'Something daughters feel about their fathers': director Lee
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Lee Jeong-cheol makes his directorial debut with "A Family", and the media reviews, at least for now, have been largely positive. Lee began his moviemaking career as an assistant director for "Bichunmoo" in 2000. The following are excerpts of an interview:
Question: What was the motivation to write this screenplay?
Answer: One of my female acquaintances' father died of cancer. Her father was a very strict man. After she failed her university entrance exam, she attended an accounting class with the money her father gave her for classes for the university entrance exam. And then, after she got her first salary, she brought it to her sick father, but he was so angry with her and scolded her harshly. After he died, however, she came to know that her father in fact talked about her act very proudly to neighbors that day. After I heard that story, I thought that I could write a good story about a father and daughter. And then I remembered many episodes about my sister and my daughter who helped shape my story.
Q: Why a father and daughter?
A: I guess I have a strong feminine style in my writing. At first I wrote Jeong-eun as a man, but it was too tough and it wasn't my style. The most decisive factor was an event that happened to my sister. After she had her wedding ceremony, she came home and stayed one night. I assumed that she would cry at seeing our mother, but she didn't. Rather, she cried while hugging our father. At that moment, I thought there must be something daughters feel about their fathers. That is why I chose a father and daughter.
Q: Which part did you care about the most?
A: I was concerned most about Jeong-eun's character. I tried to make her image both boyish and neutral. I tried to give her a strong personality and that was the most difficult part.
Q: Why did you cast Su Ae (Soo Ae)?
A: From her drama "Love Letter", I thought that she has very deep eyes. I think catching a person's possibilities and image and creating them from acting is very important. So I thought it would be good to cast a new actress to make my film fresh. And she was my number one nominee. I was lucky to work with her. Before we started filming I told her, "Words are not important. Your thoughts in the situation are what's important". She understood my intention very well.
Q: What does family mean to you?
A: To be honest, I've lived without seriously thinking about the meaning of family. And it seems very difficult to define the word "family". The most important thing to me is the feeling - feelings for your father or mother, living together, and after I got married, feelings for your wife and children. I think family means a relationship whose feelings connect well with each other. It is difficult to describe such feelings. I don't want to attach a specific definition to family. Rather, I just hope that audiences think about the meaning of family through the film.
Question: What was the motivation to write this screenplay?
Answer: One of my female acquaintances' father died of cancer. Her father was a very strict man. After she failed her university entrance exam, she attended an accounting class with the money her father gave her for classes for the university entrance exam. And then, after she got her first salary, she brought it to her sick father, but he was so angry with her and scolded her harshly. After he died, however, she came to know that her father in fact talked about her act very proudly to neighbors that day. After I heard that story, I thought that I could write a good story about a father and daughter. And then I remembered many episodes about my sister and my daughter who helped shape my story.
Q: Why a father and daughter?
A: I guess I have a strong feminine style in my writing. At first I wrote Jeong-eun as a man, but it was too tough and it wasn't my style. The most decisive factor was an event that happened to my sister. After she had her wedding ceremony, she came home and stayed one night. I assumed that she would cry at seeing our mother, but she didn't. Rather, she cried while hugging our father. At that moment, I thought there must be something daughters feel about their fathers. That is why I chose a father and daughter.
Q: Which part did you care about the most?
A: I was concerned most about Jeong-eun's character. I tried to make her image both boyish and neutral. I tried to give her a strong personality and that was the most difficult part.
Q: Why did you cast Su Ae (Soo Ae)?
A: From her drama "Love Letter", I thought that she has very deep eyes. I think catching a person's possibilities and image and creating them from acting is very important. So I thought it would be good to cast a new actress to make my film fresh. And she was my number one nominee. I was lucky to work with her. Before we started filming I told her, "Words are not important. Your thoughts in the situation are what's important". She understood my intention very well.
Q: What does family mean to you?
A: To be honest, I've lived without seriously thinking about the meaning of family. And it seems very difficult to define the word "family". The most important thing to me is the feeling - feelings for your father or mother, living together, and after I got married, feelings for your wife and children. I think family means a relationship whose feelings connect well with each other. It is difficult to describe such feelings. I don't want to attach a specific definition to family. Rather, I just hope that audiences think about the meaning of family through the film.
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