Director Na Hong-jin, from Yanbian gangsters to shamanic practitioners: "Finding characters in new people" [31st BIFF]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Director Na Hong-jin stated that he meets more real people than films to create antagonists for his movies.

The master class "Na Hong-jin: He Is a Genre" at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) was held on the 8th at Shinsegae Centum City in Haeundae-gu, Busan.

Director Na Hong-jin revealed that his works originate from encounters with real people. He began by discussing the origin of the film "Chaser," saying, "I was drinking and watching soccer with close friends at a local bar when I happened to become acquainted with detectives sitting next to us."

He continued, "As we drank all night, one detective said, 'Shall I tell you an interesting story?' and shared a tale related to serial killer Yoo Yeong-cheol. It was about how Yoo was taken away by the Mobile Investigation Unit, gouged out his boss's eyes, and escaped. Since I knew nothing about this, it was extremely shocking."

He also said that he sought out locations and people directly while preparing another work. Director Na stated, "At the time, I wanted to learn about the ethnic Korean community in Garibong-dong. Back then, people carried knives on their belts, and murder cases occurred frequently there," adding, "In search of stories, I flew all the way to Yanbian and even met with organized crime members. Through long conversations with him, I was able to hear various experiences and stories."

When preparing "The Wailing," he directly entered the world of shamanism. He revealed, "I became close with a shaman's family. Because I wanted to properly understand and know about shamanism, I lived with shamans and even spent several months in a hermitage deep in the mountains."

He continued, "As a result, I went beyond simply listening to stories; I actually witnessed various scenes and penetrated into the inner workings of that world," explaining, "Ultimately, for me, meeting real people and entering their lives is far more important than researching through books or materials when creating a work."

Director Na Hong-jin cited the "antagonist" as the first element he considers when starting a film. He said, "When I decide what story to tell, the part I focus on first is the antagonist," adding, "To create that character, I try to meet a great many people."

He continued, "On the contrary, I try not to meet people in the film industry often. I believe that when I am not working, I should go into worlds I do not know," explaining, "Even during 'Hope,' I formed a team with people I had never met before in the East Coast region of Gangwon-do and went fishing together, becoming close with diverse individuals. Through this process, I was able to develop the details of the character."

He stated, "The name 'Yang-bae' in the film was also taken from a real person I met," adding, "I read many books to create an antagonist, but rather than to concretize the character, I tend to read for help with symbolic or metaphorical aspects."

On the other hand, he said he avoids referring to films as much as possible. Director Na stated, "I think that referring to other films can actually have a negative impact," adding, "Therefore, I try to create the antagonist based on the experiences and time gained by meeting real people, listening to their stories, and encountering new individuals."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original