Preview press event for Bimong (Sad Dream)
“I read the script, and liked it so much it was shocking.” So said 29-year-old Lee Na-young, starring in director Kim Ki-duk’s latest film, Bimong (Sad Dream).
The film held its press preview event on September 23 at Seoul’s Yongsan CGV theater, and Lee explained her interest in the script: “More than feeling an affinity for the story, which isn’t really plausible in the real world, I was drawn to the situation these characters were placed in.”
From the start, news of the project drew interest with the casting of the male lead, Japanese actor Odagiri Joe, for whom Lee had these words of praise: “I’ve seen Odagiri in his other works, and liked him. Despite him being a non-Korean, I didn’t feel any sort of block working with him.”
In the film, Lee Na-young’s “Ran” sleepwalks into the dreams of Odagiri’s “Jin,” who cannot forget an old lover, and a dreamlike love unfolds. Apparently Lee and Odagiri communicated in English while working together, but Odagiri took every chance to learn and speak Korean with those around him. His character, however, speaks Japanese (with subtitles), while Lee’s character speaks Korean.
Kim Ki-duk explained that he’d been a bit doubtful whether this would work, but his actors had no problem with it, and he figured it was better for his actors to speak their native languages rather than making awkward attempts to act in foreign languages.
The film had had some early buzz when, in May, it had been sold for distribution at the Cannes Film Market (which took place during the Cannes International Film Festival). It is currently being screened as a part of various film festivals, such as the Czech Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and Spain’s San Sebastian Film Festival. It releases in Korea on October 9.
Tags: Kim Ki-duk, Lee Na-young, press conferences
