'Gyeongju trip' director Kim Mi-jo recalled the difficult process leading up to the film's release, saying "casting the actors alone took a year."
On the morning of the 19th, an interview with 'Gyeongju trip' director Kim Mi-jo was held at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
'Gyeongju trip' (written and directed by Kim Mi-jo, provided by Lotte Entertainment·Michigan Venture Capital Co., Ltd., distributed by Lotte Entertainment, produced by Studio High Five, co-produced by Euphoria ENT) depicts a family's revenge drama about four mothers and daughters who, after eight years of waiting for the youngest daughter Gyeongju who did not return from a school trip, embark on a "killer" journey for Gyeongju. Lee Jung-eun delivers a powerful performance as Oksil, a mother who lost her daughter and spent eight years dreaming only of revenge; Kong Hyojin plays Jang-ju, the eldest daughter who cherishes her family; Park So-dam plays Young-ju, the unemployed brain with a law school background and the second daughter; Lee Yeon plays Dong-ju, the third daughter and a former wrestling athlete; and Byun Yo-Han gives a stirring portrayal of Baek Sang-hyun, who took the youngest daughter Gyeongju from the family.
In particular, as Kim Mi-jo's first commercial film after earning solid directing recognition at domestic and international film festivals with her debut 'Seagull,' it has drawn much attention by receiving an invitation to the Hawaii International Film Festival and the audience award at the Florence Korea Film Festival before its release. Breaking away from cliched genre fare, it blends a family's bloody revenge with weary pathos and black comedy. It is currently ranked number one in advance ticket sales for Korean films ahead of its release, raising expectations.
Kim Mi-jo, who said she first planned it in 2014, said, "I went on a family trip and thought, 'If I ever make a film, I must do this.' So now that it's about to be released, I feel deeply moved and happy; it feels like a dream come true," adding, "The project was fully developed after 'Seagull' and gained momentum when it was selected for a screenplay contest starting in 2021. Honestly, I thought people might not like it. It didn't have an intense character, and since it's a family story I wondered if people wouldn't like it. I wrote it because I wanted to see that story, and the contest gave me courage."
"Casting is half the work," which has been praised as excellent, she said. "Lee Jung-eun was cast first, and after that there was no progress for a year. So it was very difficult. After waiting more than a year there were many hardships, but it took only two months to cast the other three daughters and Byun Yo-Han. It moved forward quickly, which was surprising," adding, "I wondered, 'Did my luck turn then?' (laughs) I even visited several fortune tellers who said, 'It will open up like a flood at the end of the year.' I thought that was fortunate. It felt like a dream, but you can't make a film on dreams alone, so I pulled myself together quickly because I didn't want to disappoint them. As soon as the senior actors said they would do it, I became tense. I wanted to do well and not betray their trust, so I worked hard."
Asked, "What did the actors say after the screening?" Kim Mi-jo said, "The actors liked it. It wasn't something I said, but the senior actors said all the characters felt alive. They said, 'You worked hard.' Lee Jung-eun, Kong Hyojin and Byun Yo-Han offered kind words, and Park So-dam and Lee Yeon always cheered me on," expressing her gratitude.
She continued, "Filming ended in August 2024, but postproduction took two years. I was glad they said they could feel the painstaking work put into each part. Because the release wasn't decided, we had to keep doing postproduction. With no confirmed release, we kept refining it," adding, "I didn't want to have regrets, so I thought enduring a little hardship now would prevent regret 10 to 20 years from now. If we had to shoot again there would be many things to worry about, but if we did it one more time I felt there would be no regrets when editing," she confessed that she did her best.
Meanwhile, 'Gyeongju trip' opens on the 26th.
[Photo] Provided by Lotte Entertainment
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