Director Jeong Joo-ri-I (July Jung) recognized for her debut film, 'A Girl at My Door'

There is an expression, "to become a star overnight". Thirty-four year old directorJeong Joo-ri-Iis one of those who have become famous overnight.

Jeong just received the Best First Film award for her debut work,"A Girl at My Door", at the Stockholm International Film Festival in November.

After studying visual media arts at Sungkyunkwan University and graduating from Korea National University of Arts, Jeong was lucky enough to become internationally recognized for her debut film.

Since childhood, Jeong held on to the dream of becoming a film director as she was influenced by her father who enjoyed watching films. The idea, even though it started small, eventually led her to actually become a director.

"When I was young, I played the piano and thought I would become a pianist. Then I started drawing and wanted to become a painter", said Jeong. "A film has all of these. It is a visual art with music and sound, but is also accompanied by philosophical elements".

Jeong said she enjoys working with many people, including the actors and crew members. "Being a director gives great satisfaction and excitement. Film is a fascinating media, and it is made not by a single person but by a group of people. As I cooperate with other people, we end up with better results".

DirectorJeong Joo-ri-I(right) talks with the audience at a movie theater.

The film"A Girl at My Door"is about a lonely middle-school girl, Do-hee, played byKim Sae-ron, who lives in a small but beautiful fishing village. She meets the female police officer Young-nam, played byBae Doona, who is assigned as the chief of the local police precinct. Although Do-hee has been abused by her step father, Yong-ha, played bySong Sae-byeok, she one day finds hope in the new police chief and decides to take radical action to protect her.

Media praised the film saying that it was perfect and that the screenplay and acting were also flawless. They said the film was visually captivating and that all those elements in the film worked in harmony with each other.

After receiving such complements, Jeong said, "I thought the story dealt with the secondary, inner feelings of a person, but, surprisingly, it had universal appeal. Even international viewers can relate to the loneliness and situations experienced by the film characters".

In a scene from"A Girl at My Door", Young-nam, played byBae Doona(right), asks Do-hee, portrayed byKim Sae-ron, to go with her.

During the screenplay phase, Jeong applied to CJ's industrial-academic project funds, but to no avail. However, renowned directorLee Chang-dong, who is also co-president of Pine House Film, decided to produce the film as he recognized a screenplay, "with a small story, but with great implications". ActressBae Doonaagreed to star in the film only three hours after reading the screenplay while she was filming in the U.K.

Jeong said she suffered from loneliness and a sense of frustration when she was writing the screenplay, but that the story she wrote and the characters she created provided her with comfort. She said that the message she wanted to deliver in the film was to not overlook people who are in a difficult situation.

Jeong Joo-ri-Italked about how she created the film and her thoughts after winning the Best First Film award.

- The film"A Girl at My Door"was invited to the Un Certain Regard event at Cannes. You also received the Best First Film award at the Stockholm International Film Festival. How do you feel?

- I never expected that my film would be invited to the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. As soon as the film was completed, it premiered at Cannes for the first time. I only hoped that nothing would happen throughout the screening and that everything would go smoothly. When I heard applause, I was perplexed and did not know what was happening. Then I saw viewers give it a standing ovation. It really touched me. I made my first feature film, and showing my debut film to such a large audience was a nervous experience. I realized that the audience paid close attention to the film and sympathized with the movie, giving rounds of applause. I was surprised, myself, and I felt that film, as media, was very powerful.

I believe the audience was able to sympathize with the movie because it reflected the reality of society. Many spectators in different countries asked similar questions whether the film is based on a true story. The film reflects society and my awareness of social problems, but it is not based on specific events. It is simply fiction.

Jeong Joo-ri-Isays she herself feels consoled from the film"A Girl at My Door".

- The film"A Girl at My Door"deals with serious issues including domestic violence, homosexuality and human rights for illegal immigrant workers. Why did you put such serious issues in your debut film?

- When I was writing the screenplay, I started with the girl Do-hee rather than approach it with certain events or themes. I had to describe a lonely girl who doesn't even know she is lonely. Then, I had to portray a girl who is abandoned without love. She is a drifter and is eventually abandoned by her mother. She is abused by her stepfather and by her step-grandmother.

I started with loneliness and I had to introduce another lonely person. That was Young-nam. To maximize her loneliness, I came up with other elements. I introduced a male-oriented society and then the police. The police are a good example of an elite society. She has to lead male subordinates who are much older than she is. This makes her lonelier. As a homosexual, she accepts loneliness as if it is her fate.

Young-nam understands her loneliness, unlike Do-hee herself. However, she cannot overcome her loneliness, so she has to hide. Then, the two people meet in a small, remote fishing village, which feels like they can't run away any further. Then, illegal immigrant workers come into the story. The identical sentiment among all these characters is loneliness.

(From left)Song Sae-byeok,Kim Sae-ronandJeong Joo-ri-Ipose for a photo at Cannes.

- You are the first Korean to receive a Best First Film award at the Stockholm International Film Festival. Why do you think you caught so much attention at the Cannes Film Festival and at the Stockholm International Film Festival?

- Most of all, my film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. I was very lucky. Many people have an interest in that section and a lot of people in the film industry watched the film. Then, they invited the movie to film festivals in their own countries because the film reflected elements of Korean society. They could also see themselves in the movie and they sympathized with the loneliness. I thought the story was just based in Korea, but it clearly has universal appeal.

- At the end of the movie, Young-nam and Do-hee leave the town together. What would you say to those two people who experienced such hardships?

- From the beginning, I had an idea of a conclusion in which Young-nam and Do-hee leave the town together. I wanted the story to flow smoothly to the end. Although these two characters were in such difficult situations, I tried very hard to make that ending work. It was difficult. The conclusion itself was a message.

Young-nam cannot possibly overlook Do-hee and had to leave the town with her. My wish was that people don't abandon those who are going through difficulty and who are in pain. I had this idea of not abandoning them.

I hope that viewers can make their own interpretation of the ending. I hope that they will understand Young-nam. I wanted the audience to make assumptions and to see the ending from Young-nam's point of view. A screenplay writer would want the audience to feel all of it. Looking at the ending from Young-nam's point of view, Young-nam decides to live a completely different life. Young-nam has stuck to her loneliness and believes loneliness is her fate, but she decides to be with someone. Although I never thought that their life together would be very hopeful, I wanted the two people, who were not alone anymore, to start anew.

Although I created the characters, I felt consoled by them. I was going through a hard time when I wrote the story. It was difficult to write, but it was made into a film. When I made the film, I was consoled by the many actors and crew members.

- DirectorLee Chang-yongplayed a huge part in the film's production. What kind of help did he provide? -

-Lee Chang-donghelped me make the film when I didn't receive the industrial-academic project funds from CJ E&M. I was in despair. He said to me that, "it was a small story but that it could be made into a film with great implications. Let's make it into a movie". He understood the story and helped me produce the film. He paid close attention to every step, from pre-production, casting and finding locations to filming and post-production, too. He didn't spare from giving any piece of advice.

I had a feeling that there was always someone I could trust. The editing process was very difficult. Making a feature film is totally different from making a short film. During the editing process, I realized that feature films were very different. I thought every scene was important, but Lee helped me understand that there was a different way of editing for a feature film. He also gave great advice on how to control the flow of a story.

- How did you become a director?

- I once read my diary and laughed at what I had written. "I will become a film director". I enjoyed watching films since I was in middle school. When I was young, my father stacked up a pile of videotapes and watched them one after another. Because of that, I also became familiar with films and came to like watching them. I watched a lot of movies when I was in middle school and high school. My decision came naturally.

I studied many subjects when I was in college and started making short films with a group of friends. Camcorders became available at that time and it was possible to make films. I felt familiar with the career of a director. I didn't think it was something grand.

Jeong Joo-ri-Iposes for a photo at Cannes, where the film"A Girl at My Door"is screened in the Un Certain Regard section.

- Filmmaking goes through a difficult process, from writing the screenplay to actual production. What was most difficult as a director and while you were making this film?

- After graduating from Korea National University of Arts in March 2010, I was worried about what to do next. I wrote a draft. I had a draft, but it was much later in August 2012 when I actually started writing the screenplay. I finished it in March 2013. I almost wasted two years since I finished my draft in 2010. I thought it was just not enough.

Writing the screenplay was the most difficult. I had to go through two years of darkness. It was my first screenplay for a feature film. I wanted to create a certain character, but it was not easy. Time went by, but it did not solve my problem. I had to somehow overcome them. The process of overcoming was really difficult.

Creating the story was really difficult. It was like creating something out of nothing. Coming up with events and stories was not easy. I had high expectations as a screenplay writer. I was also my own audience and reader. However, my work and creativity did not meet my expectations, which was difficult. I could have given up, but I survived and came this far.

When I started actual production, the process went quickly. After filming, I started editing the film, thinking about what is a feature film. Then I had to go through another painful moment. I thought I was prepared to make a feature film, but I had to think over what a feature film really was. I learned a lot and was lucky to meet great crew members and actors.

Jeong Joo-ri-Iposes for a photo while filming"A Girl at My Door".

- What is most attractive about being a director?

- I experienced everything while I was making my debut film. I met many crew members and actors and started filming, and then went into post-production. I met the audience to promote the film. I realized that I was working with a lot of people just to make a single film. I came to like the fact that I was a director. It was not other people who were realizing what I intended to make, but we were working together and coming up with something better. This made me feel really happy. It is something great about being a director.

- Is there a story you are working on or you intend to create?

- I unveiled my newest screenplay in the project market at the Busan International Film Festival. It's a story about a middle-aged woman and a 19-year-old girl, who is the heroine. It is about what happens between these two and between them and other people. I am writing a story about how the relationship affects them. Someday, I want to make a sci-fi movie. I believe it is the genre that goes deepest into the concept of human existence. A human in the middle of the universe, with mutants and clones, seems to me to be in the sphere of ontology.

By Limb Jae-un
Photos: Limb Jae-un, Pine House Film
jun2@korea.kr

A poster for the film"A Girl at My Door".