Novel-based films 'Because I Hate Korea' and 'Concerning My Daughter' get local releases

“Because I Hate Korea” is scheduled for release on Aug. 28 and “Concerning My Daughter” will come out on Sept. 4.

A still from film ″Because I Hate Korea″ [NK CONTENTS]

Two Korean films based on novels are set to hit local theaters to give book lovers a chance to see their favorite characters come to life. “Because I Hate Korea” is scheduled for release on Aug. 28 and “Concerning My Daughter” will come out on Sept. 4.

Both films are set to hit local theaters almost a year after they were initially screened at last year’s Busan International Film Festival. “Because I Hate Korea” was selected as the festival’s opening film and “Concerning My Daughter” received two awards — Actor of the Year and the CGV Award.

“Because I Hate Korea,” directed by Jang Kun-jae, is based on author Chang Kang-myoung’s 2015 best-selling novel of the same name. The film revolves around Gye-na, who feels helpless and exhausted by Korean society and leaves the country, heading to New Zealand for a fresh new start. It features Ko A-seong, Kim Woo-kyum and Joo Jong-hyuk.

Director Jang emphasized that his film does not aim to romanticize Gye-na’s journey abroad but rather focuses on her choices, hoping to deliver a message of support to today’s youth.

“I wanted to explore Gye-na’s determination, which even led her to change the very foundations of her life. I also wanted to depict the emotions and various perspectives she experiences in the process of looking into her decisions,” Jang said during the film’s press conference held in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Wednesday.

A still from film ″Because I Hate Korea″ [NK CONTENTS]

The novel covers a timeline of seven to eight years, so the director and actor Ko put a lot of thought into how they could show this passage of time in a film with a limited running time.

“I put a lot of effort into creating visible changes that can be noticed at a glance to capture the passing time,” Ko, who plays Gye-na, said. “So, I decided to do my makeup like the Koreans living abroad and tried tanning for the first time, thinking the character's skin tone would naturally change while living in New Zealand.”

While “Because I Hate Korea” focuses on young adults and their struggles, “Concerning My Daughter” is a story about everyone, according to its director Lee Mi-rang.

“At first, most of the audience approaches the film as a story of the relationship between a mother and a daughter,” director Lee said during the film’s press conference held in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Thursday. “But in fact, like the original work, the film is not only about the daughter but also about the mother, the elderly person the mother cares for and the daughter’s lover.“

A still from film ″Concerning My Daughter″ [CHALLAN FILM]

“Ultimately, it is a story that inevitably touches all of us, just like the original work,” she added.

“Concerning My Daughter,” based on author Kim Hye-jin’s 2017 novel of the same name, centers around the relationship between a mother, her daughter Green and her daughter’s girlfriend Rain, as Green and Rain move into the mother’s house. It features actors Oh Min-ae, Heo Jin, Lim Se-mi, and Ha Yoon-kyung.

The film focuses on and follows the detailed emotions of the characters portrayed by the actors, allowing moments where there are only silences and gazes.

“I felt that the moments of gazing, such as when the mother silently looks at Rain or watches her daughter sleep, represent [the character’s] first step toward understanding others,” Ha said, picking the moments of silence as the best scenes.

A still from film ″Concerning My Daughter″ [CHALLAN FILM]

Lim, who played Ha’s girlfriend, also agreed with Ha, saying “I thought that indeed she’s my partner because I wanted to say the same thing. I believe that the silence encapsulates the various stories in a good way.”

The film is director Lee’s debut feature. She said that holding a press conference for the film was a miracle to her.

“I made this film because I believed it was necessary to create a film like this,” the director said. “While I understand that it's not a movie that will make you feel instantly relieved or give your mind a break, I felt there needed to be someone to tell this kind of story.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]