SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Yeji, the character played by actress Cho Yeo-jeong in director Lee Chang-dong's Netflix film "Possible Love," is a figure who has sparked debate among viewers.

Yeji, a documentary filmmaker, proposes filming Ho-seok (Seol Kyung-gu), a laid-off worker, and his wife, Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon), to document the lives of dismissed workers. She observes the couple's daily lives and is so persistent that she keeps her camera trained on Ho-seok even in his most painful and intimate moments.

Yeji is also the only character in the film who directly utters the word "love" from the title. She repeatedly emphasizes to her husband, Sang-woo (Jo In-sung), that she is trying to love Ho-seok and Mi-ok.

The questions that "Possible Love" poses to viewers arguably begin with and extend from Yeji, whose actions may appear contradictory. Lee has said the character reflects himself.

"The director first told me that Yeji was the character closest to him in the film. Then he said, 'Overcome it,'" Cho recalled with a laugh.

Meeting with reporters at a cafe in central Seoul on Tuesday, Cho said, "My challenge was to overcome the task of playing a director in front of director Lee Chang-dong himself."

"Possible Love," released on Netflix on Nov. 6, follows Yeji, a documentary filmmaker, and her husband, Sang-woo, as well as Ho-seok and his wife, Mi-ok, whose lives become intertwined through the making of a documentary.

Yeji approaches Ho-seok and Mi-ok warmly, suggesting that they become friends. Her attitude toward the couple appears consistent with her stated efforts to love them.

However, her determination to capture Ho-seok's suffering and carefully observe Mi-ok's every word makes it difficult to tell whether her actions stem from genuine affection or a desire to complete her documentary.

Cho said she believed Yeji was sincere in every moment, adding that it was difficult to neatly categorize a person's emotions by deciding which motivation took priority.

"I thought Yeji had to be genuinely sincere. Otherwise, the film's message would be different," Cho said. "She is someone who makes an effort because she believes that what she has been given is right."

Cho said she was able to portray Yeji's complicated emotions comfortably thanks to her co-stars Jeon and Seol.

"Yeji genuinely wants to be friends with the couple and makes an effort to do so. What's fascinating is that it came naturally when I was with Jeon and Seol," she said.

Cho, who said she had long been a fan of Jeon, revealed that she sent the actress a message before filming, saying she intended to perform by focusing solely on Mi-ok's eyes.

Such natural performances reflected the chemistry among the actors on set. Cho, who worked with Jeon, Seol and Jo In-sung for the first time, said the atmosphere helped them inhabit their characters effortlessly.

"Everyone naturally becomes their character on set, like air flowing or water running," she said. "That atmosphere is the magic of director Lee's film sets."

Rather than simply acting, Cho also sought to live as Yeji. Even when she was not filming, she carried a camera around the set and took pictures here and there, just as a real documentary filmmaker would.

"Sometimes I would photograph younger actors I was close to and suddenly realize, 'I actually captured a moment like this,'" she said with a laugh. "There were days when I felt I had captured something meaningful, and I even showed it off to the director."

The clothes Yeji wears in the film also belonged to Cho herself. While thinking about which bag Yeji should carry, Cho found a suitable prop and suggested it to Lee, who approved it for filming. This eventually led to Yeji's wardrobe and accessories being filled with Cho's personal belongings.

These details helped create the sense of realism characteristic of Lee's films.

"We all thought carefully about how to make things look real, including Jeon," Cho said. "Viewers have told us that everything feels incredibly natural."

The film earned critical acclaim after winning the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in September. It was also invited to major film festivals, including the 51st Toronto International Film Festival and the 64th New York Film Festival.

It has also been selected as South Korea's official submission for the international feature film category at the 99th Academy Awards, or Oscars, scheduled for next year.

Cho, who appeared in "Parasite," the 2020 Oscar winner of four awards, said she was unable to participate in the film's international awards campaign because she was busy shooting a television drama at the time. She described "Possible Love" as her first proper experience of an Oscar campaign.

"Winning awards isn't the goal, but it feels good to receive recognition," she said. "Meeting overseas media and audiences through the director's film made me realize how many people admire and have been waiting for Lee Chang-dong. As a member of the Korean film industry, I think that's wonderful."

On a personal level, Cho said "Possible Love" helped satisfy her long-standing desire to take on a particular kind of acting challenge.

"For the past several years, I've felt an especially strong desire to fully inhabit my characters, and for that, the stories had to be realistic," she said. "I couldn't help thinking of director Lee's films, so I was very happy to be part of this project."

Cho, who recently spoke about the anxieties she experienced in her 20s, has since established herself as one of South Korea's leading actresses. Yet she said she still considers herself an actor who is constantly exploring and learning.

"I don't think acting is a profession in which you ever reach completion. It's a job that requires constant exploration," she said. "It's fascinating when people from the outside tell me, 'This is the kind of actor you are.' But from my perspective, I'm still exploring just as intensely as ever."
 

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