Director Yeon Sang-ho and actor Park Jung-min are set to face off against director Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung-hun in their new film "Face."
On the morning of the 22nd, a production briefing for the movie "Face" (directed by Yeon Sang-ho) was held at Lotte Cinema Gunja in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Attending the meeting were Yeon Sang-ho, actor Park Jung-min, Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Hyun-bin, Lim Sung-jae, and Han Ji-hyun, who shared their thoughts.
The movie "Face" tells the story of Im Dong-hwan, the son of the visually impaired master craftsman Im Young-kyu, who uncovers the truth behind the death of his mother, whose skeletal remains he believed had been missing for 40 years.
Im Dong-hwan, who learns of his mother's existence and investigates the mysteries surrounding faces, along with actor Park Jung-min playing the young Im Young-kyu, said, "As the son delves into his father's youth, I thought that having the actor playing the son perform alongside him could convey strange emotions to the audience. Personally, I had never tried something like this, so I thought it would be fun, and the director gladly accepted. I wondered if he was doing this to save on the appearance fee, but I enjoyed filming thanks to this opportunity," he joked.
Director Yeon Sang-ho praised, "Actor Park Jung-min is a really talented actor. He has transitioned from being a good actor to a leading actor representing Korea. Now, when you think of Korean actors, I believe you should think of the name Park Jung-min." He continued, "His irritation has deepened. Previously, it felt like he was just expressing irritation while acting, but now it has become more nuanced. There is depth to his irritation. You will feel it when you see the real film. I was honored to witness someone who expresses that so freely. Moreover, there are moments in the beginning where he has to hold back his irritation, creating immense tension for the audience. He is someone who gets irritated easily, but holding it back adds an incredible layer to the film's tension," he said, building anticipation.
When asked about the experience of playing dual roles, Park Jung-min said, "It was fun. I realized that there are mutual emotional influences at play. Acting as the young Im Young-kyu added depth to my feelings as Im Dong-hwan. As the story progresses, I felt a sense of influence from one character to another, creating a unique acting experience that I had never felt before."
He continued, "It's a grateful opportunity because I shot the role of Im Young-kyu a couple of rounds before (Kwon Hae-hyo) senior. Upon seeing that, my senior picked up on some of my acting nuances, which made the characters' faces seem somewhat similar, even though we don't look alike. Thank you for considering that and integrating it into the film. While watching, I felt that there were some scenes that made me think, 'This is indeed my face, but it looks like Kwon Hae-hyo.' I'm grateful that my senior was considerate. As someone I usually admire and respect, I get mesmerized while acting alongside him," he expressed his admiration.
Currently playing the role of Im Young-kyu, Kwon Hae-hyo shares, "The inability to see means I had to wear lenses to film, which makes it hard to see clearly. There is a peculiar comfort in that experience. After all, we usually gather information through our eyes, and in that state of not seeing, there's a sense of stability and comfort. I felt less conscious about how I appear. It wasn't burdensome, and to be honest, my late father-in-law was visually impaired. Seeing him by my side made it feel natural to accept it without knowing it," he conveyed.
In response, Director Yeon Sang-ho noted, "The very first character I thought of while making this film was Im Young-kyu. He is a visually impaired individual, ironically involved in visual arts, and has overcome tremendous challenges. I believe he symbolizes a person representative of Korea's rapid growth. I began to shape the story through the character's backstory of Im Young-kyu and Jung Young-hee, which adds depth to the narrative."
Meanwhile, Shin Hyun-bin took on the role of Jung Young-hee, Im Dong-hwan's mother, marking her first challenge with "faceless" acting. She explained, "I was the wife of Im Young-kyu and the mother of Im Dong-hwan. One day, I disappeared without a trace. I am the person the film is searching for. Jung Young-hee is in a special situation that serves as a narrative device. How to accept this character depends on others, but I believe she is inherently good and just. I contemplated how to express that. Since the face is not revealed, it requires an alternative form of expression, so I thought about what other aspects we could explore or reveal differently."
He remarked, "When I first heard about the role, I thought, 'This is the kind of film I want to make, and these actors might be cast.' Among the roles, there was one where the face doesn't appear. I was thinking about proposing such a role to the actors because it requires a different expression. I mentioned that there might be actors who find such scenarios intriguing. Since sometimes there are voice-only parts or dubbing, I believed some actors would accept the proposal if suggested by the director. Then it turned out that way," he said, adding, "Upon reading the script, I found the story itself intriguing. It felt like a narrative that would lead us emotionally, and I pondered about the opportunity to play such a role with this setup. It might be challenging but could also be fun; I started working with those thoughts in mind. However, during filming, I realized that both feelings truly coexisted."
He added, "In reality, actors tend to aim for their faces to be prominently seen and expressions to be clearly expressed, so avoiding that becomes a challenge. I had to figure out how to convey feelings through gestures, movements, and voice. Considering that Park Jung-min would be in a visually attentive situation, I contemplated how he might feel when he hears something. I discussed with the director about controlling voice tone; I thought since my character was misunderstood, I needed to express that fully through my voice. I found many new perspectives in dealing with these aspects."
Director Yeon Sang-ho stated, "If we express the character of Jung Young-hee simply, it might come across as an uncomfortable notion of justice. It's justice, yet uncomfortable. I contemplated how those around her would define this uncomfortable justice. In the film, portraying Jung Young-hee's face conveys that uncomfortable justice, making her face extremely significant. The direction involved not revealing the face, and in a way, how an actor conveys various emotions through their face is substantial. Knowing from the start that Shin Hyun-bin would not show her face, she expressed a lot through hand and shoulder movements. What surprised me personally was that after editing the film, despite her face not being revealed, the emotions conveyed by Jung Young-hee paradoxically felt pronounced, and I thought Shin Hyun-bin acted exceptionally well."
Lim Sung-jae, who plays the role of the factory owner Baek Joo-sang at the Cheonggyecheon clothing factory, said, "He is the owner of the clothing factory in Cheonggyecheon. He pays his employees on time and is someone who captures faces. So, in this story, he contributes to the plot's twists. He doesn't just have a cute face; there's another side to him, so please look forward to that."
Han Ji-hyun, who plays the documentary producer Kim Soo-jin, explained, "I am the producer who interviews the master craftsman Im Young-kyu and films the documentary. I sought provocative subjects while interviewing the craftsman and also pursued special cases. I am the person searching for Jung Young-hee alongside her son Im Dong-hwan, who is on a quest to find his mysterious mother. I may seem malicious and selfish, but as the story unfolds, I attempted to express a transformation where I empathize with Jung Young-hee's feelings."
Inquirer Yeon Sang-ho expounded on the impetus for creating "Face," saying, "The work called 'Face' was expressed through the medium of comics, and I had been looking for an opportunity to visualize it. Upon reflection, I believe the reason lies in the emotional impact that arises at the ending of 'Face.' The emotions from the ending are rare. It's not often that I come across a piece that can deliver such emotions at the end. I wanted to share that feeling with the audience." He continued, "Secondly, it is challenging to articulate that the emotions conveyed at the end hold commercial value. It's a precious feeling and a critical point. Presenting that to others, especially when there are so many media outlets—OTT platforms, theaters, YouTube, and more—makes it tough. As someone making films, I felt that if I didn't diversify my approach to filmmaking, I wouldn't be able to continue creating. I wished to explore various angles in making films for multiple reasons."
"Face" is a distinct work created with an ultra-low budget of around 200 million won, featuring a production staff of only about 20 people, which is about one-third of a typical commercial film's crew, and was filmed over three weeks in just 13 sessions. Director Yeon Sang-ho stated, "There are major scenes with five dialogues, as well as wove stories of the past. The actors created an excellent structure for those five-dialogue scenes, making it so that just through their conversations, the audience could immerse into and connect with the story. This production allowed direct communication with the actors when designing their favorite scenes, which was enjoyable. This flexibility is possible in productions like this. In large films, changes during initial discussions are frequent, and that lack of agility inhibits realistic performances, scenes, and situations. I believe this was the perfect production approach for this film."
He expressed, "Every time I work on a project, I think about wanting to create a new film. To put it more literarily, I yearn to make a film with a new soul. One day, I pondered that to create a movie with a new soul, I needed a new body. I thought about making it in a completely different way than I have before. There was, of course, fear: What if the film turns out poorly? The element of poor quality is something that only larger-scale films experience, so I worried that if the visual quality or results fall short, that would be problematic. The very thought of worry was a barrier to diversifying my producing methods. I decided to suppress that fear. Gathering with my team and actors, I found that I had no fear at all. Rather, it seems like it would be completed in a much better way. Even though they say the budget is limited, it has always been limited. I have never shot anything abundantly; I've always been pressed for time. Ironically, "Face" was created while allowing for the most abundance and time possible."
"Face" will premiere as a world premiere invitation in the Special Presentation section of the Toronto International Film Festival. Director Yeon Sang-ho expressed, "I'm honored and excited to present "Face" at the Toronto International Film Festival. I feel nervous because I believe the film's story will be more understandable for Koreans. It feels burdensome to present it first to the North American audience," he mentioned, adding, "I'm personally sorry because I want to show this to many people quickly, but since it's at the Toronto world premiere, I can't screen it before then. Thus, I feel apologetic about the press screening being so close to the release. It's likely that I'll have to do a virtual press conference during the Toronto film festival. However, they say it will be at 3 a.m. in Toronto, so I will have to stay alert and not adjust to the time difference for the conference."
In particular, "Face" is set to be released around the same time as director Park Chan-wook's new film "The Unreasonable," leading to a non-competitive competition. Director Yeon Sang-ho said, "I see it as a showdown between actor Lee Byung-hun and actor Park Jung-min. Let's see them compete in September for the title of Korea's representative acting talent," drawing laughter. Startled, Park Jung-min said, "He is a senior I respect greatly, so I cannot speak carelessly. Director Park Chan-wook is also someone I greatly admire," adding, "We will focus on doing our part well. I will also go to the theater to see 'The Unreasonable', so I hope you will come to see 'Face'. Let's do our best!"
Regarding his participation in "Face" without a guarantee, he quipped, "I truly regret taking part without a guarantee. I didn't expect it to come out like this." He continued, "I thought it was most meaningful to contribute to a good movie and a good story. I greatly admire the director. It feels comfortable being around him. We talk a lot about the project. If he has plans and projects, and if there's anything I can help with, I gladly assist. Since the production cost is low, asking for a few coins feels like an offensive thing. So I decided to go passionately and loyalty-wise, and that was it; it didn't hold much significance."
Lastly, Director Yeon Sang-ho said, "As a child, my dream was to be in a rock band. I envied the freedom of teams moving around and making music together, and I think the people here represent my rock band. Presenting this work called 'Face' and going through this process of release will likely remain a memorable experience for me. I want to go through that ending together with those present and the audience."
Han Ji-hyun remarked, "While acting, I wonder if the audience shares the same thoughts as I do. I watched the last scene and had various thoughts. I'm curious whether the audience will have similar feelings. When the film releases, I would like to share what feelings I experienced," she stated. Lim Sung-jae added, "Upon watching the last scene, I also had a lot of thoughts. This is a golden opportunity and the final chance for fans who turned their backs on director Yeon Sang-ho to return. 'Face' is a noteworthy tentpole film this fall. You must see it," which bewildered Director Yeon Sang-ho.
In response, Shin Hyun-bin said, "There are people who love the director's feature animation and early works. While the early feelings are well blended into existing commercial works, this film showcases them prominently, so as a fan, I wanted to mention that. I believe it's a movie that can invoke diverse thoughts and discussions. I am curious and excited to see how I will understand Jung Young-hee and how I will experience the film. I hope to see much interest and meet you in theaters."
Kwon Hae-hyo commented, "Many out there might share the same sentiment about the recent situation in Korean cinema theaters. There are various Korean films scheduled for release in the second half of the year. There was a time when filmmakers assumed audiences wouldn't like those forms, but now it seems films stating 'We will tell these stories' are reaching out to audiences. I hope that through extensive promotions, audiences will take this opportunity to visit theaters and meet the films," he shared. Park Jung-min added, "I hope this film progresses to a stage where we can discuss the film together. That was also the way we filmed, and regarding how the audience perceives the implications of the film, I hope it can lead to conversations."
Meanwhile, the movie will be released in theaters on September 11.
[Photo] OSEN Reporter Choi Gyu-han
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