Korean movie weekly magazine Cine21 published in its special Lunar New Year edition (#1292) on January 30th a conversation between Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and Youn Yuh-jung of Minari, with Bong assuming the role of the interviewer. Although this meeting could only be held virtually through video call due to the pandemic, it started before sunrise and eventually ended after sunset.
A conversation between Bong, who won the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 2019 and 4 Oscars at the 2020 Academy Awards, and Youn Yuh-jung, the first Korean actor to be part of the conversation for the Oscars and the Golden Globes for her performance in Minari, is in itself an attractive event. Minari, which was produced by Plan B and distributed by A24, tells the story of a Korean family that moved to the United States to follow the American Dream in the 1980s. It is the latest from Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung, who also penned the script, with Steven Yeun and Han Ye-ri playing the parents. Minari has emerged as a strong candidate in the Oscar race after receiving the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the US Dramatic Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020, and it recently proved once again that is ranks among the best films of last year when it was named one of the ten best films of 2020 by the American Film Institute. Youn Yuh-jung is currently sweeping acting accolades in the US, winning prizes from local film critic associations in Los Angeles, Boston, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and San Francisco. Never before had a Korean actor enjoyed such coverage. Besides, since the main characters in the film are a Korean immigrant family in the United States, 80% of the lines are in Korean, and so all the lines Youn delivers are in Korean. The level of interest in Minari reflects the current global trend of embracing diversity in media and entertainment, and in that sense, the hype surrounding Minari brings to mind that of Parasite. The meeting between Youn Yuh-jung and Bong Joon-ho has a special meaning in that both are redefining the status of Korean film.
Bong, who is a self-proclaimed fan of Kim Ki-young, had many questions he wanted to ask the actress who made her film debut in the legendary director's Woman of Fire (1971), but he resolved to give a better flow to the conversation by starting with easier questions before going to the “final one”. Youn also vividly evoked the past of the “world-class director” as she recalled her first meeting with Bong when he was a newcomer who had just released his debut feature Barking Dogs Never Bite.
In Minari, Youn plays Sun-ja, a grandmother who moves to the US to reunite with her daughter Monica (Han Ye-ri). Bong expressed his affection for the character and the actor, calling Sun-ja as she is interpreted by Youn "the most adorable character of all time.” “In the films from Kim Ki-young, Im Sang-soo, and E J-yong, I played a lot of unique and strong characters, but in Minari, the character I portrayed isn’t your everyday grandmother either”, answered Youn. “There was something enjoyable and gratifying in doing this, as she is a grandmother who doesn’t do domestic chores, which constitutes a transgression of the typical figure of the grandmother”.
They also talked about the director of Minari, Lee Isaac Chung. Youn said that, before she even finished reading the script, “I was so moved by this genuine liveliness I had already made up my mind to take the role.” She expressed her admiration for Lee Isaac Chung’s “honest and clear vision”. To which Bong added, "With the personality I have, I don’t handle well stories that are emotionally charged, but I enjoyed Minari because it’s warm-hearted and lyrical but never becomes a tearjerker indulging in nostalgia." Just when Bong observed that “The ensemble of actors led by Yun is excellent,” Youn answered, “At the end of each filming day, we would gather in our quarters to prepare the dinner and eat together, and we would take the time to rework the lines for the next day of shooting. Minari is a collective effort and the end result is just as good as its ensemble cast.”
By the time the conversation was about to wrap up, Bong fired his "Final Question." “You have this kind of otherworldly acting skill that allows you to suddenly show up in a film with your normal face and voice and no particular makeup and still manage to bring to life your character in a matter of 5-10 minutes, even when the role you are playing is unique. What is your secret?” Feeling embarrassed by such praise, Youn Yuh-jung cleverly avoided the question, "If you really want to know how I do it, just cast me in one of your films". She then added, "It’s just that I don't like overacting, so I always try to do my best and put in it a lot of work." In addition to this, the two shared in-depth talks on the other actors in Minari, some specific scenes in the movie, and director Kim Ki-young.
You can find the full transcript of the conversation between Youn Yuh-jung and Bong Joon-ho in the issue No. 1292 of Cine 21, and the video of the conversation will shortly be available on on Cine 21’s YouTube page.
