?

Jung Ji-woo: In comparing Jeon Do-yeon to Kim Go-eun: Jeon Do-yeon was already a top star in 1999 whereas Kim Go-eun had never acted in a film. A more fitting comparison would be to discuss an actress call Jung Yoo-mi who was in some of Hong Sang-soo’s films and was in my film ‘Blossom Again’ too. When I cast her she had only done a few short films, so she was hardly even know as an actress but she had that natural quality and the “non-actor” kind of feel which was both attractive and even extraordinary. Kim Go-eun’s casting was almost identical to that and her incredibly natural quality was ultimately why I felt she was the perfect, and only, person who could properly play EunGyo.

Mini Mini Movies: I’d like to ask about style and genre, in particular ‘Modern Boy’: Was the particular period the film is set in always something that you wanted to make a film about, and also, would you like to make another period drama in the future?

Jung Ji-woo: Yes, I do want to make another film of that genre in the future. The reason is ‘Modern Boy’ was largely considered a failure and so I really want to make another attempt. I started talking about the time period because, in Korean history, it was a peculiar period. It was quite free ideologically as it was before the Korean War, or even the Cold War, but still the Korean nation was colonised by Japan. So, yes, I do want to try again but that style and genre of film costs a lot of money and a far bigger budget so it may be rather difficult to achieve.

London Korea Times: In ‘EunGyo’, the 70-year-old man was inspired to write poetry by the youth of a schoolgirl and his love for her. What is your inspiration to make films?

Jung Ji-woo: There are many sources of inspiration for me when I make films, but human beings inspire me above all. When I discover differences between human beings and their differences collide, I feel inspired and drawn to create a story. Someone could be attractive while someone else could be ugly or evil and that difference always, always creates a story for me.

Hangul Celluloid: I have what you may feel is a rather controversial or even difficult question regarding actress Jeon Do-yeon in ’Happy End’, which is one of my favourite films of all time: Jeon Do-yeon has a large scar on one of her thighs and when director Im Sang-soo made his version of ‘The Housemaid’ his camerawork focused on it repeatedly. Obviously, I wanted to ask director Im about this, and so in preparation for my interview with him last year at the London Korean Film Festival, I re-watched all of Jeon Do-yeon’s films – including ‘Happy End’ – to try to see if the scar was visible in any of her other movies. In ‘Happy End’, Jeon Do-yeon is always filmed from the opposite side and the scar is never seen and it seemed to me that the camera angles were chosen deliberately in an attempt to keep it out of view. Was that the case? And if so, was it a deliberate choice on your part alone or did Jeon Do-yeon specifically request that the scar be hidden throughout the film?

Jung Ji-woo: Wow! That’s such a great question!

Hangul Celluloid: Thank you so much [in Korean, obviously]. When I asked Im Sang-soo about it, he hesitated and said he really didn’t know if he should answer because before ‘The Housemaid’ was made few people had known that the scar on Jeon Do-yeon’s thigh even existed.

Jung Ji-woo: As I said, a really great question which I am so happy you asked and glad to be able to answer. The reason director Im hesitated to answer is, of course, because of the private nature of the subject matter of the scar. I deliberately tried not to show the scar in ‘Happy End’ by careful framing of shots, blocking and camera angles because I thought showing it would perhaps touch too much on a sensitive subject for the actress. When I saw Im Sang-soo’s ‘The Housemaid’, I realised that Jeon Do-yeon had chosen to show the scar and I honestly felt very moved at that point and I instantly thought of how much she had really grown as an actress in the interim years; even losing her hesitation to reveal one of the most intimate, private parts of her personal life. To lose that fear and inhibition shows, on top of her great talent, what an incredible actress she truly is and I was deeply impressed by that. When I return to Korea, if I meet up with Jeon Do-yeon again, I’d really love to tell her that I was asked this question. Actually, on hearing your question, I’ve suddenly realised how observant and sensitive critics like yourself, and audiences as well, can really be, so thank you for allowing me to see what great attention people like yourself pay to both my and other filmmaker’s works.

Eastern Kicks: You may have noticed that there is a manhwa exhibition here at the Korean Cultural Centre UK at the moment and I believe you adapted Yoon Tae-ho’s manhwa story for the film ‘Moss’. What are your thoughts on why manhwa, manga and comic books have become so popular to be used as the basis of films and also why you became involved in writing the script for ‘Moss’ but didn’t actually direct the film?

Jung Ji-woo: Off the record [Jun Ji-woo laughs]: The director of the film ‘Moss’ was also the producer of’ Modern Boy’ and after the financial loss caused by ‘Modern Boy’s’ failure at the box office, I felt quite guilty and there was a suggestion from about me perhaps writing the screenplay for ‘Moss’ and as I usually only write scripts for my own films that was quite unusual. However, I would have done almost anything to pay him back for his loss because of my film, so I agreed to use my labour to do so. You are, of course, right about the increasing use of manhwa stories for films and webpage stories being similarly used are growing as well in Korea. I think that’s because the industry of that sector is quickly changing and young, talented authors are using this medium to write their works more and more. The one thing I’d like to note about adapting a manhwa for a film that it isn’t just a case of simply moving shots from the comic graphics to the movie. I spent a great deal of time adapting the story of ‘Moss’ and persuading people that these stories should be properly adapted rather than just copied.

Mini Mini Movies: I wanted to ask a question regarding working on other people’s films: You’ve been an assistant director and even cinematographer in your career. Are there any filmmaking roles that you miss perhaps more than directing when working on other people’s films? And also, you were the interviewer for a Kim Ki-young documentary. I wondered how that came about?

Jung Ji-woo: I’d like to answer the second part of your question first: I happened to be a jury member for a Seoul Short Film Festival and Kim Ki-young was also a member of that jury. That’s how I first got to meet him. Actually, the festival jury was a really interesting mix of people and what then happened was that Kim Ki-young announced the winner of the festival without consulting any of the other members. When the Kim Ki-young documentary was made, I therefore was asked to participate because of that connection. With regard to other elements to my career, yes I have many interests in other filmmaking roles, I want to continue directing and it does have to be said that writing a script and then directing does take a great length of time. In short, I want to focus on directing.

Koreaffinity: When you make a film, do you allow actors to interpret their roles in their own way or do you specifically tell them what you want them to do? And also, what is your opinion about filmmaking in the 90’s compared to the present day?

Jung Ji-woo: Let me ask you: Do you ever act?

Koreaffinity: No, I’ve never acted.

Jung Ji-woo: I asked because your perspective seems to be related to actors and actresses. How I deal with actors is quite a sensitive issue. As a writer, you have certain expectations as to the way the script will be portrayed by actors, down to even words and syllables, but when I direct I try to give them an opportunity to find their own method and approach rather than forcing them. I do find that quite difficult. As a result of heavy digitalisation, films tend to be far longer than before and I don’t think that’s necessarily a positive thing.

Hangul Celluloid: If I could go back to ‘Happy End’: The opening adulterous love/sex scene in the film between Jeon Do-yeon’s character and her lover was, for 1999 when the film was made, incredible explicit and in fact even today is deeply graphic in comparison to many, many films. Did you face any problems getting the film released in Korea because of the explicit content or did you ever worry that the scene(s) might prevent the film from being released?

Jung Ji-woo: You are right that the those love scenes were deliberately incredibly explicit and though I don’t remember any specific problems in getting the film released, I did share my thoughts about their graphic nature with actress Jeon Do-yeon. I wanted the scenes to feel utterly real and natural and once I had shared my needs for the scene with her, there was no real problem in making the scenes, from my point of view of hers. Obviously, people were shocked when the film came out and there is one rather funny story that I’d like to share with you: Because the love scene appears very early on in the film, when screenings started there would still be people coming into the auditorium; trying to find their seats; that sort of thing, and others would be busy sharing their popcorn or Coca-Cola with their friends. However, the instant the love scene began, everyone would freeze and even people looking for their seats would stop what they were doing and stare at the cinema screen. Until the love scene finished, they wouldn’t move an inch and would make no noise whatsoever and once the love scene had concluded they suddenly became animated again and carried on with what they had been doing before. To this day, that story still makes me smile.

Korean Class Massive: As you’ve acted in some short films yourself, does that help you when it comes to directing films?

Jung Ji-woo: Yes, very much so. I learnt a great deal from acting, especially when I went to university and was a trainee actor in the class. It helped me understand exactly what actors and actresses go through when they perform their art. That knowledge led me to treat the actors with a much more sensitive attitude and it also helps me to understand their thoughts and what’s going on in their minds to a greater degree.

London Korea Times: Kim Go-eun has received numerous acting awards this year. What are your thoughts on new stars - such as K-pop stars, new actors and actresses - coming into the industry and also what are your thoughts on the new millennium for Korean cinema in a global sense?

Jung Ji-woo: Speaking of K-pop stars coming into the industry, I auditioned 300 people for the role of EunGyo and in the process I actually met a number of idol trainees who were already linked to some of the big K-pop agencies. They were all quite young, mainly teenagers, but because they had already been trained for a long time, they had a lot of maturity. However, as a result they really didn’t seem to reflect their age – they were young and I feel young people are meant to be young – and I found that to be rather regrettable. I think the general trend is where there are increasing numbers of talented young people who can sing and act etc., but if you ask me whether I support that, I would have to hesitate before answering, and ultimately I much prefer new actresses like Kim Go-eun. In response to the second part of your question, I believe that the strength of Korean cinema is in the creative freedom directors can enjoy. Obviously, that’s quite a weird system where things can go wrong, but nowadays there has also been an increase in the number of distribution chains that seem to want to control absolutely everything. I truly feel that there should always be a balance between creative freedom and outside control, and at the moment the balance is just about right, I think.

Eastern Kicks: What other filmmakers do you particularly admire?

Jung Ji-woo: There are far too many to mention but I have always been very inspired by Wim Wenders. Also, I was just in the BFI and I booked a ticket to see ‘The Shining’ on the big screen and that really excites me. In general, I try to get inspiration from films that are watched by the general public and I also follow what they are watching.

Mini Mini Movies: How did you get involved in making a film for the ‘If You Were Me’ series?

Jung Ji-woo: The project was first suggested by the National Human Rights Association and my film was about a refugee boy from North Korea. I’m not sure of the exact title translation but I think it was ‘Boy with a Rucksack’. I was actually really happy when I was making that film because I didn’t have to worry about the budget or investment as that was all sorted out by the National Human Rights Association. I don’t know if you’re aware, but this series of omnibus films has been running for some time and this year I believe they are trying to make a feature length film.

Hangul Celluloid: I think we’re being asked to wrap things up, but I have one final, really quick question: The DVD of ‘EunGyo’ has been released with the English title of ‘A Muse’. What do you feel about the film being released with that title:

Jung Ji-woo: I can answer your quick question quickly [Jung Ji-woo laughs]: I prefer ‘EunGyo’ by a large margin and I’d like the film to continue to be referred to as ‘EunGyo’, rather than ‘A Muse’.

I would sincerely like to thank the London Korean Film Festival and the Korean Cultural Centre UK for allowing us all to interview Jung Ji-woo at such length.