Singer and actress Lee Ji Eun's omnibus film Persona debuts on Netflix.
The film, which was produced in 2019, can be watched via this global streaming service starting April 5, 2023.
Launching Koreaboo on Thursday (23/2/2023), the anthology series consisting of four short films was directed by four critically acclaimed local directors: Lee Kyung Mi, Im Pil Sung, Jeon Go Woon and Kim Jong Kwan.
As the title suggests, the film illustrates IU's four distinct personalities after acting in many popular small screen series, such as "Dream High", "The Producers", and "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo."
“Frankly, when I received the proposal, I didn't expect a project of this magnitude to be under the spotlight and even hold its own press conference,” said director Lee Kyung Mi.
“Initially, I was really excited to make four short films, and didn't expect these to be streaming on the Netflix platform,” he said.
The series "Persona" is produced by Mystic Story and its founder and CEO Yoon Jong-shin, a veteran singer and producer. This is the first project since the company, formerly Mystic Entertainment, recently changed its name to reflect its focus on content creation, beyond talent management.
When asked about choosing Netflix to distribute the film, Yoon said he did not want his work to be forgotten.
“I wanted to create a platform that is sustainable for both creators and producers,” he says.
“I want people to remember 'Persona' years later and cater to the audience based on their likes. I always wanted to do a series, especially after watching the English (sci-fi) drama ‘Black Mirror,'” he continued.
He also expressed pity for the reality of the box office, where screenings of the film are decided on the fly, namely in the first or second week of release despite many having put years of their time and effort into its production.
"The same goes for the songs, decided within hours of release," said Lee again.
Meanwhile director Yoon said the project started with a simple thought, not knowing the series would hit Netflix later.
“My philosophy is that 'music is a story', just like movies and commercials. I got to watch some short films by the director and they were really fun and want more people to see this great story,” he said.
“When directors make short films, they are filled with sparkling creativity. And when I met different film directors, the idea of one actor and many directors came to mind," he said.
Casting Lee as the lead for the first installment "Persona" came naturally, he added.
“As I was thinking about the concept, IU came to mind. I remember IU's eyes widening when I gave her a new song in the past and thinking she is a person who accepts new things well and continues to challenge herself," he said.
"A top star has a lot to lose when trying new things, because they have to destroy the image they build," said Yoon. “But he is very brave to take on this challenge,” he said.
The first short film is “Love Set,” helmed by director Lee Kyung-mi, who is behind “The Truth Beneath” and “Crush and Blush.” It tells the story of a heated tennis match between Lee, who is a princess in the film, and the boyfriend of her English teacher and father, played by Bae Doona.
“The key word of this film is anger,” said Lee. “Her character is hot-tempered and very honest with her feelings. Since I don't usually explode in anger, it's kind of hard to describe," he said.
The second story “Collector,” directed by Im Pil-sung (“Scarlett Innocence,” “Hansel and Gretel”), investigates the relationship between Eun, a mysterious woman played by Lee, and Jung-woo, who tries to win. his heart, played by actor Park Hae-soo.
“This is a strange love story based on the motive of male stupidity,” said Im, adding that he was heavily inspired by IU's song “Jam Jam.”
“It was probably the hardest role that was unique and free-spirited,” said the actress. "I've never met a character like this in any other movie or book."
Director Jeon Go-woon (“Microhabitat”) created “Kiss Burn,” a story about a girl's revenge on her friend's father for grounding her.
“When I was writing the screenplay for the film, I expected to get a lot of bans (from Lee). But nothing. And I think Lee is a very brave person," said Jeon.
The last in the series is titled "Walking at Night", directed by Kim Jong-kwan, who directed "Come, Closer" and "Worst Woman".
“This is a romantic story of a couple who broke up and then meet again in a dream. While this film is a story of lovers, I focused more on the rails of relationships between people, not feelings of affection," said Kim.
“I met Lee for the first time through this project. He has many colors. I also see some of the loneliness behind someone who lives a strong life. And I wanted to weave that part into this story," Yoon said.
Looking ahead, Yoon said he hopes to continue the series on Netflix with a different actor and director in the future. /celebrities.id
