Director Min Gyudong of The Old Woman with the Knife revealed behind-the-scenes details about the filming that had many ups and downs.
On the afternoon of the 29th, an interview with Director Min Gyudong, who directed the film The Old Woman with the Knife, took place at a café located in Sokgyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The Old Woman with the Knife (directed by Min Gyudong, produced by Sup Film, distributed by NEW) is an action drama depicting the intense confrontation between the legendary killer Jo Gak (played by Lee Hye-young), who has been active in an organization that deals with cockroach-like humans for over 40 years, and the mysterious killer Tuwoo (played by Kim Sung-cheol), who has chased him all his life. It garnered global attention by making its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival and drew interest by announcing official invitations to the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival and the Beijing International Film Festival.
Director Min Gyudong graduated from the Department of Economics at Seoul National University, obtained a master's degree in film from the University of Paris VIII, and made his commercial film debut in 1999 with 'Whispering Corridors 2: The Voice.' This is the latest work by Director Min Gyudong, who has expanded his directorial prowess through films like 'My Most Beautiful Weekend,' 'Antique,' 'All About My Wife,' 'The Treacherous,' and 'Herstory.'
Director Min Gyudong noted, "I thought, if this movie doesn't come out, 'the Min Gyudong doll will be made and cursed.' Lee Hye-young senior said she wanted to give up several times. She had never done a project leading a film alone, so she was worried, 'Can I express this?' Especially in the action area, she knew the audience's expectations were very high and worried it would be dissatisfying if the action was fake, causing her a lot of anxiety and fear. She shivered with apprehension and even collapsed while doing a reading, saying, 'I really feel I can't do this.'"
He continued, "But that energy of fear was a really good attitude. The senior had many complexes about her voice as an actress, being criticized since her 20s, but I liked all of that. It matched well with the legendary presence and aura in the fantasy world. She exclaimed it matched so well with the present situation, emphasizing her intense commitment. Initially, all the staff were skeptical. She gave her all to prove herself and even had a firearm accident on set where her hand caught fire. The special effects person said it was an accident they had never encountered before. Senior Lee Hye-young quickly extinguished the fire and said, 'It's okay,' and immediately resumed filming. Ultimately, that fear transformed into good energy."
Moreover, Director Min Gyudong said, "When the senior finished shooting the last scene and hugged me, I couldn't help but cry. I ran away as the tears wouldn't stop. The whole way down from the 5th floor, I couldn't stop crying. I realized I unconsciously thought, 'This project can't come to an end.' In confirming the impossible, at the end, I felt like I had been reborn, and that moment was so overwhelming that it brought me to tears. I was caught by the staff on the first floor, so I went back up and took a commemorative photo with the senior," recalling that moment.
Meanwhile, The Old Woman with the Knife is set to be released on the 30th.
[Photo] NEW, Sup Film provided
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