"The True Essence of Kim Hyeon-ju's Acting, Bae Hyun-seong's New Face"... Director Yeon Sang-ho Confident in 'Paradise Lost' [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Director Yeon Sang-ho peers into humanity's most complex depths with "Paradise Lost," a project that began with a story written by his mother.

The press screening for the film "Paradise Lost" (Directed by Yeon Sang-ho) was held on the 12th at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. Director Yeon Sang-ho and actors Kim Hyeon-ju and Bae Hyun-seong attended the event, sharing various insights.

"Paradise Lost" is a psychological thriller that begins when Ryu Sun-woo (played by Bae Hyun-seong), whom his mother Ryu So-young (played by Kim Hyeon-ju) believed to be dead after losing him in a camping school bus disappearance incident nine years ago, miraculously returns alive.

Regarding the reason for directing the work, Director Yeon Sang-ho stated, "Last year's 'Face' received a good response, which gave me the courage to shoot 'Paradise Lost,'" adding, "In a way, I only have memories of shooting it enjoyably with good film colleagues."

"Paradise Lost" is based on a story written by Director Yeon Sang-ho's mother. He said with a smile, "My mother wrote three stories, and I bought just one," noting, "It had a strange atmosphere, and I was drawn to it."

He continued, "The psychology of the wicked son and his mother, as well as the final choice, were impressive. Curiosity was sparked about what that psychology was," explaining, "I think I approached the script work with the intention of exploring that part more deeply."

In particular, Director Yeon Sang-ho emphasized that he wanted to question what it means to be human in the AI era through "Paradise Lost."

He said, "I think being human in the AI era means living in a world where contemplation exists," adding, "Contemplation does not exist in the world of AI. Humans experience various emotions, including suffering, and I believed that is what makes us human."

He further added, "There are spaces for contemplation that remain unresolved even for humans, and I believe that is the abyss of humanity," stating, "I tried to portray humans in that manner."

Kim Hyeon-ju plays Ryu So-young, a mother who wavers between longing, confusion, and fear for her beloved son, firmly guiding the center of the drama.

Regarding acting out the complexly changing emotions of Ryu So-young surrounding her son, she said, "I receive quite a few questions about what kind of emotion I acted with, but in reality, I don't really worry about that."

She revealed, "When I first read the scenario, I was already given a certain amount of information, so I thought that in that situation, it could only be that emotion. Because I expressed exactly what I felt, there was no emotional dilemma."

However, she said she focused on "sincerity" so that audiences could follow Ryu So-young's emotions to the end. Kim Hyeon-ju conveyed, "I thought that if I acted with sincerity in my emotions, the audience would be able to follow me. So, above all else, I focused on expressing emotions sincerely while acting."

In particular, Kim Hyeon-ju viewed the mother-son relationship in "Paradise Lost" as inevitably different from a typical mother-son relationship. She revealed, "This is because the nine years that passed between the two people acted completely differently on each of them."

She then explained, "So-young lived believing that the son in the AI was her real son. I think she lived treating the actual son as if he were already a dead person from that point on," adding, "In such a situation, facing her actual son again after nine years, it must have felt less like a son and more like a strange man."

Bae Hyun-seong, challenging his first film lead role, adds a chilling tension to the drama with his unreadable gaze and unfamiliar atmosphere.

Bae Hyun-seong revealed that he focused on his gaze and actions rather than dialogue to portray Sun-woo. He said, "The amount of dialogue wasn't that much. While preparing for and acting as Sun-woo, I thought it was more important to create the cold air that the mother feels whenever I appear near her, through a chilling gaze, than to express the lines."

He continued, "I also tried to make my actions and walk as slow as possible. I acted in a way that could draw the mother's attention by moving so slowly."

In emotional scenes with Kim Hyeon-ju, he focused on the other person's dialogue and gaze. Bae Hyun-seong revealed, "Since Sun-woo is not a character who talks much, when acting emotional scenes with my senior, I tried to react by carefully reading and listening to what the mother says and her gaze."

He also put effort into external changes. He said, "I thought Sun-woo would have lived outside the house for a long time, so I did a rough hairstyle. Since he would have been active outdoors a lot, I think he would have gotten freckles, so I expressed even that part with makeup," adding, "These external elements were a great help in portraying Sun-woo."

Kim Hyeon-ju revealed that she intentionally maintained distance from Bae Hyun-seong, who played her son in the drama, in real life as well. She said with a smile, "I emphasized that I have never been like a mother," adding, "There was no physical time for us to get close. We finished filming in 14 takes over one month, so we needed time to focus on ourselves."

She continued, "In the drama as well, the two were not in a close relationship, so we actually got closer after filming ended," adding, "Since Mr. Hyun-seong took on a role that wasn't easy, I think we intentionally maintained a bit of distance during filming."

Director Yeon Sang-ho also explained that the two actors started filming in an environment where they could focus on their respective characters rather than building intimacy before shooting.

He recalled, "Usually when making a film, you meet with the actors a lot beforehand, but for this film, I think we met the actors separately," adding, "I didn't even perform the traditional ritual (gosa) that I always do when filming. I think we just started filming one day."

Director Yeon Sang-ho asked for expectations for the work, expressing confidence by saying, "You will be able to see Bae Hyun-seong's new face and confirm the true essence of acting possessed by the actor Kim Hyeon-ju."

He continued, "I think the ultimate entertainment that the medium of film possesses is that a new story begins with the person next to you from the moment the film ends," adding, "I believe 'Paradise Lost' can be such a film. We worked hard on it, so please give us your attention."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original