A youth romantic film full of love, "Pavane," is looking for viewers.
On the 12th at Megabox COEX in Seoul, a production presentation for the Netflix film "Pavane" was held. Actors Ko A Sung, Byun Yo-Han, Moon Sang Min and director Lee Jong Pil attended.
The film "Pavane" is a youth romance captured through director Lee Jong Pil's original and delicate perspective, about three people who had closed the door to their hearts becoming light for one another and facing life and love.
On the day, director Lee Jong Pil said of the work, "The title 'Pavane' is, so to speak, like a waltz. It's a musical term. It's a slow dance, and the name was also derived from the original novel. I chose 'Pavane' in the hope that it would have a unique meaning for this film. It's a youth romance, but it's a story about three people who are not confident in loving and who learn to love. Also, it's a youth film about three people who were in the darkness of a department store basement moving toward the light."
On his directing focus he said, "Essentially, I liked movies since my teens. Those films were all romances, and I even wrote about them in my diary. Love saves humanity, and ultimately movies are romances. I had the thought that if given the chance I should make a romance. Beyond doing it just because I wanted to, I directed with the intention of putting in feelings that would make those who have loved think, 'I had something like that.'"
He also expressed gratitude toward the actors. About Ko A Sung he said, "This is our second work together, and this time especially. For me, actress A Sung is the best. I remember something she said before filming. She said she thought she might stand slightly aside on set. Normally the set is arranged around the actors, but she said she would be standing off between cuts, so please don't be awkward. Because the character's essence is someone left in the dark, I really liked that she gave us that starting point. What I also wanted was for someone who seems gloomy to shine as they fall in love. You can really see something beautiful stage by stage. The face someone has when they love someone looks truly beautiful, and I'm really grateful."
About Byun Yo-Han he said, "In the original novel there is a character named Yohan, and coincidentally it worked out that way. Here he is 'Park Yohan.' Originally it's a very difficult character to act. He had to go between opposing things. I thought actor Yohan was the pinnacle of that acting. There is a scene where he is cold and then grins, and I loved that. The only actor who could do that was Yohan. When writing the script I wondered, 'Is there really a person like this?' but while shooting and editing the film he was portrayed in a way that felt unfamiliar yet familiar, like someone you might actually meet."
Regarding Moon Sang Min he said, "I asked, 'Can you come at 6?' for a character meeting thinking surely he wouldn't come, but he came the next day without his manager. And at 10 he would buy coffee for the staff and leave. That's how he shaped the character. Actually I didn't have a concrete idea about Gyeongrok myself. When I asked actor Sang Min, 'Why do you want to do this?' he said, 'Because it's like me.' So we prepared together, filming the actor's expressions. Until Sang Min joined during the script stage I wondered, 'Why would Gyeongrok like her (Mijeong)?' because there has to be causality for a romance to begin. But I think love may show conditions but is something that happens without you knowing. While filming with Sang Min, nobody asked those questions. Then I realized the reason: the actor Moon Sang Min, or the person, was truly sincere, and I'm grateful."
On adaptation points he said, "It's similar to the original but different. The biggest difference is that the original explicitly uses the expression and setting of a 'ugly woman.' But the film does not use that expression. The original aimed to portray 1980s Korean society, and for our film I wanted to focus on emotion. And perhaps it's not an ugly face but an ugly heart. We also made it so a variety of people can empathize with it."
Ko A Sung, who plays 'Mijeong,' explained her reason for choosing the project: "Director Lee Jong Pil was the biggest attraction. Having worked together on the previous film 'Samjin Company English Class,' I knew that as a director who came from acting he understands actors' minds better than anyone, so I gladly joined. About the character 'Mijeong' she said, "She is someone who lives with her heart closed. But as she meets Gyeongrok and Yohan she wonders, 'Could I open my heart to people too?' and gradually receives light." She added that she and the director spent a long time thinking about how to realize the image of Mijeong and praised the makeup team.
She continued, "Actually, the roles I've taken personally so far have been somewhat opposite. I played upright characters who were proud even if lacking. I think I mistakenly lived believing I was that kind of person. In truth I'm someone with a very weak side. To portray Mijeong this time I had to bring out that buried part of myself. Only after facing my honest self could I express Mijeong," she said, raising expectations.
Ko A Sung, who paid attention to weight gain and even chopstick detail to inhabit the character, said, "There are several scenes where Mijeong's handwriting is shown, and I thought about how she would write. I felt Mijeong would express her heart more through writing than speaking, so I thought she would write each letter neatly. Personally I know two ways of using chopsticks. I used one of them—the incorrect way I used as a child." She added, "I wanted to focus on Mijeong's change. Thanks to the production's consideration we filmed fairly in sequence, which allowed me to focus on the process of gradually opening her heart and being loved."
Byun Yo-Han said about his reason for joining the project, "I liked the director's work, and I received the 'Pavane' script around 8 p.m. He said it was a romance. I asked, 'Is it a melodrama?' and he said no. I read it and think I read it twice right there. This adapted work was so special. I was convinced that, aside from the director, no one could reinterpret and make this work. I joined because A Sung and Sang Min are actors I really like."
About the character 'Yohan' he said, "He's a friend with complex emotions. In the film he goes beyond honestly expressing his feelings; he often uses metaphorical words to be more honest. But those lines were difficult, so I talked with the director many times. I acted to suit me. As if hurt but not hurt. As if having loved but not having loved, as if knowing but not knowing, as if not knowing but knowing. I acted like that."
He continued, "You couldn't play it simply lightly. Yohan is a character who needed to watch and support the other two. I focused on at which point I could show the weight and deep wounds he carries. I also tried bleaching my hair for the first time, and my scalp really hurt. It was a really tough hair process. The remaining black roots are hope, and the rest felt like parts of the pain Yohan had endured up to now."
Notably, last December it was reported that Byun Yo-Han was dating former Girls' Generation member Tiffany with marriage in mind, generating attention. The two grew close after meeting on the Disney+ series "Uncle SamSik," released in May 2024. When asked about feelings on marriage, he joked, "That's not a light question at all; it's very difficult," and added, "First, I'm grateful. That's a reason to watch our 'Pavane.' To receive love and give love. Through this film I want to meet viewers around the world to show what love is. I'll live well as much as you've supported us," drawing applause.
Moon Sang Min explained his reason for joining the project: "I greatly trusted director Lee Jong Pil and had faith in the head of the production company. When I read the script I felt like I was looking at myself from two years ago, Moon Sang Min at 25 or 26. It seemed to contain that much youth. Even though I'm living diligently I had felt empty inside, and reading the script comforted and moved me. The biggest thing was when I read Gyeongrok's lines and felt, 'This is really similar to my way of speaking,' I gained confidence and wanted to participate."
About his character he said, "Gyeongrok dreams of being a dancer but collides with reality and just gets by. I want to express Gyeongrok as the number '0.' His expression, emotions, and speech are '0.' He's like a friend. But as he meets Mijeong and Yohan that number fills up and emotions arise. He's a friend who asks himself, 'Why should I live?' a lot, and thanks to the two people he finds that answer."
He added, "Because he is a character who dreams of being a dancer, I thought he had to express professional movements. In preparation I did dance training, but since Gyeongrok doesn't speak much I thought of him as someone who expresses emotion through his body. So while filming I thought more about how to express it here than precise movements."
In particular, Moon Sang Min said, "The director gave me a lot of time. Because he's busy we would always meet three hours each at 6 or 7 a.m. and discuss the script over coffee, but what I remember most is the process of finding Gyeongrok's blank expression together. From empty eyes there must be a sense of emptiness but energy. I looked in the mirror a lot to capture expressions. I kept looking for Gyeongrok in my daily life," sharing behind-the-scenes about his acting.
Riding momentum after the currently airing drama 'Eun-ae-haneun Thief,' Moon Sang Min said, "If I have a goal, I want people after 'Pavane' is released to react, 'Was that friend really that friend?' It was a character I hadn't challenged before, somewhat unpolished and rough. I expect reactions like, 'I didn't know he had that face.'"
Finally, director Lee Jong Pil urged viewers, "I think the viewing points of this film will be different for each person. So I hope everyone watches it—those who are in love, those who loved long ago, people who will fall in love soon. Even pets— I hope all living beings around the world really watch this film," and Byun Yo-Han added, "Everyone, love."
Meanwhile, the film "Pavane" will be released on Netflix on Feb. 20.
[photo] OSEN DB
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