"What truly matters is my baby"... Kim Min-hee, who shares a relationship with Hong Sang-soo, speaks of her son's love at the film festival [Star Issue]

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Actress Kim Min-hee, now a mother, has returned as director Hong Sang-soo's muse and directly addressed parenting during the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

On the 14th (local time), Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee held an official conference at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland, for Hong's film "Nowhere to Hide," which was officially invited to the International Competition section. Following this, they conducted a Q&A session with festival attendees in a relaxed atmosphere.

In this work, Kim Min-hee appeared as both the lead actress and Je Jak (Head). In 2024, Kim Min-hee acted in Hong Sang-soo's film "Milk," and since then, she has primarily taken on roles as Je Jak (Head) in Hong's films. Notably, this project drew attention as it marks Kim's first acting role after giving birth to her son. Previously spotted pushing a baby stroller, revealing updates on her parenting life, Kim Min-hee attended the film festival alongside Hong Sang-soo, the father of her child, confidently as a lead actress.

When asked about her impressions of filming this movie, Kim Min-hee stated, "This was my first film after giving birth. It took about two years since my childbirth before I could make this film. My situation became realistically busier compared to the past. Even during filming, I brought my baby to the set. I had to breastfeed and prepare baby food; these were the most urgent tasks at the filming location. With no time to blink, I prepared everything for my baby before getting ready for the film."

Kim Min-hee added, "As I prepared this way, the mindset of being completely absorbed in filmmaking, as I had decided and determined when making films before, disappeared. It just happened naturally. What truly mattered was my baby, so after finishing all preparations for her, I focused entirely on the film. My state felt very healthy. In my view, that attitude was reflected in my character." She continued, "When I watched the film later, I realized that this character's appearance represented the beauty she desired. It wasn't about this or that; it resembled a beauty that suddenly appears without being forced. Instead of obsessing over makeup or trying too hard, I fully enjoyed and happily accepted life amidst its busyness."

"Nowhere to Hide" depicts Sang-hee, who lived with her grandparents after her parents divorced when she was young, searching for her mother who settled in Jeju Island with her younger brother. The story includes characters such as a documentary filmmaker, a new father, a mother whose restaurant became successful, and the daughter brought by the stepfather, spending two nights and three days together. The film features actors Kim Min-hee, Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Seok-ho, and Park Mi-so. Additionally, Choi Myung-gil made her first collaboration with director Hong Sang-soo.

Director Hong Sang-soo received his fifth official invitation to the Locarno Film Festival for "Our Sunhee" (2013), "Right Now, Wrong Then" (2015), "Hotel by the River" (2018), and "Milk" (2024). Notably, Hong has consistently won awards whenever invited to Locarno. He received the Best Director Award for "Our Sunhee," the Golden Leopard and Best Acting Award for "Right Now, Wrong Then," while both "Hotel by the River" and "Milk" saw their lead actresses win the Best Acting Award. Kim Min-hee has also previously held the trophy for Best Actress at Locarno.

Meanwhile, the Locarno Film Festival is an international event held annually in August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, it is one of the world's oldest film festivals and is renowned for showcasing artistic and experimental auteur films. The 79th Locarno Film Festival will open next month on the 5th and run until August 15 in the Locarno area. "Nowhere to Hide" is scheduled for release in South Korea in the second half of this year.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original