Erasing the Face Made the Essence Clearer [Limelight]

Shin Hyunbin Discovers New Possibilities Through the Film "Face"
"Sometimes, What Is Unseen Is the Deepest"

Actor Shin Hyunbin

Actress Shin Hyunbin erased her face. In the film "Face," she played the role of Jung Younghee without ever showing her face. By portraying a woman discriminated against because of her appearance, she paradoxically completed an acting performance that did not rely on looks. "Not showing my face was a difficult and frightening part, but I thought I might never get an opportunity like this again," she said.

For Shin Hyunbin, this project was both a limitation and a new possibility. It was an unprecedented challenge to fully depict a person's life using only her voice, gestures, and the texture of emotions. For an actor without a face, the voice becomes identity itself. She and director Yeon Sangho deliberated over how her voice should sound. At first, she tried voices that were uncomfortable and uneasy to listen to. However, right before filming, she realized something important.

"I created several versions of a voice that sounded a bit uncomfortable. But then I thought, 'Im Younggyu (played by Park Jungmin), who is visually impaired, has more sensitive hearing than others, so he might find these sounds even more uncomfortable. Would he actually like this person?' So I decided I needed to find a tone that could evoke warmth. As I acted, my voice naturally changed. Just as the way you speak to your mother is different from how you speak to your friends, those differences became more pronounced since my face wasn’t shown."

Movie Still Cut from "Face"

Shin Hyunbin also expressed Jung Younghee’s transformation through her posture and gait. As she clashed with CEO Baek Jusang (played by Lim Sungjae), who harassed female employees, her once-hunched shoulders gradually straightened, and her steps gained strength.

"I thought her slouched posture wasn’t just because her work was hard, but also reflected her timid heart and the years she lived as someone unwelcomed and even denied by her own family. From the moment she tried to speak up for herself, I gradually changed her posture and walk. I tried to stand taller and stronger than before."

There was an aspect she devoted herself to even more than acting: understanding Jung Younghee’s inner world. Shin Hyunbin had to simultaneously express not only appearance-based discrimination, but also feelings of betrayal by Im Younggyu, and an unbreakable will.

"Both Jung Younghee and Im Younggyu meet someone who truly sees them for the first time. You can imagine how desperately they must have longed for someone to treat them with kindness, free from prejudice or preconceptions. But fundamentally, the two are different. Im Younggyu cares a lot about standards set by others and what others think. For Jung Younghee, what others say doesn’t matter. I think that gap inevitably led to tragedy. Especially for Jung Younghee, realizing that even this person saw her like everyone else must have been devastating. She believed he was the only one who truly understood her, so she must have been emotionally shattered. When I delivered the line, 'Is it because I’m ugly, too?' it really broke my heart."

Movie Still Cut from "Face"

Her understanding of the character made the limitation of not showing her face irrelevant. In fact, it allowed her to get even closer to the essence of Jung Younghee as a person.

"I think we need Jung Younghee’s attitude in our lives. It’s important not to be swayed by outside voices, to discern what is right, and to set your own direction in life. I think acting is the same. Through this film, I came to believe that even if one form of expression is restricted, that’s not everything-in fact, more possibilities can open up in other areas. Sometimes, what is unseen is what can be seen most deeply."