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| yna@yna.co.kr 2024-10-18 14:32:38
SEOUL, Oct. 18 (Yonhap) -- A new Korean film that captures the essence of a sweet first love is set to hit theaters after a long wait. Premiering on November 6, the youth romance film Hear Me: Our Summer stars Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon-seo, and Kim Min-ju.
During a production briefing held at a theater in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 18th, Roh Yoon-seo shared why she chose to join the project: "I wanted to be part of a film that feels refreshing, fresh, and heart-fluttering."
Hear Me: Our Summer tells the story of Yong-jun (played by Hong Kyung), a young man in his 20s who has just graduated from college and is starting his job search. He falls in love at first sight with Yeo-reum (played by Roh Yoon-seo), whom he meets at a swimming pool.
Hong Kyung remarked, "First love is an experience that everyone has at least once," and added, "When I read the script, I felt it was a rare opportunity to portray first love through a film."
While the movie centers on the love story between Yong-jun and Yeo-reum, Yeo-reum’s younger sister Ga-eul also plays a significant role. Kim Min-ju, a former member of the girl group IZ*ONE, takes on the role of Ga-eul. She said, "I felt a warmth while reading the script, and that appealed to me."
Hear Me: Our Summer is a remake of the 2010 Taiwanese romance film Hear Me. The original is credited with helping popularize Taiwanese romance films in South Korea. Director Cho Sun-ho, who helms the new adaptation, said, "I aimed to maintain the purity of the original while weaving in the story I wanted to tell."
The production team explained that compared to the original, Hear Me: Our Summer places more focus on the relationships between the characters and incorporates a more Korean touch.
Hong Kyung described his character, Yong-jun, as "someone who, after meeting Yeo-reum, encounters emotions he couldn’t feel when he was alone. It’s a transformative experience that gives him new energy and opens up a world he didn’t know existed."
All three lead actors—Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon-seo, and Kim Min-ju—are in their 20s, which is also notable, as it has been a while since a Korean film featured a lead cast of this age. The film’s characters represent today’s youth: Yong-jun, unsure of his next steps after graduation; Yeo-reum, struggling with life’s challenges; and Ga-eul, a swimmer chasing her dream of an Olympic gold medal.
Director Cho reflected on the film’s themes, saying, "Even for me, in my 40s, there was a time when youth felt faint and faded," and added, "(For audiences who have moved past their youth), this film will help them reminisce about that time."
Given that Ga-eul is portrayed as a hearing-impaired character, many scenes feature the characters communicating through sign language. Before filming, Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon-seo, and Kim Min-ju underwent one-on-one tutoring to become proficient in sign language. They explained that the sign language scenes became a powerful means of conveying deep emotions, comparable to spoken lines.
Hong Kyung shared his experience, saying, "When using sign language, you have to make eye contact and focus all your attention to truly understand the other person. It made every word feel more vivid and meaningful."
Hear Me: Our Summer marks Director Cho's return to filmmaking after seven years, following his 2017 thriller A Day, which attracted 1.12 million viewers. The film was also invited to this month’s 29th Busan International Film Festival.
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