A unique thriller 'Invasion' is coming to theaters.
On the 5th, a press screening and media conference for the film 'Invasion' (written and directed by Kim Yeo-jung and Lee Jung-chan, provided/distributed and produced by Studio Santa Claus Entertainment, co-produced by Blue Fire Studio) took place at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. Actors Kwak Sun-young, Kwon Yu-ri, Lee Seol, Kim Yeo-jung, and director Lee Jung-chan attended the event.
The film 'Invasion' is a psychological destruction thriller that depicts the fissures occurring when Young-eun (played by Kwak Sun-young), whose daily life is collapsing due to her daughter So-hyun's strange behavior, confronts Min (played by Kwon Yu-ri), who lost memories of the past 20 years later, and runs into Hae-young (played by Lee Seol).
On this day, co-director Kim Yeo-jung noted, "There were scripts that each of us was working on, and there were many similar points regarding characters and themes. So we started discussing adapting each other's work. Additionally, we went through a rigorous agreement process during pre-production. Since we have been friends for 11 years, it was challenging, but the process made filming smoother. The staff and actors mentioned that having two CPUs on site was stable."
Director Lee Jung-chan said, "In fact, the original work is not a webtoon; our script was adapted into a webtoon. The characters have grown up in ordinary circumstances and are faced with those situations. We focused on making the audience feel as though it's their own story." He added, "Motherhood is a major theme in our film. Although motherhood is universal, it can also be a huge burden or overwhelming for some. We wanted to discuss how motherhood has been mythologized."
He also shared behind-the-scenes insights about child actor Ki So-yu's explosive performance. Director Kim stated, "Since the role of So-hyun is quite difficult, during our first meeting, I thought immediately that 'it has to be So-yu.' So-yu was 7 years old during filming and is now 9. We naturally consulted with experts during the shoot. I explained the scenes in a way to avoid conveying any jarring elements to So-yu. I was cautious about allowing her to fully immerse in the character's emotions. The staff also paid attention to that. So-yu's mother was incredibly helpful as well. We engaged in conversations for a superficial directing method while being careful not to let her be influenced by the film. Additionally, Senior Sun-young provided a lot of assistance in her role as the mother," he expressed gratitude.
Kwak Sun-young, who plays the role of 'Young-eun,' remarked, "I do not like thriller films and am very scared by horror, but I took on the challenge of a thriller. Although the film has a somewhat heavy and calm mood, the filming set was very enjoyable. I did not feel it was difficult or scary when trying a new genre. I enjoyed it just as much as other projects, and nothing frightening happened."
She also shared her thoughts on the character. Kwak Sun-young stated, "The process of preparing for the character was such that I did not have to strive or implement much because each character has a distinct personality and clear objectives that allowed me to work within that framework. Since the circumstances given to the characters in the script were also clear, it was a matter of faithfully working within that framework, and everything was resolved. Therefore, receiving such a good script did not require any special preparation." She added, "As I focused on the responsibility of raising a child well, I recognized that the difficulty of parenting was somewhat different and varied; however, the heart of wanting to nurture the child to be a healthy member of society and a healthy family was not different from that of an ordinary mother, so it was not too challenging."
She also boasted about her 'genuine' mother-daughter chemistry with child actor Ki So-yu. Kwak Sun-young said, "I feel that my parenting experience did not help my acting. The situation was vastly different. However, it is possible that my personal experiences were expressed in ways I was unaware of. But I did not clearly feel, 'I became a mother and received help.' Rather, during or before filming, I spent time getting closer to So-yu, which seemed to help me as a mother. There were moments during filming when it was tough or we had to wait or we were exhausted. At those times, I think I was the only person who could manage the child. So, we played games like 'Ssesesse,' and there's a trending song called 'Blue Sky.' We did those things, and So-yu even came over to my house to see my dog, and we formed a closer bond, which I think helped me in my maternal experience," she conveyed.
Kwon Yu-ri, who plays the role of 'Min,' said, "The script was so intriguing, and since there was an original webtoon, it felt as if there was a storyboard beforehand. That aspect helped in solidifying things. During pre-production, Lee Seol and I met frequently and practiced as if preparing for a play, even coordinating movements together." She stated, "Conversely, I really love thrillers and am most fond of psychology, destruction, tracking, and mystery. I would never miss an episode of 'I Want to Know That.' Finding issues and articles, and subscribing to channels is my hobby. Among film genres, I favor those that provide a sense of immersion. I like genres that surprise audiences or evoke tension through tracking and mystery, rather than just ghosts. I was pleased to be able to work as a character within that genre. Above all, when I read the script, it captured my attention in one go. I was curious about how this would be adapted into a video. So, the entire process was fascinating to me."
Kwon Yu-ri also shared her thoughts on the characters. She explained, "When I first watched the film, I cried a lot. In hindsight, I empathized with every character. There was some sympathy. It touches on themes like 'family' and 'motherhood' that our film explores. The keyword 'Invasion,' which causes fissures in daily life, is a thought-provoking subject. Therefore, I constantly reflected on how I would have acted in the situations my character Min faced, making it easy to understand her."
He mentioned that through this work, he is showcasing a new side of himself, saying, "If my new appearance is captured, it feels impactful enough for me to think that it's quite successful because I perceived it as a challenge. It was a film not included in my previous work, so for me, it was a new challenge and a fresh approach."
Lee Seol, who plays 'Hae-young,' remarked, "I lived very close to the two directors. It was within walking distance, so throughout the preparations and during filming, we met frequently to talk. I also met with Yu-ri often to practice together. The directors recommended films 'Pearl', Kim Ki-young's 'The Housemaid', and 'Funny Games', and I kept watching the recommended films repeatedly to consider the direction they envisioned while filming."
Also taking on her first thriller challenge, Lee Seol shared, "I really love true love stories like 'About Time' or 'Don't Cross That River.' I also enjoy warm fairy tales like 'Frozen,' and I approached this thriller as another form of 'Call Me by Your Name,' a tale of tragic love. However, I hope the viewers will find it to be an extraordinary thriller they feel was 'intense.'" She noted, "I've mainly worked on small films, so this is the first time I played a character without regional dialect or foreign settings. Just the fact that I'm Korean and can speak Seoul language makes me happy. That alone is a new experience for me, and I'm incredibly happy about it."
Regarding her feelings about meeting her character 'Hae-young,' she reflected, "When I first read the script, I felt 'sadness.' The characters may seem difficult to understand, but I had to understand Hae-young with all my heart. As I thought about it, I realized that Hae-young seems to be a person who wanted to be loved for who she truly is more than anyone. That desire was immense, and she probably acted in unimaginable ways because she did not learn how to express that longing. While it may be seen as a distinctive character, I worked hard to create my own dimensionality by frequently communicating with the directors. I strived to express the despair, loneliness, and sadness that Hae-young might have felt when engaging with the other characters."
In conclusion, Yu-ri stated, "If there were parts you enjoyed, I hope you amplify them and spread the word," while Lee Seol added, "As the movie is about to be released, I feel more fear than joy. Ultimately, the completion of a film is thanks to the viewers, and I hope they will have a favorable impression after watching it."
Meanwhile, the film 'Invasion' will be released in theaters on March 12.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN = reporter Yu Soo-yeon]