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| ▲ This photo, provided by Twin Plus Partners Studio, shows the South Korean actress Bae Doo-na. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo, provided by Twin Plus Partners Studio, shows the South Korean actress Bae Doo-na. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean veteran actress Bae Doo-na shared her thoughts on the upcoming drama film “Next Sohee,” in which the actress played the role of a female detective who digs into the suicidal accident of a high school student Sohee.
During an interview held at a cafe with Yonhap News Agency in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Thursday, the actress soon shed tears as she said, “After filming ‘Next Sohee,’ I was grateful to those who were in the same position as Sohee in the movie but did not make the same decision. I wish I could give my condolences to those who have been holding on to making such a choice.”
The actress wrapped her face with both hands and quickly wiped away her tears. “I hope children may be in less pain and damage,” she continued.
The soon-to-be-released film “Next Sohee” depicts the death of a high school girl from a specialized high school who goes on field training at a call center in 2016. So-hee, a high school girl who had to suffer from emotional abuse and discrimination, is psychologically isolated and eventually takes her own life.
Bae Doo-na plays Yu-jin, a female detective who investigates the unexpected death of a high school girl; As a reticent person who is not very good at relationships, fails to conceal her feelings as she encounters the unfortunate death of a teenage girl.
She ends up throwing a punch at her chief detective who insists that the death of a young girl is “not a big deal” and also loses her temper at a scholarship officer who evades one’s responsibility by saying, “Let’s do this low-key.”
Bae Doo-na gave a detailed explanation of her intention behind appearing in this film as she tried to calm herself down after she fails to hold back her tears, probably due to the emotions she felt while shooting.
“I hope things get better than they used to be in our days. I try to appear in films that tell stories about children or any issue similar to those that ‘Next Sohee’ talked about. Children are weaker and hence more vulnerable than we adults are.”
“Next Sohee” is the film that Director July Jung produced 9 years after her last film “A Girl at My Door.” Director Jung, with whom the actress almost lost contact after shooting “A Girl at My Door,” unexpectedly made a visit to the actress with the scenario of “Next Sohee.”
“When I first read the scenario that day, I was immediately drawn to the film due to the issue that it brings up and its topic consciousness,” Bae Doo-na recalled.
“Actors usually only get involved in the shooting process; however, in the case of ‘Next Sohee,’ I participated in almost every scene, from the beginning to the end of the movie,” the 43-year-old actress added. “Director Jung was headstrong at work, which also made her reliable. She is so cool.”
Bae Doo-na also gave her compliments to the rookie actress Kim Si-eun, who played the main character So-hee. The movie “Next Sohee” is mainly divided into two parts: The death of Sohee and detective Yoo-jin’s investigation into the cause of her death. Due to such a storyline, the two actresses rarely met each other on set.
Nevertheless, Bae Doo-na said that she yet closely observed how Kim Si-eun acted and was surprised to watch the rookie actress professionally being immersed in emotions in front of the cameras.
“I was amazed to watch such a rookie actress who had her first leading role in a film acting so professionally. She seemed to be free and bold in front of the camera. Her acting convinced me that I would love this film,” the actress added.
Bae Doo-na, who made her debut as a model in 1998, has been building her career as an actress by appearing in dozens of movies and dramas such as “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” (2002), “The Host” (2006), “As One” (2012), “Kingdom” (2018), and “Broker” (2022).
She cited her love for the job of an actress as the main motivation behind her appearing on the set for more than 20 years.
“Whenever I enter the production set, I see myself as this cool person,” the actress said with a laugh. “I think it is cool to be still working as an actress, and I am proud of myself. I think the actress is a good occupation to take.”
As she has been appearing in movies for a long time, it may seem like she can take a chance at directing one; however, she was quite resolved on her staying out of the director’s seat, saying, “Directing a film is not for anyone.” The actress, however, did express her desire to write a script, which she has been interested in since childhood.
“I loved writing when I was young. As I now have aged, I have more thoughts, and I want to express those thoughts in writing. I obviously have not started writing yet (laughs).”
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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