Every work contains numerous perspectives. Although the director and actors share the same space and time, their experiences may differ. 'B-Cut by Choi Song-hee' focuses on the vivid behind-the-scenes moments that go beyond the 'A-Cut' captured on screen. It reconstructs the intense 'B-Cut' moments that were more passionate than the completed frames through interviews with the director and actors. (Editor’s note)
The film 'Gyeongju Journey' (directed by Kim Mi-jo) tells the story of four sisters who embark on a 'killing' trip after an eight-year wait for their youngest sister, Gyeongju, who never returned from a school trip. On the occasion of Gyeongju's birthday, their mother, Ok-sil, and her three daughters—Jang-joo, Yeong-joo, and Dong-joo—wear matching T-shirts and take photos at various landmarks. While it appears to be a harmonious family trip, their journey is a meticulously planned alibi.
Though 'Gyeongju Journey' is wrapped in the guise of a revenge drama, it ultimately confronts the long-buried wounds of the four sisters. Even within the dramatic settings of kidnapping and revenge, the relationships between the mother and daughters are portrayed with nuance.
Lee Jung-eun, who plays the mother Ok-sil, noted that the relationships and emotional expressions were captured in detail thanks to the support of her three daughters: Gong Hyo-jin (as Jang-joo), Park So-dam (as Yeong-joo), and Lee Yeon (as Dong-joo).
"Hyo-jin knew exactly how to approach her role as Jang-joo. She is a very smart actress who doesn’t waste energy unnecessarily and knows when to step in. I kept saying throughout the shoot how beautiful her face is and that I hope to see it a lot on screen.
Lee Yeon and So-dam had a passion and drive that exceeded our expectations. I think the audience will be satisfied watching their growth. Once the scenes started, everyone was so focused that hardly anyone left. That was crucial in completing the scenes the director wanted," said Lee Jung-eun.
Previously, Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Jung-eun had collaborated in the 2019 drama 'When the Camellia Blooms.' Gong Hyo-jin reflected on their second collaboration, saying, "It was nice to be able to breathe more deeply together this time."
"On the drama set, it felt like I was just seeing my mom (played by Lee Jung-eun) come and go. There wasn’t much time for long conversations. This time, the mother-daughter relationship was important, and there were many emotional scenes. We spent a lot of time filming in Gyeongju, which helped us bond more closely," Gong Hyo-jin added.
Park So-dam expressed her excitement about working with Lee Jung-eun again after 'Parasite,' noting that she felt comfortable from the first reading.
"I always asked Lee Jung-eun, 'When will you play my mom?' She was an actress I really wanted to meet. I immediately felt that Lee Yeon would do a great job as Dong-joo, and Hyo-jin felt just like Jang-joo from the first reading. I felt so comfortable that I thought we could start filming right away," Park So-dam said.
Unlike Lee Jung-eun, Gong Hyo-jin, and Park So-dam, who had previously worked together, Lee Yeon was collaborating with director Kim Mi-jo for the first time. Lee Jung-eun described Kim Mi-jo as "the embodiment of Ok-sil," leading the set with determination, while Lee Yeon acted as a bridge between the director and the cast, sharing behind-the-scenes insights.
"Director Kim Mi-jo wasn’t like a daughter figure. She was exactly 'Ok-sil.' Lee Yeon played a role in connecting the director and the actors. During breaks, she would reach out to the director for coffee and spend time together, which helped us bond," Lee Jung-eun said.
"As the youngest, I was so happy. The seniors always checked if there was enough food, if we were resting well, and if we were sleeping enough. I felt a lot of love during the shoot. I thought it was a blessing to have such great chemistry that I wondered if we could meet again. I first met Director Kim Mi-jo at the 2019 Jeonju International Film Festival, and it felt like the bond we formed then continued to this project. Lee Jung-eun is so warm-hearted that I just had to follow her lead, and I found common ground with Hyo-jin since our daily patterns were similar, allowing us to walk and play games together. I became close with So-dam since we have the smallest age gap," Lee Yeon shared.
As mentioned earlier, 'Gyeongju Journey' is a story about the four sisters confronting the wounds they have buried in their hearts. In the film's latter half, there are scenes where Jang-joo, Yeong-joo, and Dong-joo reveal their hidden truths, enhancing the audience's immersion. Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Jung-eun discussed the emotional scene, sharing insights about it.
"That scene took about one or two takes. At that time, we had so many scenes to shoot on location that we filmed several in order and shot this one almost at the end. Since it was an emotional scene for both the mother and me, there was pressure, and I relied heavily on the thought that my mom would give me the emotions I needed. As expected, my mom gave me such strong emotions that I was able to draw from that power," Gong Hyo-jin said.
Gong Hyo-jin explained that she worked hard to ensure the audience could empathize with Jang-joo's emotions.
"I thought a lot about whether to explode with 'Mom, don’t you remember that?' or to appeal emotionally. In the end, I believed that the emotion that the audience could relate to would best serve the purpose of the scene. Personally, I feel like I could have done a little better, but I think actors should always feel a bit of regret to keep improving. Overall, I think it went well," Gong Hyo-jin said.
Among many scenes, the one that touched the actors' hearts was the pension scene, where Jang-joo's husband suddenly arrives, and they talk to put their daughter to sleep, expressing past memories through shadows.
"The scene where we lie in the pension looking at the ceiling and talking about the time we went to the beach was my favorite. The shadows of the trees appear, and Hawaiian music plays softly, leading to memories of the beach. It was actually a scene from childhood shot in real life, but instead of showing it directly, the way it was layered as a shadow was so beautiful and poignant. Watching that scene reaffirmed that the director definitely has her own style," Gong Hyo-jin said.
"Thinking about the family scene shown through shadows makes my heart ache. They are a family that doesn’t have proper memories of a trip, and a family member is missing. It feels like a memory of a time when they might have gone to the beach, but in reality, it could have been a moment they stopped by while someone was working," Lee Jung-eun added.
Director Kim Mi-jo found the actors' reactions to that scene encouraging. She particularly appreciated Gong Hyo-jin's attention to detail in every shot until the end.
"I felt that Hyo-jin was attentive to every shot until the end. She mentioned that the scene transitioning to the past while lying in the pension was especially good, which gave me a lot of strength," Director Kim Mi-jo said.
The film 'Gyeongju Journey' (directed by Kim Mi-jo) tells the story of four sisters who embark on a 'killing' trip after an eight-year wait for their youngest sister, Gyeongju, who never returned from a school trip. On the occasion of Gyeongju's birthday, their mother, Ok-sil, and her three daughters—Jang-joo, Yeong-joo, and Dong-joo—wear matching T-shirts and take photos at various landmarks. While it appears to be a harmonious family trip, their journey is a meticulously planned alibi.
Though 'Gyeongju Journey' is wrapped in the guise of a revenge drama, it ultimately confronts the long-buried wounds of the four sisters. Even within the dramatic settings of kidnapping and revenge, the relationships between the mother and daughters are portrayed with nuance.
Lee Jung-eun, who plays the mother Ok-sil, noted that the relationships and emotional expressions were captured in detail thanks to the support of her three daughters: Gong Hyo-jin (as Jang-joo), Park So-dam (as Yeong-joo), and Lee Yeon (as Dong-joo).
"Hyo-jin knew exactly how to approach her role as Jang-joo. She is a very smart actress who doesn’t waste energy unnecessarily and knows when to step in. I kept saying throughout the shoot how beautiful her face is and that I hope to see it a lot on screen.
Lee Yeon and So-dam had a passion and drive that exceeded our expectations. I think the audience will be satisfied watching their growth. Once the scenes started, everyone was so focused that hardly anyone left. That was crucial in completing the scenes the director wanted," said Lee Jung-eun.
Previously, Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Jung-eun had collaborated in the 2019 drama 'When the Camellia Blooms.' Gong Hyo-jin reflected on their second collaboration, saying, "It was nice to be able to breathe more deeply together this time."
"On the drama set, it felt like I was just seeing my mom (played by Lee Jung-eun) come and go. There wasn’t much time for long conversations. This time, the mother-daughter relationship was important, and there were many emotional scenes. We spent a lot of time filming in Gyeongju, which helped us bond more closely," Gong Hyo-jin added.
Park So-dam expressed her excitement about working with Lee Jung-eun again after 'Parasite,' noting that she felt comfortable from the first reading.
"I always asked Lee Jung-eun, 'When will you play my mom?' She was an actress I really wanted to meet. I immediately felt that Lee Yeon would do a great job as Dong-joo, and Hyo-jin felt just like Jang-joo from the first reading. I felt so comfortable that I thought we could start filming right away," Park So-dam said.
Unlike Lee Jung-eun, Gong Hyo-jin, and Park So-dam, who had previously worked together, Lee Yeon was collaborating with director Kim Mi-jo for the first time. Lee Jung-eun described Kim Mi-jo as "the embodiment of Ok-sil," leading the set with determination, while Lee Yeon acted as a bridge between the director and the cast, sharing behind-the-scenes insights.
"Director Kim Mi-jo wasn’t like a daughter figure. She was exactly 'Ok-sil.' Lee Yeon played a role in connecting the director and the actors. During breaks, she would reach out to the director for coffee and spend time together, which helped us bond," Lee Jung-eun said.
"As the youngest, I was so happy. The seniors always checked if there was enough food, if we were resting well, and if we were sleeping enough. I felt a lot of love during the shoot. I thought it was a blessing to have such great chemistry that I wondered if we could meet again. I first met Director Kim Mi-jo at the 2019 Jeonju International Film Festival, and it felt like the bond we formed then continued to this project. Lee Jung-eun is so warm-hearted that I just had to follow her lead, and I found common ground with Hyo-jin since our daily patterns were similar, allowing us to walk and play games together. I became close with So-dam since we have the smallest age gap," Lee Yeon shared.
As mentioned earlier, 'Gyeongju Journey' is a story about the four sisters confronting the wounds they have buried in their hearts. In the film's latter half, there are scenes where Jang-joo, Yeong-joo, and Dong-joo reveal their hidden truths, enhancing the audience's immersion. Gong Hyo-jin and Lee Jung-eun discussed the emotional scene, sharing insights about it.
"That scene took about one or two takes. At that time, we had so many scenes to shoot on location that we filmed several in order and shot this one almost at the end. Since it was an emotional scene for both the mother and me, there was pressure, and I relied heavily on the thought that my mom would give me the emotions I needed. As expected, my mom gave me such strong emotions that I was able to draw from that power," Gong Hyo-jin said.
Gong Hyo-jin explained that she worked hard to ensure the audience could empathize with Jang-joo's emotions.
"I thought a lot about whether to explode with 'Mom, don’t you remember that?' or to appeal emotionally. In the end, I believed that the emotion that the audience could relate to would best serve the purpose of the scene. Personally, I feel like I could have done a little better, but I think actors should always feel a bit of regret to keep improving. Overall, I think it went well," Gong Hyo-jin said.
Among many scenes, the one that touched the actors' hearts was the pension scene, where Jang-joo's husband suddenly arrives, and they talk to put their daughter to sleep, expressing past memories through shadows.
"The scene where we lie in the pension looking at the ceiling and talking about the time we went to the beach was my favorite. The shadows of the trees appear, and Hawaiian music plays softly, leading to memories of the beach. It was actually a scene from childhood shot in real life, but instead of showing it directly, the way it was layered as a shadow was so beautiful and poignant. Watching that scene reaffirmed that the director definitely has her own style," Gong Hyo-jin said.
"Thinking about the family scene shown through shadows makes my heart ache. They are a family that doesn’t have proper memories of a trip, and a family member is missing. It feels like a memory of a time when they might have gone to the beach, but in reality, it could have been a moment they stopped by while someone was working," Lee Jung-eun added.
Director Kim Mi-jo found the actors' reactions to that scene encouraging. She particularly appreciated Gong Hyo-jin's attention to detail in every shot until the end.
"I felt that Hyo-jin was attentive to every shot until the end. She mentioned that the scene transitioning to the past while lying in the pension was especially good, which gave me a lot of strength," Director Kim Mi-jo said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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