'Aema' Lee Ha-Nee worried about prenatal education and stopped using profanity, bringing laughter.
On the morning of the 18th, a production presentation for the Netflix series 'Aema' was held at the Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery in Mapo District, Seoul. In attendance were main actors Lee Ha-Nee, Bang Hyo-Rin, Jin Sun-Kyu, Jo Hyun-Cheol, and director Lee Hae-Young.
'Aema' tells the story of top star Hee-Ran (played by Lee Ha-Nee) and rookie actress Joo-Ae (played by Bang Hyo-Rin) boldly confronting the dark reality overshadowed by the glamorous spotlight of the 1980s erotic film boom in Korea. The series captures both the dazzling light and dark sides of Chungmuro in the '80s, delivering a sense of catharsis as they confront the era in their own ways.
Director Lee Hae-Young, who has continuously captivated the public with new stories and characters and a distinctive style in films such as 'Believer', 'Ghost', and 'Champion Madonna', is making her first series directorial debut with this project. Lee Ha-Nee, embodying the top actress of the 80s in both looks and speech, along with the boldly spirited rookie actress Bang Hyo-Rin, and Jin Sun-Kyu, who cleverly portrays the producer's ambition and desires, join forces with Jo Hyun-Cheol, expressing the concerns and frustrations of a rookie director.
Lee Ha-Nee, who portrays the protagonist Hee-Ran, introduced the work by saying, "In the 1980s Chungmuro, movies were synonymous with Chungmuro. The people from that time, the actors, production companies, and staff, all fought against the dark reality and struggled to achieve things."
She continued, "The character Jung Hee-Ran I play wins the best actress award at an international film festival from her first appearance and returns home. She's the top actress of the time, confident and assertive. However, she declares that she will no longer perform revealing scenes. She believes she has done enough and wants to experience a new 80s. But as she takes on a supporting role in 'Aema' produced by the production company, she is once again compelled to perform revealing scenes. She struggles against the violent aspects while fighting for her achievements."
Lee Ha-Nee, a pregnant woman nearing her due date next week, personally attended the production presentation. She initially considered not attending due to concerns about her condition, but changed her mind out of affection for the project. However, she did not step onto the photo line and appeared alongside security during the talk time where serious discussions about the project took place.
Lee Ha-Nee noted that she has vaguely experienced the unfairness faced by actresses from that era in the film. "I can't say I fully experienced the old system, but I caught a glimpse of its waning days. It was disheartening to see women being consumed sexually. Now, with a completely different perspective, I was able to actively and freely portray the 1980s. I'm glad we have reached a time where we can view the 1980s with contemporary viewpoints as times have changed."
In response to the question, "Have you ever stood up against injustice?" she replied, "Back then, I was a rookie, so I couldn't even think along those lines," adding, "Because of that, my memories from my rookie days remain as scars. Although things have improved significantly now, I still wish for people to come first. Since this is a work that unveils human life, I believe there must be a better direction. Through many experiences, there have been changes within me, and when facing injustices, I've learned to speak firmly. There's a line in the script that says, 'The world still sucks, and I'm going to be even more f***ed.' I resonated with that deeply. I feel like the word 'f***' expresses my mindset of becoming stronger and navigating through this situation wisely."
MC Park Kyung-Rim expressed her concern, saying, "I understand that (the birth) is happening today or tomorrow, but isn't the baby listening?" Lee Ha-Nee responded, "Then I'll just use 'beep' to talk about it," quickly correcting herself and bringing laughter.
Even with just a week left until her second birth, Lee Ha-Nee managed to fulfill her schedule, stating, "Everything is a first experience for me. I've given birth before, but I've heard that the second is happening quite quickly. I can't predict my condition at all." She added, "To be honest, I've wanted to attend the presentation from the beginning, but I was worried about not being able to keep my promise. However, seeing my condition yesterday, it didn't seem like the baby would be coming out today. (laughs) So I decided to attend. My affection for 'Aema' is unique, and I wanted to at least say hello and introduce the viewers to what kind of work 'Aema' is. Even with my belly out, I wanted to be here," she smiled.
She also added, "My health is very good. The due date is next week," and mentioned, "I'm a little worried, but I'm managing to walk around clumsily with my pregnant belly."
'Aema' will be released worldwide on Netflix in over 190 countries at 4 p.m. on the 22nd.
[Photo] Lee Dae-Seon, reporter
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