The film "My Name" reinterprets the pain of the Jeju April 3rd incident in a contemporary way through director Jung Ji-young, who has addressed the era's pain, and actress Yeom Hye-ran, who has received praise for her acting.
On the afternoon of the 2nd, at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, a press screening and press conference for the film "My Name" (director Jung Ji-young; production Lets Film·Aura Pictures; co-production M eighty-three·Viva Film; distribution CJ CGV·Wide Release) were held. Director Jung Ji-young and actors Yeom Hye-ran, Shin Woo-bin, Choi Joon-woo, and Park Ji-bin attended and discussed the film under the moderation of broadcaster Kim Kyung-sik.
"My Name" is a well-made mystery drama film that modernly unravels the Jeju April 3rd incident through the two generations of Yeong-ok (Shin Woo-bin), an 18-year-old son who wants to erase his embarrassing name, and his mother Yeong-ok (Yeom Hye-ran), who raises a son who is like a grandson to her. Yeom Hye-ran, praised for the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines, meets director Jung Ji-young, who has cinematically addressed the era's pain. The film also features former child actor Park Ji-bin and rising talents such as Shin Woo-bin and Choi Joon-woo, generating anticipation.
Director Jung Ji-young, speaking about presenting the film, said, "In Berlin, I saw strong reactions from Korean expatriates, Germans and foreign film professionals. But this is the first time I am presenting the film to Korean reporters, and I'm genuinely curious how you saw it. My heart is pounding," expressing his feelings about showcasing the film.
Director Jung Ji-young went on to explain the impetus for "My Name": "I have long had an interest in the April 3rd incident. I thought someone else would make the film, so I did not take it on. The reason was that I would have to address north-south issues or ideological issues, and those stories were already told in Southern Army and Namyeong-dong 1985, so I tried to avoid telling the same story differently. Kim Soon-ho, the representative who co-produced, brought the script for 'My Name' and I read it, but at the time I didn't like the script, so I thought it wasn't right. However, one idea was good: the search for a name. He suggested I rewrite it as I wished and make the film with that concept, and I didn't want to lose that idea. Starting from there, we worked hard on the film for two years, and after receiving good evaluations abroad, I am grateful to Kim Soon-ho," he said.
He also discussed directorial concerns: "I thought it would be difficult to address the April 3rd story comprehensively. Many people still do not know about 4.3 and it has been taboo; although it has been somewhat revealed, many still do not know. I chose to start from the present and set 1998, when the 4.3 issue was lifted, as the main period, and to trace back to the time the April 3rd incident occurred because I thought that would make people more curious and prompt them to search further. That's why I chose this method," he said.
In particular, the film juxtaposes state violence with the school violence Yeong-ok experienced to show parallels. Director Jung Ji-young said, "I read many books about violence. When violence occurs within social relationships, usually there is a community, and when an outsider enters to restore order, conflict begins and it becomes collective violence. This is true not only of state violence but also in general society. I analyzed school violence similarly and structured it. The violence of the April 3rd incident is horrific even to my eyes, and suddenly showing that to the audience would be shocking, so I created a buffer with school violence. I also wanted to show the inheritance of violence. I wanted to show that even acts like a slap were inherited from the April 3rd incident through 1998," he said.
Coincidentally, President Lee Jae-myung recently drew attention by calling for harsh punishment for state violence. Director Jung Ji-young drew a line, saying, "President Lee Jae-myung spoke about state violence in Jeju. We began the film before President Lee Jae-myung took office. We started making it earlier than that," while adding, "We had planned to open on April 3 this time, but that is not entirely up to us; it depends on theaters and distributors. Perhaps the timing was right. April is a time to reflect more deeply on state violence, I think. From that perspective, I believe the film's release timing was well chosen."
He continued, "The violence of 4.3 remains unnamed and unovercome. Many Jeju residents still suffer from that trauma. But students living in 1998 have overcome that violence. As the protagonist regains friendship and solidarity, I believe that whether the violence is state-sponsored or otherwise, it can be overcome through the recovery of friendship and solidarity. So I consider solidarity to be very important. Facing any violence is not the work of a single person's resistance; to overcome it requires solidarity," he emphasized.
Shin Woo-bin added, "Since the director mentioned 'solidarity,' I can also explain with the keyword 'family.' There is solidarity among friends and in society, but Yeong-ok's relationship with her mother and son influenced her behavior toward Minsu; I thought the mother's influence would cause changes and reversions in her actions. I think family influence plays a role," he chimed in.
Yeom Hye-ran transforms once again into a "Jeju mother" as Jeong-soon in "My Name," following Gwang-rye in When Life Gives You Tangerines. She joked, "Compared with Gwang-rye, Jeong-soon lived longer." At the same time she said, "It was very difficult to express such great pain. Among what the director told me, the common point was that she was a mother who endured the tortured history of Korea with her whole body. The director said he wanted the character to resemble our present lives rather than being someone who only lives in the past. It's okay to live forgetting it; it's just uncomfortable, and you can live without it. So I decided not to portray a character who carried pain from the start but rather someone who had daily discomforts and gradually resolves them," she added.
Yeom Hye-ran explained the detailed emotional acting: "There are many works dealing with the Jeju April 3rd incidents, and I referenced those works. Among them, testimony collections were helpful. I was particularly impressed by the testimonies of people who actually experienced it, showing an unembellished process without going through creative adaptation," she explained.
So was there any burden in choosing a film based on the true story of the April 3rd incident? Yeom Hye-ran said, "Because it actually happened, I approached it very cautiously. But when I read the script, I found it literarily very attractive. I liked that the story did not remain stuck in the past. It didn't only deal with the past April 3rd incident but made me think about how we should view this year's 78th anniversary in the present. Jeong-soon is not portrayed flatly; she appears multi-layered as both perpetrator and victim. The work's message was good, and the character was good," she said.
How did the young actors come to view the April 3rd incident, which they had only encountered in books, through the film? Shin Woo-bin, who plays Yeong-ok, said, "Although the film deals with the April 3rd incident, I thought it shows a family that experienced the event rather than explaining the incident itself. At first I thought I shouldn't be the one to act in it, and honestly I didn't know much about the April 3rd incident. The more I read the script, the more I saw that it tells the story of a family that experienced the event and a once-harmonious mother-son relationship. At first it was hard to approach, but the more I read the script, the more comfortable I became, and it reminded me of my own parents, so I acted as fully as possible," he said.
Choi Joon-woo, who plays Minsu, Yeong-ok's friend, said, "When I first received the script and learned the film dealt with the April 3rd incident, I worried about how to think and prepare for playing Minsu. If I kept thinking only about 4.3, the pressure would build, so I approached Minsu as someone who interacts with Yeong-ok, a child from a family that experienced the incident. That allowed me to think more about Minsu and focus on the character, and when Yeong-ok starts to drift away, I tried my best to keep him centered."
Park Ji-bin, who plays transfer student Gyeong-tae, who bullies Yeong-ok and Minsu, said, "I saw Gyeong-tae as a character who could exist then and now. To express how Gyeong-tae affects the protagonist Yeong-ok's life, I consulted the director while acting." He added, "It was a very difficult role. I had played a villain in a previous work, and this is another kind of villain, so there were many delicate aspects. I leaned on the director a lot. On set, I asked many questions about each scene and cut: what the emotion should be and how much to express."
Meanwhile, Shin Woo-bin said, "Actually, I don't recall learning about the April 3rd incident during school. It may be that I don't remember. While preparing for the film, I looked for video materials. The house used for Jeong-soon's home belonged to someone who had experienced 4.3. Filming in that house made me feel cautious. We even shot those house scenes last. Since I had to have chemistry with senior Yeom Hye-ran and the mother and son had to seem close, we shot it last; while tension about the film and acting eased, oddly I still felt cautious filming in that house. It made me realize I still don't know much about 4.3, so I thought I should study more," he confessed.
Additionally, Choi Joon-woo said, "I remember learning about the April 3rd incident in the latter part of middle school, around third year. At the time, as a student, grades mattered and I didn't think to delve deeply. I just memorized it. I'm sorry, but I didn't know deeply. While working on this project, I felt a responsibility as an actor to understand what 4.3 was, so as Woo-bin said, I searched for videos and studied documentaries featuring people who actually experienced it, and I also watched Jiseul before working on the film."
Park Ji-bin added, "Through this film, I focused more on the message Gyeong-tae gives Yeong-ok. It was a work through which I learned about history I didn't know. So cautiously, I tried to portray Gyeong-tae in a way that would not distort the role."
The film also weaves in the suffering of victims of the Vietnam War and the Gwangju democratization movement, reflecting the broader pain of victims of state violence in modern Korean history. Director Jung Ji-young said, "It is a bit awkward for me to take away the fun of interpreting and analyzing and provide explanations, but since the question came up, I'll mention what I thought: Through Jeong-soon, played by Yeom Hye-ran, I scanned Korea's modern history — the history of violence. The greatest violences: Gwangju, the Vietnam War, and the Jeju April 3rd incident. I thought those were our faces. I thought that is how we have lived. I think this work lets people taste Korea's modern history through the protagonist. I deliberately did not tell the protagonist about that. If you carry that metaphor to the actor, they will act consciously, which shouldn't happen. It's a living life. With that thought, I drew the protagonist's life," he said.
Director Jung Ji-young continued, "Although it's a painful story, many people should see it. Please help. The film was born thanks to the names included in the closing credits. Rather than a single investor, 10,000 people raised 40 million won through Tumblbug, and using that as seed money, we sought help and received support to make the film. To make a film like this these days, you would need about 6 billion to 7 billion won in current prices. But actors and staff sacrificed, and I also sacrificed. We should have filmed a bit better, but we were limited by dates and a lack of production funds. So we need your help," he appealed.
Finally, Yeom Hye-ran added, "Please take good care of this precious work that came into the world. We ask for your interest." My Name opens nationwide on the 15th.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Ji Hyung-joon.
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