[Here is KAN] Lee Jung-jae "I prepared my speech in English, but my mind went blank"[Interview]

75th Cannes Film Festival Scene
Conversation with Lee Jung-jae
A Fateful Director Debut Story

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "I've never received such a long applause since I was born. I was shy and nervous, but having Jung Woo-sung by my side gave me strength."

Lee Jung-jae, whom we met in Cannes, was full of composure. Beyond being a representative actor of Chungmuro, he has become a global star and is diligently navigating Cannes. Despite managing his schedule in 10-minute increments amid overwhelming attention, he never loses his smile. Beyond Seong Gi-hoon, he has taken his first step as a 'director.' As if to cheer on his new beginning, the sun has been shining brightly throughout the 75th Cannes Film Festival.

On the morning of the 21st (local time), Lee Jung-jae met with Asia Economy at the Palais des Festivals et des Congr?s in Cannes, France, where the 75th Cannes Film Festival is being held, and shared various stories.

Lee Jung-jae's directorial debut, Hunt, was invited to the Midnight Screening in the non-competitive section of the 75th Cannes Film Festival on the 19th and held its premiere screening. Director Lee Jung-jae and lead actor Jung Woo-sung walked the red carpet together, unveiling Hunt.

As the screening of Hunt ended that day, applause poured in. Thierry Fr?maux, the Cannes Film Festival executive director, handed the microphone to Director Lee Jung-jae. It is customary for directors to respond to applause with a greeting after the film ends. He briefly expressed "Thank you" in Korean, English, and French. When we met him the next day, Lee Jung-jae confessed that he had prepared remarks in advance.

"The executive director told me that he might or might not ask me to speak after the screening, but to be prepared. So, I memorized in English to thank the audience for enjoying the film and to ask if they understood the story I wanted to tell. But after the film ended and the end credits rolled, the audience kept applauding, but the lights didn’t come on. I thought, 'Why aren’t the lights on?' and my mind went blank. The first words I had prepared didn’t come out."

This was Lee Jung-jae's first invitation to Cannes as a director, 12 years after The Housemaid (2010). He laughed, saying, "I don’t remember if the applause was long back then. That’s probably why I felt even more shy."

At the photocall event on the 19th, Lee Jung-jae’s tightly pressed lips caught my eye. The weight of the Cannes Film Festival, which even makes Lee Jung-jae, with 20 years of experience, nervous, was palpable. It must have been nerve-wracking to present his directorial work for the first time, especially at Cannes. Unlike actor Jung Woo-sung, who was beaming with joy, Lee Jung-jae’s face didn’t show a single broad smile. When I mentioned this, he laughed heartily and said, "You caught me."

"Of course, I was nervous. At the photocall, the screening was about to start, and most of the photographers were foreigners, so it felt unfamiliar. At least having Jung Woo-sung with me helped ease the tension."

Hunt came to life after Lee Jung-jae first encountered the original draft during the filming of Operation Chromite (2016) and purchased the rights during The Fortress (2017). He later requested script adaptations from directors Jung Ji-woo and Han Jae-rim, but fatefully, Lee Jung-jae ended up adapting the script himself. Had someone else taken on the task, his directorial debut might have been delayed. It is a film born of destiny and connection.

"I learned about the original draft through Director Han Jae-rim. Then Director Jung Ji-woo, who was adapting the script, declined. While searching for another director, I met Han Jae-rim. He complained that it was a headache, but then suggested we do it together. However, one day he said, 'I don’t think I can do it,' and declined. I thought, 'If no one else writes it, I have to,' so I ended up writing it myself."

Having lived as an actor all his life, how often would Lee Jung-jae have had to write on a laptop? He said he completed the Hunt script by typing each letter on his laptop. "I opened the laptop and sat down at the desk, and I wondered why I started writing this. I felt like my head was going to explode. I was so nervous that my face swelled. Later, thinking about completing the film and having to do interviews with reporters, I felt like my head was going to explode again."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also blamed himself many times and said there were moments when he wanted to give up. Lee Jung-jae laughed, saying, "Director Han Jae-rim also felt the limits, and I wondered why I was writing this to the end, if it was a foolish thing." He added, "I would sit for ten hours straight, unable to write a single word even though the laptop was on."

As a director, Lee Jung-jae said he has something to say through the language of film. It is about questioning whether the beliefs we hold in life are truly right, and if they are wrong, to change them together. After revising the script many times over a long period, he has already become a director through countless moments of anguish.

"War breaks out in our country, and ideological conflicts arise. Even now, people are divided. People are still in conflict, but who created this? We don’t fight because we want to. Life is hard enough; why should we fight too? I hope the conflicts stop. We can live differently, and I want to say that we shouldn’t be divided and conflicted by incitement."

Then Lee Jung-jae said, "I leave such messages beneath the surface, and if people enjoy the cool Jung Woo-sung and the flashy gunfights, I’m satisfied with that."

Cannes (France) = Reporter Lee Isul