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Working in the Korean film industry for more than 30 years, veteran actor Kwon Hae-hyo has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the scene and witnessed Korean cinema’s rise as a global cultural powerhouse.
Throughout those three decades, Kwon has also developed a formidable pairing with prolific filmmaker Hong Sang-soo, appearing in 12 of his films so far. Besides starring in Hong’s films, Kwon has acted in titles like Train to Busan sequel Peninsula, crime thriller Bogota: City of the Lost and legal drama Juror 8.
Arriving at the Berlinale for the world premiere of Hong’s latest film, What Does that Nature Say to You, Kwon tells Deadline that he is drawn to Hong’s distinct long-take, pensive style, which repeatedly offers a fresh and liberating challenge for him as an actor.
“With other films, you know from start to finish what it’s going to be, but with director Hong Sang-soo, it’s not like that,” says Kwon. “When I film my scenes, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. I don’t know where my character’s headed, and there is no plan in that way. This style of directing really gives me a freedom about my characters. It’s not about some truth that we’re trying to find. It’s only about the truth and the fact that I’m facing right at that moment, and it’s like living in the scene, in the moment.”
What Does that Nature Say to You follows a young poet as he drops off his girlfriend at her parents’ house and is taken back by its size. He bumps into her father (played by Kwon), meets her mother and sister, and they end up spending a long day together.
Kwon shares how director Hong famously gives out scripts to actors on the same day of the shoot.
“Usually actors have a lot of pressure going before they shoot a scene, whether it is a fight scene or a really emotional scene,” says Kwon. “They worry how about their acting and portrayal. But with Hong Sang-soo, it’s not like that — you arrive at the location and then you get the script. It’s really close to before you start shooting.”
Audience members will also be surprised to know that despite Hong’s spontaneous style of working, there are very few ad-libs or improvised lines in his films.
“Out of all of Hong Sang-soo’s movies, there are almost no ad-libs,” says Kwon. “Out of all 30 films that he has made, if you put together all the lines that came from improvisation and not the script, the total will be probably only less than a minute. Even for really long takes — those that are more than 15 minutes — we still have to nail the dialogue perfectly.”
On the secret to his longevity in show business, Kwon said that being involved with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social causes has helped him maintain a sense of perspective on life.
“Sometimes, actors and performers can live in the small world of entertainment business, but I’ve stayed involved in many different activities, like NGOs. I feel like I am living not only as an actor, but as a person in society and communicating with many different people from different fields. That’s one of the reasons that I can still be so active in my acting career for more than 30 years.
“Also, in show business, there are so many actors, hundreds of thousands of actors,” adds Kwon. “I sometimes wonder how I am different from the other actors, but I think what’s really driven me is that I don’t try to be different, I’m just trying to be myself.”
On witnessing the explosive growth of Korean cinema over the last three decades — from regional influence to global powerhouse, Kwon says that changes in Korean politics have had a major impact on its cinema.
“I think there are a lot of great directors such as Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho and Hong Sang-soo. What has driven the Korean film industry is how the society has grown since the fall of the authoritarian regime in Korea and the hard times that we’ve had,” says Kwon.
“It’s important that movies are not about dreams or unrealistic lives, it has to be about society and reality,” adds Kwon.
