Director Min Kyu-dong revealed the difficulties and behind-the-scenes of the production process of 'The Old Woman with the Knife'.

On the afternoon of the 29th, an interview with Director Min Kyu-dong, who directed the film 'The Old Woman with the Knife', was held at a cafe located in Sokgyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

'The Old Woman with the Knife' (directed by Min Kyu-dong, produced by Supfilm, distributed by NEW) is an action drama that depicts the intense confrontation between the legendary killer Jo Gak (played by Lee Hye-young), who has been active for over 40 years in an organization that eliminates cockroach-like humans, and the mysterious killer Tu Woo (played by Kim Seong-chul), who has pursued him his whole life. It received global attention after its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival and drew interest by announcing its official invitations to the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival and the Beijing International Film Festival.

Director Min Kyu-dong graduated from the Department of Economics at Seoul National University, earned a master's degree in film from Paris 8 University, and made his commercial film debut in 1999 with 'Whispering Corridors: The Second Story'. This is Min Kyu-dong's new work, which has expanded his directorial skills through films like 'The Most Beautiful Week in My Life', 'Antique', 'All About My Wife', 'The Drug King', and 'Herstory'.

Lee Hye-young plays the legendary killer Jo Gak, Kim Seong-chul plays the mysterious new killer Tu Woo, Shin Si A plays the young version of Jo Gak, Kim Mu-yeol plays Jo Gak's master Ryu, Yoon Woo-jin plays the animal hospital director who has connections with Jo Gak, Kim Kang-woo plays the head of the Holy Defense, who 'catches bugs and saves the sick', and Ok Ja-yeon plays the officer Choe Yeop.

Even those in the film industry said that 'The Old Woman with the Knife' is "an absolutely challenging project," and Director Min Kyu-dong also started with a great burden and concern.

In the process of adapting the novel into a film, he noted, "Many producers have attempted to adapt it before but failed. My colleagues around me also said, 'It shouldn't be that hard.' The title was unfamiliar, the protagonist was new, and when I initially conceived the project and wrote the first draft, I imagined Tilda Swinton in the role of Jo Gak, a 60-year-old female killer. When I asked Director Bong Joon-ho, 'If I write the script, can I pass it to Tilda Swinton?' he said, 'I'll pass it on,' mentioning the behind-the-scenes.

He continued, "The character's age also needs to be able to perform a roundhouse kick in her 60s, and I thought, 'That's why it's difficult to make it in Korea, it's all about the actors not being available.' Because this role requires a lifelong preparation, it couldn't come out with just a few months of training." However, he noted that when he met actress Lee Hye-young, he thought, 'This film can come to life! Maybe it can become even more of a gift to the audience than we imagined.' Although Lee Hye-young struggled to stand up, she looked no less than in her 20s. She had both charisma and charm, and she seemed like someone who had been waiting for this film for a long time.

'The Old Woman with the Knife' was invited to the Berlin International Film Festival and introduced to global audiences alongside Director Bong Joon-ho's global project 'Mickey 17'. Afterwards, Lee Hye-young expressed her confidence at a production briefing in Korea, saying, 'Our movie is more fun than 'Mickey 17'.

Director Min Kyu-dong said, "During this VIP premiere, Director Bong Joon-ho also came and watched 'The Old Woman with the Knife.' He applauded loudly and shared various stories. Furthermore, Lee Hye-young wanted to see Director Bong since Berlin, and she attended the premiere with joy. She even loved 'Mickey 17' enough to see it again with subtitles after coming to Korea. I think Director Bong will understand that remark as a full joke," he laughed.

Meanwhile, 'The Old Woman with the Knife' is set to be released on the 30th.

[Photo] NEW, Supfilm provided

[OSEN]