[TF Interview] Kim Hyun-joo of 'Paradise Lost', with a sense of challenge once again

Actress Kim Hyun-joo plays the role of Ryu So-young, marking her fourth collaboration with director Yeon Sang-ho."I felt trusted as a director... I'm grateful."Actress Kim Hyun-joo held an interview regarding the release of the movie 'Paradise'. /CJ ENMFor Kim Hyun-joo, who has repeatedly filled and emptied herself as an actress, working with director Yeon Sang-ho is like a journey of discovering a new self within familiarity. Holding the hand of a trusted partner who always instills a sense of challenge, she has ventured into an unfamiliar world and revealed another side of herself through 'Paradise' that she has never shown before.Kim Hyun-joo, who is meeting audiences with the movie 'Paradise' (directed by Yeon Sang-ho), held an interview with at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 16th. On this day, she frankly shared, "It's a moment that is both exciting and nerve-wracking to present a work to many people. I'm even more nervous because it's been a while since my last movie," and shared various stories related to the film.'Paradise', released on the 21st, is a psychological thriller that begins when Ryu Seon-woo (Bae Hyun-sung), who was thought to be dead, miraculously returns to his mother, Ryu So-young (Kim Hyun-joo), who lost her son in a camping school bus disappearance incident nine years ago. The film was officially invited to the Special Presentations section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival and the Gala Presentations section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival.First, regarding her return to the big screen after 15 years since 'The Day After' released in 2011, Kim Hyun-joo expressed her unique feelings, saying, "I don't really like watching my own acting, so I don't monitor it much, but seeing my performance on the big screen was still not easy. It was difficult."Kim Hyun-joo leads the film, playing the role of Ryu So-young, a mother who lost her son in a camping school bus disappearance incident. /CJ ENMRyu So-young, who lost her son in the camping school bus disappearance incident, endures each day by communicating with her son through an AI (Artificial Intelligence) service that allows her to meet her deceased child again. Then one day, her son, who she thought was dead, returns after nine years, and she begins a strange cohabitation between the grown-up Seon-woo and the AI-generated younger Seon-woo.However, anxiety and discomfort precede vague joy, and Ryu So-young, who confronts her son's heavy secret of having lived a life she didn't know, falls into a dilemma where she must choose between her two sons. Kim Hyun-joo, who played this role, constantly pondered how to fill in the omitted parts, as the character's narrative and the nine years of time were not specifically detailed in the film."I saw her as being more attached to her son because she was from a broken home, not conforming to the ideal family structure defined by society. She had an abnormal addiction to AI, so even when her real son appeared, she couldn't let go of her AI son. Realistically, she should have taken care of the son she could touch, but because the confusion itself wasn't easily understandable, I thought I had to show Ryu So-young being more obsessed with her AI son to make those emotions convincing. At the same time, I thought she was living a fake life with her AI son, so I tried to show her empty and lifeless eyes in the morning."Director Yeon Sang-ho completed 'Paradise' by expanding on one of the three works written by his mother. He wanted to explore the peculiar psychology of a mother who loves her wicked son too much. Then, how did Kim Hyun-joo, who played the protagonist, approach the emotion of motherhood, which she had not experienced, and furthermore, the heart of a mother who lost her beloved child?When asked this question, Kim Hyun-joo turned the question back to the reporters. "If you met your son after nine years, would you be immediately sure it was your son?" she asked. She then replied, "Acting doesn't necessarily come from experience, but I believe motherhood is something I cannot imitate. However, this time, I could choose because I am not a mother," making her reason for choosing the project even more intriguing."When I heard director Yeon mention the word 'continuity,' I thought that perhaps the feeling of 'this is my child' arises from the accumulated time spent together. I wondered if maternal love could suddenly kick in with nine years of missing time. I deeply considered the emotion of loss itself, rather than maternal love, pondering whether it was longing for the person or a sense of loss due to the loss of the time spent with them and the me of that time."Kim Hyun-joo said, "I am very grateful because director Yeon Sang-ho instills a sense of challenge in the parts I doubted myself and gives me confidence." /CJ ENM'Paradise' is director Yeon Sang-ho's second low-budget project, following 'Face,' which captivated 1.08 million viewers with a production cost of approximately 200 million won. It was produced with a net production cost of about 500 million won and completed filming in 14 takes. This compact production process created an environment that allowed Kim Hyun-joo's momentary concentration to become even more intense."Some people say Ryu So-young's emotions are three-dimensional, but I felt a raw feeling. I didn't think of this from the beginning, but in the end, that's how it turned out, and I think it fit well with this movie. I think this was an emotion or form that could only come out because the (production) time was short. Not only I but also the staff had to do their part sufficiently, and everything had to proceed exactly as planned for it to be completed. I think the synergy that occurred on set was also significant."Although Kim Hyun-joo returned to the film set after a long time with 'Paradise,' it was her fourth collaboration with director Yeon Sang-ho, following the Netflix series 'Hellbound,' 'JUNG_E,' and 'Parasyte: The Grey,' making it possible for her to immerse herself in her role more comfortably than ever before. Recalling this, she expressed her deep trust in director Yeon, who helped her discover new aspects of herself that she didn't even know existed."I am very grateful because he instills a sense of challenge in the parts I doubted myself and gives me confidence. Seeing him cast me in various roles, I feel trusted as a director. Also, director Yeon doesn't force me to do a lot or give me too many directions. I feel trusted by that as well. He just follows what I express. Of course, there's a broad framework and intention, but that framework is so wide that I can move and play freely within it."Kim Hyun-joo expressed her wish, "I want to continue to protect myself as I have done so far." /CJ ENMDebuting in 1997 with MBC's 'The Reason I Live,' Kim Hyun-joo has proven her wide acting spectrum by portraying diverse characters in various genres through dramas such as 'Sangdo,' 'Glass Slippers,' 'The Land,' 'Partner,' 'Twinkle Twinkle,' 'What Happens to My Family?,' 'I Have a Lover,' 'Watcha,' 'Undercover,' and 'Trolley.' Not content with this, she continuously challenges herself with things she hasn't done before, revealing new faces she has never shown."I believe actors should try new things one by one, and if there are shortcomings, they should fill them in and grow next time. I think I'm still working because I've been doing that so far."Kim Hyun-joo is actively working in both film and television, returning to the big screen after 15 years with 'Paradise' and currently appearing as Yoo So-ran in the tvN Saturday-Sunday drama 'The 100th Love'. Aware of the positive response to the drama, which was released before the movie, she expressed her joy while also conveying her desire to protect herself as a person before an actress."I am very grateful when people watch and praise my work, but it doesn't change my life. As I have done so far, I will continue to cherish my projects, express them with sincerity, empty myself, and fill myself up again. Even if I receive more scripts, I don't have the ability to do them all. No matter what comes my way, nothing will shake me or change me anew. I just want to protect myself and move forward."jiyoon-1031@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]