In directorial debut, Moon So-ri finds it's tougher on other side of lens

Actress Moon So-ri poses at a press event for her new film in Seoul on Thursday. /Yonhap

Actress Moon So-ri marks her directorial debut with her new film "The Running Actress", to be released in mid-September. She not only directed the film, but also wrote and starred in it.

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Based on episodes from her career, the film offers a snapshot of an actress' life. "It's not an autobiography, but some episodes were drawn from my experiences. The film mixes fiction and real-life events", Moon said at a press event on Thursday, two weeks ahead of the film's release.

Moon made her on-screen debut in the 1999 megahit "Peppermint Candy". In 2002, she won the award for best young actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance in "Oasis". Her impressive portrayal of a woman with cerebral palsy earned much acclaim.

"It wasn't my ambition to be a director, but years of working in this field led me to directing my own film", she said.

"The Running Actress" is a 70-minute omnibus in three parts. While the film partly deals with her own story, Moon stuck to the script and avoided improvisation. "I'm a first-time director. There was no room for variation", she joked.

One episode portrays an actress experiencing a long lull between jobs, receiving only occasional offers to play small parts in indie films. "Overall, the film tries to accurately depict what it's like for actresses in Korea, and to reflect their plight", she said. "I felt the story would be worthwhile enough to give it a try, rather than giving in to feelings of helplessness or self-pity".

Moon's husband, director Jang Joon-hwan, also appears in the film. "He was reluctant until the last minute, but he went into overdrive as soon as filming started", she said.

"The Running Actress" hits local theaters on Sept. 14.