met Hazel Jung, september 7, 2023
6

The film 30 Days, directed by Nam Dae Joong, held its press conference. The film tells the story of No Jung Yeol (played by Kang Ha Neul) and Hong Na Ra (played by Jung So Min), a couple on the verge of filing for divorce who gets into a car accident that caused them to lose their memories.

Director Nam Dae Joong praised Kang Ha Neul's performance saying, "Kang Ha Neul is good at what he does and expresses small details well. Comedic acting can make or break a film. I didn't have to intervene much. Kang Ha Neul had a good sense of humor. He absorbed the energy of his co-actors like an air purifier."

He continued, "Kang Ha Neul didn't act independently; he absorbed the co-actors performances and radiated positive energy. On set, I repeatedly asked him if he was okay with going this far for comedy. He put his all into it for the sake of comedy."

Kang Ha Neul explained why he accepted the casting offer for 30 Days saying, "Usually, when I choose a script, I read it all in one go. 30 Days was one of those scripts. While reading, I remembered my past relationship and wondered how my parents were back then. I finished the script in one sitting, imagining these things."

Regarding his performance in the film, Kang Ha Neul commented, "I followed the director's instructions. I was able to show a different side of myself that I couldn't in Twenty and Midnight Runners. I had infinite trust in the director."

Director Nam Dae Joong also had high praise for Jung So Min's acting saying, "Jung So Min showed a side of herself that we hadn't seen before. She made us laugh so much that it was worrying. I thought this might be her retirement work. She worked so hard to make it funny. While watching her on set, I felt grateful for her dedication, but at the same time, I felt guilty for pushing her so far." 

Jung So Min emphatically denied any plans to retire, saying, "I have never thought I should break down. When doing comedy acting, it's interesting because comedy can occur naturally when a situation arises. I focused more on that."

She further explained, "When you see it from the outside, it's ironic that comedy is the charm. While doing comedy, I often think that the characters are experiencing tragedies. Viewers accept it as funny when they combine the situation with comedy."

Kang Ha Neul also discussed the importance of the amnesia element in the story, saying, "Expressing memory loss might seem easy, but it was a challenge because the fact of having amnesia is intertwined throughout the film's beginning, middle, and end. I had many discussions with the director about how to express the intensity of memory loss, which parts to preserve, and how to portray it."

Jung So Min added her perspective on representing Na Ra's amnesia saying, "Just because her memory is lost, it doesn't mean Hong Na Ra's identity disappears. If I were to use a painting as an example, I tried to express it as if only the lines were erased while keeping the colors of the painting intact."

The K-Movie 30 Days will be released on October 4th.

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