"Want to Become a Storyteller to Overcome Loneliness"
"Journey with Director Bong Is a Privilege"
"Meditation to Overcome Stage Fright"
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] Sharon Choi (25), the interpreter for director Bong Joon-ho, shared her reflections after completing her 10-month journey as an interpreter.
On the 18th (local time), Choi wrote in an article for the American entertainment media 'Variety' about her experiences interpreting for director Bong Joon-ho and her plans as an aspiring filmmaker.
Choi said, "The past six months were a time spent endlessly ordering honey lemon tea to maintain my voice," adding, "From now on, the scripts I write will be stories close to my heart, set in Korea."
She continued, "The remaining task is to interpret between myself and the language of film," and added, "The flexibility of thought led Parasite to its current position and created empathy. The reason I want to become a storyteller is to feel less lonely."
She also revealed the difficulties she faced during her time as an interpreter. She said, "I fought with imposter syndrome and the anxiety of possibly miscommunicating the words of someone beloved by the public," and "The only cure for stage fright was meditating for 10 seconds backstage."
Dreaming of becoming a film director, she said, "This journey was merely a privilege. I needed an oxygen tank to jump higher," and added, "I am learning to find my voice as a director."
Choi also expressed her joy when she was first assigned to interpret for director Bong. She said, "I missed the first interpreting request last April due to working on a short film script, but when I accepted the second request, I prayed that my bladder would hold for about an hour so I wouldn't have to go to the bathroom while interpreting."
On the 31st of last month, Choi Seongjae's interpretation video was uploaded on the YouTube channel 'Ongat English Problem Solving'. He served as the interpreter for director Lee Chang-dong at the event for the movie 'Burning'./Photo by YouTube video screen capture
Before working as Bong’s interpreter, she also interpreted when director Lee Chang-dong’s film Burning entered the North American market. The interpreting video from that time is still a hot topic on social media.
Choi lived near Los Angeles (LA) for two years during elementary school and majored in Film, Art, and Media at an American university.
She confessed, "Spending two years in the U.S. as a child made me a strange hybrid. I was too Korean to be American, and too American to be Korean."
She recalled, "I maintained my English skills by reading books and watching movies, but when I was in college in LA, I didn’t even know how to respond to the casual 'What's up?'"
Choi said Bong’s interpreting work "became a story that seemed to break down all barriers. There is no time to reminisce while interpreting," adding, "Interpreting is all about the present moment, and you have to erase memories for the next moment."
She also mentioned that the films she watched to soothe insomnia and understand Eastern and Western cultures helped her interpret Bong’s words into clear language.
Regarding her recent popularity, Choi humorously responded, "It felt so strange to see my face on social media feeds, and I even found a tweet that included my name in a hashtag for a Viagra ad," adding, "I wouldn’t be surprised if the Korean government declared February 9th as Parasite Day."
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