Story about Shady Area Come from My Interest, Not from Belief

There is a life of a man who selects a prison life of 45 years instead of giving up his belief. Who will plan to produce such a story?

However, Hong Gi-Seon (director of movie `Selection`) and Gim Jung-Gi (actress) devoted an autumn and winter to the movie. The subject matter of the movie is the life of Gim Seon-Myeong who had the prison life of 45 years as long-serving prisoner and sent back to North Korea in 2000. The movie will be released next March.

There is something uncommon about the past day of the director and actor who selected a peculiar subject matter. The director Hong (Seoul National University, department of nuclear engineering) made `Yalrasyeong` which was the first college movie club, and then established a group for the movie movement and produced `Oh, Country of Dream` describing the Gwangju struggle after graduation. `Selection` is the movie made after 10 years from `Cut a sorrow with a knife` presenting a poor labor environment of the crew.

Also, playing the role of Gim Seon-Myeong, Gim Jung-Gi was from Seoul National University (department of philosophy), and started the acting in 1994. He appeared `시Time is lasting long` and `Chinese Restaurant Peking`.

Do both of them think that they intended to do the movie movement` through the movie of `Selection`? They answered as follows.

“If such the subject matter is in USA, Hollywood would make the movie with it. A will and belief of a freedom is the best subject matter of the movie.” Hong said.

“A cause of conversion rejection of the long-serving prisoners was a thought or ideology at the first. However, after 20 years, they said that they couldn`t deny their lives. This movie contains what a human being keeps `self-esteem`, Gim said

The director Hong explained, “A destiny is a main subject of the movie.”

“It is the movie asked whether people will select the destiny if they can select the fate. Answer? `I love the destiny`. I cannot help accepting the destiny in my target and dream.”

Mr. Hong was prepared for the movie three years before, but he couldn`t find an investor. However, he could produce the movie with a help of Shincine. He spent time to write TV one-act-drama for 10 years.

“Do you think that it is harder to live doing a desired thing? I am happier to make such the movie of `Selection` than making the many dislikable movies. It is because I am interested in a story of a shady area”, Mr. Hong said

Mr. Gim also said `I am doing because I like it`.

“I`ve never been happy after the graduation, but I felt alive for the first time after seeing the actor who plays the good performance. So, I am living difficult like a screw. I think that it is one of the process.”, Mr. Gim said.

Hee-Kyung Kim susanna@donga.com