[Interview] Director Choi Guk-hee Feels Rewarded by Audience Tears for "Life is Beautiful"

'Life Is Beautiful' Opens on the 28th
Jukebox Musical Film
Starring Yeom Jeong-ah, Ryu Seung-ryong, Ong Seong-wu, and Others

Director Choi Guk-hee / Photo by Lotte Entertainment

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Director Choi Gukhee's life changed by chance when he took a documentary-related liberal arts class while studying Arabic at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in 1995. After his military service, he majored in film studies at the University of Wisconsin and returned to Korea to gain field experience. Later, he nurtured his dream of filmmaking while studying at the Korea National University of Arts' School of Film, TV & Multimedia.

Following 'Split' (2016) and 'Default' (2018), Director Choi returns with the jukebox musical film 'Life is Beautiful.' On the afternoon of the 21st, he met with Asia Economy at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to talk about the work.

'Life is Beautiful,' which was preparing for release in December 2020, will meet audiences on the 28th. The director said, "Because the release was long-awaited due to the pandemic, I feel even more affection for it," adding, "Seeing the audience tear up at the preview screening made me feel the worth of the wait."

= How did you feel when you first received a scenario planned as a musical? The musical elements can be an advantage but also a burden for a director. What attracted you?

I was not usually a fan of musical films. Rather, I rarely watched them. I liked the story after reading the scenario and felt that combining it with a musical would create synergy, so I decided to take on the challenge.

= Why did you attempt the first jukebox musical?

I couldn't dare to do an original musical. It was burdensome. Since Korea has a lot of good music and many audiences who love music, I thought a jukebox musical was suitable. I hope many audiences will enjoy it without burden.

= The power of music is palpable. What was your directing focus?

I saw musicals strictly as a fantasy genre. Actors express emotions through songs while delivering lines, and each song is a fantasy scene. I thought deeply about maximizing the characters' emotions while following their stories.

= The film includes great songs like 'Unknown Life,' 'Ice Cream Love,' and 'Hot Goodbye.' How was the selection process?

Above all, the songs had to fit well with the story. There were many considerations such as the mood of the scene and the characters' emotions. We selected 30 to 40 candidate songs and had long discussions with many people. We wanted to place various songs and found the music that best suited the era and situation.

= Which number do you like the most?

Although I am attached to all, the song 'When Time Passes,' which plays during the ending credits, is my favorite. It was the last song added. At the technical preview, a different song was used for the ending credits, but it didn't match the film's emotional impact well. While having a meal with the actors, the opinion arose that the ending song was lacking, and this song came to mind. The actors then immediately went into recording. Yeom Jeong-ah sang until the middle, and Jinbong followed in the chorus.

= The flashback scenes gently continue precious moments but feel sad. Maybe because we don't realize those moments are beautiful. What did you want to convey through the film? Also, what does the title mean?

Broadly, it's a film about well-dying. Life is beautiful. Although we cannot always be happy, I wanted to tell that there are loved ones and family. There is an Italian film with the same title, 'Life is Beautiful' (1997), but I liked the meaning of the title, and it fit well with the film, so I used it. I really like the Italian work. I worried a lot because it could tarnish the name or invite various opinions and comparisons. After completing the rough cut, I thought it was a film worthy of this title.

= You decided to direct thinking of your mother.

It's a film about Se-yeon (played by Yeom Jeong-ah), but after watching it, many viewers might think of their own mother or wife. It's a film that makes you laugh and cry, but the reaction I most look forward to is hearing that someone called their loved one after watching it. That would be the highest compliment to me.

= Did you reflect the actors' opinions a lot while creating the characters?

I always consult together. Jinbong (played by Ryu Seung-ryong) was originally a more irritable and harsh husband in the scenario, but we adjusted it together because it could have side effects. Jinbong was a character who could easily be disliked. I was worried that some audience might leave the theater while watching the film. Ryu Seung-ryong has a warm image, and it was important to give hope that he would return to being a good person in the latter part. He acted very well, and we exchanged ideas openly and worked joyfully. The result was very satisfying.

= Ryu Seung-ryong's charm feels like the final puzzle piece of Jinbong. How was working with him?

He is someone who makes every take fun and successful, even if you shoot ten times. He is very considerate. There are scenes with Jinbong and Se-yeon respectively, and depending on the situation, we had to shoot the more important actor first. It's a kind of on-set rule. Ryu Seung-ryong was always filmed later. He was considerate of Yeom Jeong-ah. He never filmed first until the end. It's not easy, and I think it's a consideration that only someone confident in their acting can show.

= How did you come to work with Yeom Jeong-ah?

She often said she wanted to do a musical film, so she was an early casting consideration. It's an honor to work with her. She prepares thoroughly. She memorized almost the entire script before coming to the set.

= How was Ong Seong-wu cast as young Se-yeon and first love? You are continuing your connection with Ong Seong-wu through the next work 'Starlight Falls.'

The image of young Se-yeon was important, and Park Se-wan was cast because she resembles Yeom Jeong-ah. Ong Seong-wu was the most suitable for the first love and church brother image. Although he is a former member of the group Wanna One, he is an actor who is well-prepared. His attitude toward acting and personality are excellent. You can look forward to 'Starlight Falls' as well.

= The journey of understanding each other while recalling emotions at the time, in the form of a nationwide road movie, is also interesting.

I thought fun arises while searching nationwide. It was a kind of road movie where they reminisce about the past and talk together, discovering something new, so the musical genre came alive more. Traveling to various regions and the fantasy realized in new spaces is also fun.

= You majored in Arabic at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, enlisted, and after discharge, majored in film studies at the University of Wisconsin. After graduation, you worked in the directing department on films like 'The Theater' and then took a master's course at the Korea National University of Arts' School of Film, TV & Multimedia. Did your interest in film start during your military service?

When I was at HUFS, it was the era of 'one-person documentary.' The VJ era. I made human rights documentaries and handled the camera a bit, which was fun. I filmed and edited alone. I was thinking about what to do after the military and wanted to work with visual media. I thought about what the ultimate form of visual media is, and it was film.

= What kind of films did you like?

As a university student, I liked director Hong Sang-soo's 'The Day a Pig Fell into the Well' (1996) and 'The Power of Kangwon Province' (1998), and I also worked in the directing department of 'The Theater.' Like many film students, I liked films by the Coen brothers and the Dardenne brothers. Recently, I enjoyed Park Chan-wook's 'Decision to Leave.' It's a film that becomes more enjoyable if you study noir from the 70s and 80s a bit. The director seems to be a master who twists genres and creates something completely new with text.

= Do you have any principles or beliefs you always keep when making films?

I think film is an actor's art. A good director's virtue is to enable actors to perform well in their best condition. You have to know the actors well. It's not easy for actors to deliver consistent performances in all takes. For some, the first take is good; for others, the last take is better. In Yeom Jeong-ah's case, the first take was good, so we shot the close-up shots first. Communication between actors and directors is also very important. When that accumulates, it grows.