Adaptation of LGBTQ novel 'Love in the Big City' to premiere in Korea next month

A film adaptation of writer Park Sang-young’s 2019 LGBTQ novel “Love in the Big City” is set to hit Korean theaters on Oct. 1, following the growth of young adults searching for their true selves.

A still from upcoming film ″Love in the Big City″ [PLUS M ENTERTAINMENT]

A film adaptation of writer Park Sang-young’s 2019 LGBTQ novel “Love in the Big City” is set to hit Korean theaters on Oct. 1, following the growth of young adults searching for their true selves.

The film shares the same title as the novel, which was also longlisted for the 2022 Booker International Prize. The film version was directed by E.oni, who also took the helm of films like "Missing" (2016) and "The Accidental Detective 2: In Action" (2018). It revolves around two young adults — Jae-hee, a free spirit, and Heung-soo, a man who hides a deep secret — becoming best friends and roommates. They navigate their lives together, sharing both joys and hardships.

The film features actor Kim Go-eun as Jae-hee and Noh Sang-hyun as Heung-soo.

The novel itself is a collection of four short stories, and the film is an adaptation of a chapter titled “Jaehee.” However, the director made some alterations, such as changing the male character in the novel's name from Young to Heung-soo in the film, along with adding more narratives to the characters.

From left, actor Kim Go-eun, director E.oni and actor Noh Sang-hyun pose for a photo during a press conference held in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. [NEW1]

“Since it’s a short story being adapted into a feature-length film, more content was naturally needed,” the director said during the film’s press conference held in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. “I really enjoyed the original work and thought that I wanted to know more about Jae-hee and Heung-soo. So, I aimed to tell stories that would allow me to get closer to these two characters and understand them more deeply. Based on the original work provided by the author, I made an effort to craft the story by filling in their narratives in my own way.”

The director also explained the film as “a story beginning with the two characters asking ‘who am I?' and ultimately discovering their true selves.”

The film was recently invited to this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), kicking off its world premiere by screening the film to over 1,000 audience members, which Kim expressed as an “unforgettable moment.”

“When the film was first screened at TIFF, I heard that there were 1,200 in the audience. I had never experienced watching a film with such a large crowd before,” Kim said. “It was truly an amazing experience, as the audience reacted to everything, laughing together as if we were at a concert.”

A still of upcoming film ″Love in the Big City″ [PLUS M ENTERTAINMENT]

The director also recalled her TIFF experience, saying, “It was my first film to be initially screened overseas before its official premiere, which I was worried about. I felt grateful to see so many positive reactions in Toronto, even though the film was fundamentally targeted at a Korean audience. I hope I can also earn the same reactions in Korea, too.”

Noh, who plays a queer man in the film, revealed that he met with numerous members of the queer community to hear their stories.

“I thought my character likely experienced various repressed emotions, such as frustration, isolation and shame, during his younger days. So, before the film’s shooting, I met with members of the LGBTQ community and heard many of their own stories, which was helpful for my character,” Noh said.

For Kim, her free-spirited character gave her a sense of secondhand satisfaction, as Jae-hee is a character unafraid to express her thoughts and also enjoys nightlife to the fullest. Kim said, “While playing Jae-hee, I asked myself, ‘Why didn't I have fun like that back then?’”

A still of upcoming film ″Love in the Big City″ [PLUS M ENTERTAINMENT]

A still of upcoming film ″Love in the Big City″ [PLUS M ENTERTAINMENT]

The film is Kim’s second film release this year, following “Exhuma,” which premiered in February and was the first film to hit the 10-million-moviegoer milestone in 2024. Kim shared her honest feelings about her strong desire for the success of the film “Love in the Big City."

“I sincerely hope this film does well at the box office,” Kim said. “It has gone through many ups and downs to reach this point, and just being able to premiere it today is incredibly moving and overwhelming. But if it also becomes a success, I will be truly really happy."

“We poured our hearts into making this film in the hope of wanting to share it with many people and have these stories heard," the director said, echoing Kim's wishes.

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