'Face' Followed by Another Low-Budget Film 'Real Paradise'..Director Yeon Sang-ho: "Addicted to Doing It My Way" [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Director Yeon Sang-ho has embarked on another low-budget film production following 'Face.'

On the 18th, a production report for the film 'Real Paradise' (directed by Yeon Sang-ho) was held at Seoul Yongsan-gu CGV Yongsan i-Park Mall. Actors Kim Hyeon-joo and Bae Hyun-sung attended the event.

'Real Paradise' is a psychological thriller that begins when Ryu Seon-woo, the son whom mother Ryu So-young had lost in a camping school bus disappearance incident nine years ago and thought was dead, miraculously returns alive. The film was officially invited to the Special Presentation section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival.

On this day, director Yeon Sang-ho cited 'low-budget production' as the connecting thread between his previous work 'Face' and 'Real Paradise.'

He explained, "'Real Paradise' was shot in 14 takes. It was the same when I made 'Face,' but when you receive investment, you feel a sense of responsibility. However, with 'Face,' since I invested directly, my mind was at ease. The thought 'Let's do it my way' came to me, and that became addictive, leading us all the way to 'Real Paradise.'"

He added, "The intention was to work comfortably with the actors and staff and make the film we want."

The planning process of 'Real Paradise' was also revealed. Director Yeon Sang-ho drew attention by revealing that the original draft of the work was a story written directly by his mother.

He recalled, "I mentioned this before during 'COLONY,' but my mother cherishes me especially. She raised me with great affection. One day, after watching the making-of trailer for 'COLONY' at its release, she called and cried, saying, 'I didn't know you were working so hard.'"

He continued, "During a holiday, I went to my parents' home, and my mother asked, 'How are you writing stories?' So I told her, 'You can write anything.' But when I visited during the next holiday, she had written a story of about three pages herself. That was the original draft for 'Real Paradise.'"

Director Yeon Sang-ho explained, "So I bought that story from my mother. I thought, 'I should try making this into a film,' and afterward, I wrote the film in three versions, with 'Real Paradise' becoming the final version."

He laughed, saying, "What's interesting is that after watching the film, my wife sent me her story via KakaoTalk. Because of that story, I am writing again. I don't know when it will come out, but my wife's story seems even more difficult."

'Real Paradise' follows the psychology of a mother crumbling between her AI-recreated son and her real son who has returned after nine years. Kim Hyeon-joo plays Ryu So-young, the mother shaken by the unfamiliar appearance of her returning son.

Director Yeon Sang-ho said, "I thought it shouldn't just be a simple relationship between a mother and son; there must be an eerie feeling and tension. I have worked with actress Kim Hyeon-joo many times and know well how she acts, so I naturally sent her the script via KakaoTalk."

He continued, "She said she would read it after going to exercise. About two or three hours later, she contacted me saying, 'It seems doable,' and we ended up working together. There wasn't even a security document. It was really a film made like a club activity." He laughed.

Regarding Bae Hyun-sung, who plays the unfamiliar son Seon-woo returning after nine years, he said, "From here on, it went a little beyond club activities. There is a process one must go through to cast such a handsome actor."

He explained further, "'I appeared in an episode of 'Hellbound' Season 2, and I thought I wanted to work with him again. Also, our daughter is a fan of the drama 'Modular Family,' which stars Bae Hyun-sung. We gave him the script, and he readily accepted.'"

Director Yeon Sang-ho expressed confidence, saying, "This film showcases the true value of 'Kim Hyeon-joo-style acting' that actress Kim Hyeon-joo has accumulated over 30 years, and actor Bae Hyun-sung shows a completely different face from what he has shown so far."

Kim Hyeon-joo revealed her acting method, saying, "Compared to my career, my acting skills are somewhat weak. I tend to get caught up in emotions, so when reading the script, I have to read it with a specific angle. I think almost all of the feelings I had when I first read it are what matters."

She added, "I tried to compose myself and read carefully. I thought the texture of acting might be something I could do well, but once we started filming, it wasn't easy."

Regarding her chemistry with director Yeon Sang-ho, whom she has worked on multiple projects with, she showed deep trust. Kim Hyeon-joo said, "The director doesn't have many big conversations or demands. However, he has a strong look of trust in me. Because I want to repay that trust, there are parts where I work harder."

Director Yeon Sang-ho described Kim Hyeon-joo's acting as follows: "When I watch actress Kim Hyeon-joo act, she seems like a superscientist. It feels like that. She is like an F1 driver. Once you step on the gas, speed immediately reaches 200 km/h." This emphasized Kim Hyeon-joo's concentration, which explosively draws up emotions the moment filming begins.

Bae Hyun-sung, who is challenging his first film with 'Real Paradise,' previewed a different side from what he has shown before. Taking on his first leading role on the screen, Bae Hyun-sung said, "I always carry a sense of burden whenever I shoot any work, but this time the burden was heavy. I had to show something different from the acting I have presented so far, and since it is my first leading role, there was an incoming burden. Rather than just trying well, I talked with senior actors and the director, listened to advice, and approached filming with a comfortable mind. I tried to shake off the tension and work hard to show my acting well."

Regarding the reason for choosing the work, Bae Hyun-sung stated, "While reading the script, I became immersed and found it interesting. Through this role, I felt a sense of expectation that I could show a new side different from the acting I have presented so far, which is why I participated."

Kim Hyeon-joo also said she was surprised by Bae Hyun-sung's transformation. He said, "At first, I wondered, 'Does this face feel right?' but when he actually appeared on set, he was completely different. He also helped a lot in creating synergy during acting."

He continued, "Usually, he is very gentle, but suddenly when our eyes meet, tears sometimes come. There are moments when Seon-woo's gaze suddenly appears, and at those times, I couldn't bear to look. Usually, he is cute and gentle, but once filming begins and he becomes Seon-woo, his gaze changes and creates a chilling atmosphere. It was very surprising." He praised him highly.

Especially, Kim Hyeon-joo added, "I think eyes are important for an actor. When I look into Bae Hyun-sung's eyes, there is a deep feeling of being drawn in. He is an actor I look forward to in the future."

Bae Hyun-sung also responded that his chemistry with Kim Hyeon-joo was a great strength in his acting. He said, "There were many scenes where we acted while looking into each other's eyes, and when I saw my senior's eyes, emotions naturally rose up, which was very good."

He further conveyed, "Even though he is comfortable on set, once filming begins, he acts like a superscientist. I received a lot of that energy while acting."

Following last year's low-budget film 'Face' (1.07 million viewers), director Yeon Sang-ho presented this year's 'COLONY' (5.95 million viewers) and now 'Real Paradise.' He stated, "I relieve commercial movie stress in a series, and then I relieve that stress again with low-budget films. If I stop, it will be a big problem; I must keep turning. I relieve work stress through work. This will continue in the future."

Meanwhile, 'Real Paradise' will be released on October 21.

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*This content was translated by AI.