Why Did Kim Ho-jung Become a 'French Woman'? [Comprehensive]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Director Kim Hee-jung and actress Kim Ho-jung met through 'French Woman'.

On the afternoon of the 1st, a press screening and distribution preview of the film 'French Woman' was held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University Entrance in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Attending the event were actors Kim Ho-jung, Kim Ji-young, Ryu Ah-bel, and director Kim Hee-jung.

'French Woman' is a film about Mira, who left for Paris, France 20 years ago with dreams of becoming an actress, returning to Seoul and reuniting with old friends, embarking on a special journey that crosses between past and present, where dreams and reality intersect.

Director Kim Hee-jung, who directed 'Snowpath' (2016), took the helm. Director Kim explained the background, saying, "I have had many experiences abroad, so I was interested in Korean women I met during that time. It evoked complex emotions. Living away from one’s country is not easy, and living in Korea after being localized abroad is challenging. Seeing those in between evoked many feelings. I thought someday I wanted to tell the stories of such women, and I made it into a film."

Regarding the somewhat unique title 'French Woman,' Director Kim Hee-jung said, "If Mira is discovered locally, wouldn’t she be called a French woman?" She added, "I was impressed by Karel Reisz’s 'The French Lieutenant’s Woman' starring Meryl Streep, which inspired the title."

Kim Ho-jung plays Mira, a Korean woman with French nationality who belongs nowhere, delicately portraying the character’s confusing emotional changes as she moves between Seoul and Paris, past and present, reality and fantasy. She shared her reason for appearing, saying, "It was a very intense and delicate script. I decided to do it without hesitation after reading it." She added, "When I received the script, I was in my mid-fifties, wondering what kind of actress I should become and what kind of acting I should do. I felt a lot during that time."

Director Kim Hee-jung spoke about casting Kim Ho-jung, saying, "People probably mistakenly thought she had been in France. Director Bong Joon-ho asked, 'Wasn’t Kim Ho-jung in France? Doesn’t she speak French?' She seems like an actual French woman. Because of such reactions, I cast her."

Previously, Kim Ho-jung debuted in theater in 1991 and appeared in Bong Joon-ho’s 'Barking Dogs Never Bite,' Moon Seung-wook’s 'Butterfly,' Im Kwon-taek’s 'Funeral,' Shin Su-won’s 'Madonna,' and Ahn Pan-seok’s drama 'Heard It Through the Grapevine,' among others. When asked why she has received many offers from auteur directors, Kim Ho-jung replied, "I have been acting for quite some time, but I am still an unfamiliar actress to the public. After seeing me on stage, auteur directors offered me roles quite often. I wondered why they chose me, and I thought maybe they needed unfamiliarity. Since well-known actors have established images, when unfamiliar actors are needed, they come to me. Maybe that’s why I was chosen."

'French Woman' will be released on June 4.