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- HAEMOO has been selected for the most prestigious program at TIFF, could you say a few words?
I think it was fate to have made Haemoo and to meet the Toronto audiences. I’m a little sad that a lot of the important crew and actors weren’t able to join us, and would love to come back in the future. I really felt that a lot of people have interest in Korean films and felt more responsible as an actress.

 

- Has your trip to Toronto given you any inspiration for a film?
I didn’t really have a chance to venture into the city, but I felt like I came to a festival in Korea. There were many Korean-Canadians helping us and also quite a few non-Korean people that spoke in Korean!

 

- How are you become a part of this movie?
I found the character very attractive and was curious about Hong-mae. I really wanted to feel those energies up and close.

 

- How did the Toronto audiences receive your film at the premiere? What do you think they might have missed due to cultural differences?
The understanding of the history and the relationship between Korean-Chinese and Koreans might be something foreign to international audiences. They have similar cultures and speak the same language, but their nationalities are different. It would be very different for them to know about this culture to watch the film.

 

- Most of the film was actually shot on a real boat and a some limited scenes were shot on set. Could you tell us the difficulties you faced because of this?
We somehow became like soldiers and worked really well together as brothers and sisters. What was physically tiring was that the boat itself had to also be where we rest. There wasn’t a proper place set aside for the actors and that was difficult.

 

  

- Which scene in particular was the hardest to shoot for you as Hong-mae?
The first scene that I appear in is the meeting between the two boats. It was raining when the Korean-Chinese jump from one boat to the other. It was very hard to shoot physically and also since it was the first scene where Hong-mae appears, I had a lot of thoughts about how this character will look. But it was so cold and I was supposed to accidently fall into the water. The rain, the wind, the temperature and usage of wires… in all the scene was very hard to shoot.

 

- You've become recognized in the film industry, especially with the recent two large films Kundo: Age of the Rampant and Haemoo this year. In both films, the roles are not necessarily ones that might appeal to an actress. What are some elements you look for when choosing a role?
It’s really different for each script. As for Kundo: Age of the Rampant, I’m a fan of director YOON Jong-bin. And since I heard that there were many big actors in the film, I became greedy and wanted to join the crew, even if the role wasn’t very big. As for Haemoo, I really wanted to be a part of the film, maybe even desperate.

 

- Your characters very differently throughout your films and despite the short amount of screen time, your acting in Kundo: Age of the Rampant was very memorable. What are some of the techniques you use when getting into each character?
I’ve never learned acting academically and I think I’ve learned on set. To be able to learn on set and have a resulting product is a privilege for me. So I try my best to have a lot of communication with the director. I try to savor the feelings and emotions I felt when I first read the script and try to improve without too many alterations.

 

- What are some roles you'd like to play or that you are signed up next?
I don’t have any plans at this point but I’m preparing for the play that I’m starting on next week. I think I will start looking after the show is over. Usually, my decision depends on the scenario more that the character itself.

 

 

- You were called the ‘JEON Do-yeon of Indie films.’ But it seems like you’re moving onto more commercial and large budget films. Do you plan to focus more on larger films or do you think you will still be doing indie films as well?
I just want to do good films, whether they’re big or not. I think it would be ignorant to do only commercial films when there are so many great film makers and directors.

 

- It seems like taking the role of a North Korean has been a reoccurring task for you. You played as a North Korean in As One, and BAEK Sul-hee in The Spy: Undercover Operation, and now a Korean-Chinese in Haemoo. Could you tell us how you worked to perfect the accents?
We had a teacher for Haemoo who would practice with me and also come to the set to help me perfect the accent. She was someone who came to Korea for her studies. It was hard to ad-lib because I would have to check with her first to make sure I had the right accent. Due to the nature of filmmaking, there were many times the script changed a couple of days before the shoot. So I had to call the teacher at the last minute to practice with her, but thankfully she often came to the set and we consider her as a part of our crew.

 

- You were the first assistant director of Big Good. Could you tell us about your interest in filmmaking and if we can expect a film directed by you in the future?
I’m a little embarrassed.(laughs) We wrote the script for the indie film and made the film about three years ago but it was just released in 2013. When I told my friend, the filmmaker, if he needed any help, he told me he didn’t need an actress, but crew! So I helped as the assistant director instead. To be directing again…, it’s something that I would have to think long and hard about, but I have no plans for now.