Actor Hong Seok-cheon resonated with his coming out behind the scenes.
On the night of the 16th, in the 19th episode of the KBS 1TV movie talk show 'Life is a Movie,' Hong Seok-cheon appeared as a guest and candidly shared his experiences with discrimination and love in movies, as well as his coming out experience.
The broadcast that day featured a wide range of movie discussions, including Western films dealing with racial discrimination, 'Samjin Group English Toeic Class' raising issues of gender discrimination in 1990s Korean society, Lee Chang-dong's 'OA' focusing on love between people with disabilities, and the trend of queer films.
The life movie recommended by guest Hong Seok-cheon was Ian's 'Brokeback Mountain.' He noted, "When I watched it in the theater, my heart was pounding. I even wondered if it was okay to watch this movie in the same space as others," vividly conveying the atmosphere of Korean society at the time.
Liner said, "When Wong Kar-wai's 'Happy Together' was brought to Korea, they initially cut the bed scene between Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung at the beginning. That shows how conservative Korea was at that time."
In this context, Hong Seok-cheon recalled the significant impact of his coming out in 2000, stating, "I waited for the day when queer culture would be accepted naturally, and lately it's fortunate to see more queer films and dramas emerging in various genres, receiving love worldwide."
Meanwhile, Hong Seok-cheon mentioned, "From about 5 to 6 years ago, I've thought that if 'queer materials are made properly, they can make money and win awards,'" expressing his willingness to write a script himself.
Hong Seok-cheon stated, "This isn't a story about aliens, but rather it could be about my friends, siblings, and children. Please watch it with an open mind," urging not to view queer culture and queer content through distorted lenses.
'Life is a Movie' Episode 19 reaffirmed the idea that movies are a mirror of society through various film reviews depicting discrimination and love.
Beyond simple reviews, the life movie talk show 'Life is a Movie' Episode 20 will revisit moments when movies become life, airing on KBS 1TV at 11:05 p.m. on the 23rd (Saturday).
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by KBS.
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