Jang Hye-jin reaffirmed her status as director Yoon Ga-eun’s muse, built on deep trust and real-life friendship.
At a press screening and Q&A for "The World of Love" held Oct. 15 at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, Jang called Yoon “the person I talk to the most―friend, confidant, and colleague.”
Jang has appeared in all of Yoon’s films―"The World of Us," "The House of Us," and now "The World of Love". Asked why she signed on again, she said, “We talk about everything. I knew she was writing, but she wasn’t sharing details. Then one day the script arrived with a note: ‘If it doesn’t speak to you, you don’t have to do it. But in my heart, Tae-seon is you.’ I couldn’t say no.”
She added with a laugh, “I told her, ‘If this went to anyone else before me, I’m cutting you off.’”
It wasn’t just friendship. “The script was a blast to read,” Jang said. “I kept thinking, ‘What is Juin really thinking?’ I felt lucky I’d connected with Yoon Ga-eun early on.”
In the film, Jang plays Tae-seon, the mother of Juin―a bright, seemingly carefree high schooler whose hidden wounds force her mom to confront her own.
On her approach, Jang noted, “I wanted to disappear into Tae-seon―set aside my usual self and perform in a way that didn’t feel like acting.”
"The World of Love" follows Juin, an enigmatic 18-year-old who sits somewhere between it-girl and attention-seeker. After she alone refuses to join a schoolwide petition, mysterious notes begin to appear. The film is the first and only Korean title invited to the Platform competition at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and marks Yoon’s first new feature in six years.
Newcomer Seo Su-bin leads as Juin, with Jang Hye-jin as her mother, Tae-seon.
"The World of Love" opens Oct. 22.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)