심선아
| 2026-08-05 13:58:06
By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean director Lee Ji-won, who made her mark with her debut film "Miss Baek" in 2018, will return with a family drama about a fractured household forced to reunite in the face of a crisis, after an eight-year absence from the big screen.
Speaking at a press conference to promote "Portrait of a Family" at a Seoul theater Wednesday, Lee said the upcoming film grew out of her desire to tell another story about people standing together through hardship, this time not between strangers but within a family.
"In 'Miss Baek,' I portrayed the solidarity between a woman and a child abandoned by the world," Lee said. "This time, I wanted to show a family uniting and overcoming difficulties together."
Lee said she spent a long time developing the screenplay after the success of the previous film raised expectations for her next project.
"Portrait of a Family" centers on Jung-gu, a former baseball star played by Ryu Seung-ryong, and Nam-mi, a former top actress played by Ha Ji-won, whose seemingly happy marriage collapses after the sudden appearance of Jung-gu's extramarital daughter Dong-ju, played by Kim Si-a. Eight years later, Dong-ju becomes entangled in a shocking incident, and the estranged family is drawn back together as they risk everything to uncover the truth and save her.
The film also stars Kim Sun-young as Ji-sook, Jung-gu's older sister, Kim Hae-sook as Gi-sik, the family matriarch who steps forward to rescue her endangered granddaughter, and Kim Young-min as Ji-sook's husband, Sung-myeong.
Ryu described his character as unpredictable and blunt, but deeply devoted to his daughter.
But the role would reveal "a different kind of paternal love" from his previous film characters, he added.
Ha said her return to the big screen after six years felt especially meaningful.
"I was so happy that time passed in the blink of an eye," she said, adding that she tried to let go of her usual habits as an actor and fully immerse herself in Nam-mi's life.
Kim Si-a, who previously worked with Lee as a child actor on "Miss Baek," said she took on the project partly because she wanted to reunite with the director after growing as an actress.
"Back then, I was young and had no acting experience, so the director explained everything from A to Z," she said. "This time, we talked a lot, but even without being told everything in detail, we understood each other well," she recalled. "She told me, 'Just express the Dong-ju you feel,' so I was able to act comfortably," Kim added.
"Portrait of a Family" is set for release in theaters on Sept. 2.
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