‘I hope Hanran sparks interest in the April 3 Incident,’ says Kim Hyang-gi at the premiere

A scene from the film Hanran. Kim Min-chae (left) as Haeseong and Kim Hyang-gi as A-jin. / Courtesy of Triple Pictures

If you and I forget this incredible tragedy, who will remember it?

The film ‘Hanran,’ set against the backdrop of the Jeju April 3 Incident, opened on November 26. The film depicts the story of Jeju citizens facing threats to their survival amidst the conflict between the ‘Mountain Brigade’ of the Northwest Youth Association, opposing the establishment of a separate South Korean government in 1948, and the military-police ‘Punitive Expeditionary Force’ seeking to suppress them. The movie drew particular attention for actress Kim Hyang-gi (25), who plays Go A-jin, a 26-year-old mother raising her six-year-old daughter.

At the center of the film are A-jin and her six-year-old daughter, Haeseong (played by Kim Min-chae). A-jin, a former haenyeo (female diver), hears that the punitive force is approaching and joins the villagers fleeing into the mountains in search of her husband, who has gone into hiding. Believing a rumor that soldiers would spare young children, she leaves her daughter and mother-in-law behind. Soon afterward, she hears that the entire village has been burned down. Miraculously, Haeseong survives as the sole survivor of the massacre. Learning from a shaman that her daughter is alive, A-jin heads back to the village to find her.

The film depicts the harrowing era through the mother-daughter duo and the villagers' collective portrait. It also vividly portrays the human landscape within the punitive expedition and guerrilla forces. The narrative interweaves the story of a sergeant within the punitive force who indiscriminately killed civilians and a corporal who simply couldn't bring himself to kill innocent civilians.

Kim Hyang-gi, whom we met in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in an interview on November 18, stated, “I chose this project because I loved the script, which not only tells the mother-daughter story but also vividly portrays the lives of diverse people.” She added, “Hanran is a story about human beings trying to move forward despite hardship. I’m glad the film captures the lives of Jeju residents so well.”

Regarding taking on a mother’s role at a relatively young age, she said, “Women my age at that time were mothers, so it didn’t feel unnatural.” She added, “Watching A-jin draw superhuman strength from her love for Haeseong made me think deeply about what maternal love really is. While watching animal documentaries, I also thought that the eyes and behaviors animals show when expressing maternal instincts share surprising similarities with humans.”

Most of the dialogue in ‘Hanran’ was written in the Jeju dialect of the 1940s. While some words like ‘samchun,’ ‘musa,’ and ‘poksak sokdda’ are widely known, most are difficult for standard Korean speakers to understand due to the thorough historical accuracy. Therefore, standard Korean subtitles are displayed throughout the film.

Kim Hyang-gi also expressed concerns about speaking the Jeju dialect during filming. She explained, “I learned the Jeju dialect through one-on-one tutoring starting three months before shooting. When I approached it as a dialect, it didn't come naturally, but once I began to take it as a completely new language, the emotions began to flow out of nowhere.” Director Heo Myeong-mi stated at a press conference on the 12th, “With the help of supporting actors from Jeju, we were able to create natural Jeju dialect dialogue.”

The vast natural landscapes of Jeju captured on screen are another charm of the film. Jeju's forests, caves, and seas—its natural scenery—appear even more beautiful when contrasted with its tragic history. Kim Hyang-gi shared, "Before filming, I went on a ‘dark tour’ with the director to learn about the April 3 Incident. We explored Jeju's forests and seas to scout filming locations, and while they looked similar at first glance, each forest had its own character.” She added, “Rather than finding the forest shoots difficult, I felt more deeply healed by nature." A ‘dark tour’ refers to visiting sites of tragic history, like disasters, catastrophes, and wars, to reflect on their meaning and learn lessons from them.

Kim Hyang-gi expressed her hopes for the audience: “I hope viewers come with an open mind and experience the film as it is. If the film sparks curiosity about the April 3 Incident and leads them to learn more, that would mean the most to me.”

※This article was translated by an AI tool and edited by a professional translator.