Dramabeans » Lee Na-young

Lee Na-young steps into transgender role

javabeans — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:15:18 +0000

Actress Lee Na-young, last in Kim Ki-duk’s Dream with Joe Odagiri, has begun filming her newest film, Dad Likes Women [아빠가 여자를 좋아해], in which she plays a (male-to-female) transgender character. In these still frames, we see Lee Na-young playing her post-op character of Ji-hyun, a role said to showcase lots of comic acting from Lee.

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Lee Na-young becomes a father in transgender role

javabeans — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:21:53 +0000

Lee Na-young (Maunday Thursday, Ruler of Your Own World) is taking on a transgender character in her next film role, one year after she was last seen in the Kim Ki-duk film Dream.

The movie is called Dad Likes Women [아빠는 여자를 좋아해] and unfolds around Lee Na-young, a photographer who is sought out by her child born of a college relationship. The wrinkle is, the son is looking for his father, not knowing that he has since undergone a gender transformation and is now living as a woman. Lee Na-young plays the father character both pre- and post-op and displays a “lovable, feminine appeal.” Despite the serious-sounding setup, the film is described as handling the transgender subject matter with a “humorous, soft touch.”

The film is produced by Harimao Picures, the company that produced the action-comedy film Level 7 Civil Servant. It will enter filming in August, as soon as an actor is cast for the male (son) lead. With a quirky actress like Lee Na-young in this role, this could be a really interesting project.

Via Star News

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Lee Na-young to discuss art film with fans

javabeans — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:14:43 +0000

This sounds like a cool event series for fans and film buffs (or it could be, if the guest star has interesting things to say about the works featured): Lee Na-young (Maundy Thursday) will watch a film with fans (one she personally recommends, not one she’s in), then discusses it afterward with attendees.

On the 21st, she’ll be at the Cinematheque Pusan as a part of a series focusing on art films and supporting indie productions. Past participants have included directors like Park Chan-wook and movie critics.

Lee Na-young’s event will screen Under the Sand (2000), a Francois Ozon-directed work starring Charlotte Rampling, of whom Lee said, “I was jealous of and enchanted by Rampling’s acting in the film.”

Lee’s management said, “Lee Na-young is participating in this event because, as an actor, she has a deep affection for the Cinematheque and for movies. She finds this a meaningful occasion to be able to meet with film fans whom she has not had the opportunity to see very often.”

Via Newsen

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Preview press event for Bimong (Sad Dream)

javabeans — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:37:43 +0000

“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.

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Post tags: Kim Ki-duk, Lee Na-young, press conferences

Posters for a Sad Dream

javabeans — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:59:35 +0000

The promotional posters for director Kim Ki-duk’s new film are out featuring stars Lee Na-young and Odagiri Joe.

The title Bi-mong [비몽] draws its meaning from the two characters 悲 (sad, “bi”) and 夢 (dream, “mong”); the subtitle on the poster reads, “A sad love that exists through dreams.”

In the film, she’s a sleepwalking patient, while he’s described as a man who cannot forget a past love and tries to meet her in his dreams. Strangely enough (this is Kim Ki-duk, after all), in her sleepwalking state, she starts acting in the same way as the woman in his dreams.

The movie opens in October.

Via Hankook Ilbo

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Cinema Angel Lee Na-young

javabeans — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:00:04 +0000

Lee Na-young is set to grace the next cover of fashion mag Harper’s Bazaar Korea. This is her first time back in a fashion spread in three years.

Her look is being compared to the female character “Maetel” of ’70s manga and anime series Galaxy Express 999 — which, er, maybe, if you really stretch the comparison?

She participates in conjunction with the Cinema Angels Project; proceeds earned by the 12-page photo spread will be donated to fostering the development of indie films. The project had already featured a thirteen-actor photo last year featuring the likes of indie staples Song Kang-ho, Seol Kyung-gu, Hwang Jung-min, Gong Hyo-jin, Ryu Seung-beom, Yoo Ji-tae, Shin Mina, Bae Doo-na and Kang Hye-jung, but this time Lee Na-young poses solo.

Her issue of Harper’s Bazaar goes on sale on August 19.

Via Arts News

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Famed director Kim Ki-duk casts his new film

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Post tags: fashion, Lee Na-young, photo shoots

Famed director Kim Ki Duk casts his newest film

javabeans — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:48:55 +0000

Top Korean actress Lee Na Young is teaming up with top Japanese actor Joe Odagiri in a Kim Ki Duk film. Indie lovers rejoice!

(Although Kim Ki Duk is entirely underrated in his own native country, at least he’s gained much-deserved recognition outside of Korea as a premier arthouse director as the force behind such films as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring, 3 Iron, Samaritan Girl, and The Coast Guard.)

The film, Bi-mong, draws an unusual love story between a man believing dreams to be reality (Odagiri) and a woman who experiences (suffers from?) sleepwalking (Lee). She encounters the man’s dreams in her reality, and wanders among his dreams as a mysterious figure.

This will be Lee Na Young’s first project back after a year’s absence following her 2006 film Our Happy Time, aka Maundy Thursday, which also starred Kang Dong Won.

The article doesn’t give an indication of the language issue — does Joe Odagiri speak Korean? But then again, 3 Iron proved that Kim Ki Duk can work wonders without any words at all.

Via IS Plus

SONG OF THE DAY

The Name – “애원” (plea) [ zShare download ]

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A meeting of the minds (and unfortunate wardrobes)

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Post tags: directors, Kim Ki-duk, Lee Na-young