(Korean Movies) DONGJU; The Portrait of A Poet, 2015

71st anniversary of the death of poet Yun Dong-ju
Meet his youth, who was more brilliant than poetry, on the screen for the first time in Korea!
The movie <Dong-ju> honestly depicts the youthful days of Dong-ju Yun, who lived with the dream of a poet even in a dark age when no name, language, or dreams were allowed.
<Dong-ju> started from the question of director Lee Jun-ik, who had never seen the life of Yun Dong-ju, the poet most loved by Koreans, on TV or in movies. Director Lee Jun-ik's desire to fully capture the process of Yoon Dong-ju's poetry, through which eras and peoples, was written on the screen. As I took over, I started to take a specific direction. Among them, what moved their hearts the most was the life of Yun Dong-ju, who could only become a poet after death, itself. In particular, director Shin Yeon-sik said, "Yun Dong-ju was a youth who wanted to become a poet, but in the end did not become a poet. His poetry came even more pitiful to him that he was not recognized and was not active at the same time." He explained why he was drawn to his life. Afterwards, the two people, who wanted to achieve something, but could not realize their dream due to the circumstances of the times, wanted to capture the life of young Dong-ju Yoon, and they followed his life and paid attention to the background in which the works of the young 'Dong-ju' were born. In addition, he placed poems intertwined with the most important events in Dong-ju's life, such as the time he left his beloved hometown and the time he had to change his name at Yeonhui College, where he had to choose the name of the Chang clan. it was Like director Lee Jun-ik's firm aspiration, "I tried not to be ashamed of poet Yoon Dong-ju's poetry," by transferring the life of poet Yun Dong-ju to the screen for the first time in Korean film history, the movie <Dong-ju> is a true and honest story without flashy craftsmanship or exaggeration. It will give a deep impression to the chest.

From <The King's Man>, <Apostle> to <Dongju>!
A new perspective on history and a loving gaze on humans!
Director Jun-ik Lee's brilliant challenge! In addition to writing the myth of 10 million movies in Korea's first historical drama with <The King's Man>, you can freely choose between historical and modern dramas such as <Hwangsanbeol>, <Radio Star>, <You Are Far Away>, <Wish>, and <Sado>. Director Jun-ik Lee, the master of Chungmuro that crosses over. He returned to the story of two young men, 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu', who remained as unfinished youth in 1945, who showed meticulous directing skills with his own unique color and affectionate gaze towards humans no matter what era he drew.
It was not an easy task for director Lee Jun-ik, who is already well-known in Chungmuro for his historical dramas, to film the life of Yun Dong-ju, the poet most loved by Koreans. Director Lee Jun-ik said, “I started this work with one wish to film the process of how Dong-ju Yun and Mong-gyu Song, long-time friends who have been together for the rest of their lives, overcame the times and how their poems remained on this earth,” said director Lee Jun-ik. I hope that the story of a beautiful young man who was full of faith who died at age will remain in their hearts as an undying youth for older people, and for those younger than that, feel how he lived in this world and give great value to their lives. I hope to get it.” Director Lee Jun-ik's eleventh film, Dong-ju, which will deliver a strong resonance and emotion that transcends time through the story of the unfinished youth 'Yun Dong-ju' and 'Song Mong-gyu', was released in February 2016, more than any other film for young people living today. It will provide a deep resonance and lingering sound.

The face that represents youth in 2016, Kang Ha-neul X Park Jung-min
In 1945, as a twenty-eight, dreamy young man 'Dong-Ju' and 'Mong-Gyu'
Perfectly reborn!
Two actors, Kang Ha-neul and Park Jung-min, with young ambition and passion, jumped into 71 years ago to portray a self-portrait of youth in the Japanese colonial era, where no name, language, or dream were allowed.
From the movies <Ceci-Bong> and <Twenty> to the dramas [Misaeng] and [The Heirs], Kang Ha-neul is enjoying a hot youthful time with active activities in various fields from tvN [Youth Over Flowers – Iceland]. Kang Ha-neul said, “I wanted to see the power of poet Yun Dong-ju’s sensibility that spans generations and times, and I wanted to express that part properly as an actor.” He didn't neglect practice either. “The first thing I had to do was memorize the lines in order to put emotions into them. I put lines in front of the refrigerator and memorized lines in Japanese and dialect.” He went through intense practice, and went on a harsh diet to express 'Dong-ju', who was gradually becoming emaciated in Fukuoka Prison. In addition, he not only claimed to shave himself in the scene where the Japanese military forced his hair to be cut, despite the opposition of the people around him, but he also wrote his own words in every scene of writing poetry in the play. heard. As director Lee Jun-ik, who never could not help admiring, “At every moment, Kang Ha-neul was ‘Dong-ju’,” Kang Ha-neul’s acting will bring a deep resonance to the heart through the movie “Dong-ju.”
Park Jung-min, who has built a solid filmography by performing impressive performances in a number of movies and dramas such as the movies <The Watchman>, <The Office>, and the drama [Reply 1988], is a cousin of poet Yun Dong-ju and his lifelong friend and rival, Mong-gyu. ' was transformed into Park Jung-min, fascinated by the work as soon as he saw the scenario, said that he was so eager to get closer to the character that he went to the birthplaces of Yun Dong-ju and Song Mong-gyu in Yongjeong, China alone, and thanks to that, he was able to concentrate more on acting. Park Jung-min said, "I also tend to do things that I think are right, regardless of the people around me. It is similar to 'Mong-gyu' who tries to achieve his will by colliding with the times with his whole body," he said, raising expectations for the character he will show. In particular, the scene where he speaks at his hometown and the scene where he gathers international students from Japan and expresses his opinion is the result of Park Jung-min's hard work. Park Jung-min, who had to give a long speech in a non-verbal North Gando dialect, not only improved the perfection of the scene with lines that brought out the emotional grain, but also did not eat rice or water at all for two days before the scene where he met his parents in Fukuoka Prison and had no energy. Director Lee Jun-ik, who completely immersed himself in the faded 'Mong-gyu' and watched his performance, portrayed the character so well that he said, "I couldn't hold back my tears."
Actors Kang Ha-neul and Park Jung-min, who are currently living the hottest youth, and the two young men who communicated with their whole body in 1945, expectations are already pouring in and out of the film industry for the fantastic synergy that will be created.

Memories in a poem, love in a poem,
Melting loneliness in one poem!
The beautiful works of poet Yun Dong-ju, met with Kang Ha-neul's simple voice!
The most important element of the film was to fully capture the poet Yun Dong-ju's life in the work of transferring his life to the screen. Director Lee Jun-ik chose the method of 'telling' rather than 'showing' poetry so that poetry and film could harmonize. Poet Yoon Dong-ju's works, which are overlaid with Kang Ha-neul's simple voice, interlock with the most important moments in Dong-ju's life in the movie.
The [New Road] flowing from the train heading to Yeonhui College with Mong-gyu from the hometown that Dong-ju was fond of foretells their future and walks the night road alongside Yeo-jin, who made Dong-ju's heart flutter. When walking, [Counting the Stars] adds a fresh sensibility between the two of them. In the [Record of Confessions], the phrase “Idaji will be dishonored because it is the relic of which dynasty that my face is left in the blue rusted copper mirror”, after having to change his family name to study in Japan. Dong-ju's agony and the pain of the times are fully contained. Then, the image of 'Dong-ju', who is increasingly depleted in a prison in Fukuoka, and [Seosi], which flows through Kang Ha-neul's calm voice, further maximizes his tragedy and conveys the pain.
Kang Ha-neul, who had a lot of trouble reciting the poem, tried to read it with as calm and sincere emotions as possible so that the poem could harmonize well with the scene rather than with special techniques, and director Lee Jun-ik said, "Kang Ha-neul accurately narrated the poem with sound." As director Shin Yeon-sik, who took charge of the script, said, “At every turning point in the life of poet Yun Dong-ju, there were changes in the world of work.” It will leave a deep impression that will not be forgotten even after watching the movie, depicting the sad life of the person in a more dramatic way.

Even the wind on the leaves was tormented by them!
In 1945, twenty-eight-year-old young men 'Yun Dong-ju' and 'Song Mong-gyu'
Comfort and sympathy for the youth of 2016!
71 years ago, 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu', who were living during the Japanese colonial period, were ordinary young men who had dreams they wanted to achieve. Even though the years have passed, <Dong-ju> is a heartbreaking movie for today's youth who cannot help but sympathize with the stories of 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu', who are not different from the way we live in the present.
'Dong-ju', who just wanted to write a poem, has a conflict with his father who wants him to become a doctor, and as he watches his friend 'Mong-gyu' win the New Year's Literature Award first, he sheds a sense of inferiority inside. The image of Dong-ju, who is excited by Yeo-jin, a female student of the same age who was co-creating a literary magazine, and pondering whether it is right to continue writing poetry in a situation where she is demanding a change of her name, and devastated frustration by the strict surveillance of the Japanese police. The appearance of 'Mong-gyu', who does not bend his beliefs while tasting the food, is not much different from that of our ordinary youth. “There has been youth in every era, and youth has always suffered because of the times. As director Lee Jun-ik said, “The current generation will be no different.” The times are different and the ways of expressing it are different, but the image of the two people who spent their youth passionately, resisting, frustrated, and standing up again in the face of their own reality is the image of two people living in 2016. Because it could be us.
Actor Kang Ha-neul, who played 'Dong-ju', said, "While filming the movie, I came to think that poet Yoon Dong-ju is also a person with a human side that feels jealousy, love, hate, and happiness, so I felt closer." Actor Park Jung-min, who played 'Mong-gyu', also said, "As I played the independence activist Song Mong-gyu, dreams and challenges came to mind when I was young. That's why I think he's a person who really worked hard in that era."
<Dong-ju> is a movie that will give sympathy and comfort to the youth of today with the story of Dong-ju and Mong-gyu, who lived the brightest youth in the dark age. The heart-warming story of the two young men will deliver an emotion that cannot be seen anywhere else in the audience.

[ Production Note ]

It is vivid and real as if you are standing in the middle of the youth of Dong-ju and Mong-gyu!
Responsive 1945 for the 2016 edition of the sweat and hard work of the staff!
All the staff of the movie <Dongju> spared no effort, such as digging into all kinds of documents and materials, to capture the youth of Yun Dong-ju and Song Mong-gyu during the Japanese colonial period in a truthful and plain way. As all screens are shot in black and white, communication and unity in each field, regardless of direction, filming, lighting, costumes, and art, were much more important than normal movies. In this way, after all the staff united with one heart and one will, the story of the two young men from 71 years ago was carefully portrayed on the screen.

Black and white poetry. An honest depiction of youth in black-and-white images with no splendid colors.
<Dongju> was produced as a black and white video. Even for director Lee Jun-ik, who is the eleventh film of Dong-ju, a black-and-white film was even more special because it was his first challenge. He said, “I chose a black-and-white screen to more realistically show the figures of poet Yun Dong-ju and independence activist Song Mong-gyu, who had only seen them in black and white photos. I wanted to honor the souls of those who lived their youth more than anyone else on a black and white screen,” he said, explaining why he insisted on black-and-white films. In black-and-white photography, if the brightness of each color is the same or similar, the division of the subject is not clear. Therefore, director Lee Jun-ik and the staff, who needed a preparation process to check the intensity of light, space arrangement, and movement of people, etc. After that, we started filming. In addition, black and white has the advantage of focusing solely on the actors and drawing more attention to the character's psychology and situation compared to color, so it was able to portray the emotions of young 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu', who are hurting in the times, more dramatically. Thanks to the efforts of the production team, who put great effort into making the emotions of the two young men reach the audience beyond the screen, by causing the space to shake with only light such as candles or lanterns without excessive movement of the camera, Dongju>'s black-and-white image could be completed more deeply.

space poetry. The relationship and emotions of the characters are melted into the space.
It was a formidable task for the art team to create a street or space from the Japanese colonial period that was hardly left now for the art team to the extent that Director Lee Jun-ik said, “The most difficult part and the part that deserves the most praise is art.”
In particular, the art team, who had difficulties expressing the emotions of Yongjeong, was a miracle, although they traveled all over the country, from historical theater sets to hanok villages and folk villages to find the place most similar to Yongjeong village where 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu' grew up. When I met Wanggok Village in Goseong, where the northern style hanok, which was naturally formed like this, is preserved, I came to find the clue to the difficult problem. The unique structure of the house, in which the kitchen, floor, and rooms exist under one roof, was the perfect place to show at a glance the relationships of the families surrounding 'Dongju' and 'Mongkyu', as well as the characteristics of the times and regions.
After Wanggok Village in Goseong, the location that received the most help is Sorokdo. Sorokdo Island, where the unspoiled natural scenery and buildings from that time were preserved despite adverse conditions, where filming was restricted after 6pm, was the best space to capture the school days of Dongju and Mongkyu. The details of the art team are alive in the room where 'Dong-ju' is studying poetry and recalling many thoughts. The art team produced manuscript papers or notebooks on which Dong-ju wrote poetry through actual research, reproduced even the graffiti on the cover of the note as it is, and even the books on the desk were the books that poet Yun Dong-ju enjoyed or was known to have been influenced by. to preserve realism.
Meanwhile, the interrogation room where 'Dong-ju' is interrogated by a high school detective is designed to show the colors of the movie the most among the spaces of 'Dong-ju'. In order to capture the tension between the two people in a limited space, the high-level detective turned his back to the window in any movement, and 'Dong-ju' set a position where he could continue to receive pure light, so the relationship between the two characters could be contrasted more sharply. The spaces in the film, where we put all our energy into making the relationships and emotions of the characters immerse in the space along with historical evidence, give the audience the feeling as if they were in that time 71 years ago, when 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu' lived. It will give you an immersive feeling that is deep enough to create an illusion.

Costume Poetry. Embracing the breath of 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu' in the costume.
Since 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu' are real people, it was most important to make the costumes according to the historical evidence.
The costumes of <Dongju> are largely divided into three parts: plain clothes, school uniforms, and prison uniforms. The plain clothes of the Yongjeong period, where they spent their childhood before leaving their hometown, were intended to capture the pure youthful appearance, not the dark atmosphere of the Japanese colonial era. The shy 'Dong-ju', who dreams of becoming a poet, wears knitwear to bring out a pure and warm feeling, and 'Mong-gyu', who acts without hesitation for his beliefs, wears an active shirt so that his enterprising tendency is reflected in his clothes. Noting that he is wearing a school uniform in the representative image of poet Yun Dong-ju, the most widely known, the costume team put a lot of effort into making the school uniform. The hat of Yeonhui College (now Yonsei University), which has not been seen in historical dramas or dramas, is delicately reproduced, as well as the 'L' pattern on the collar of the school uniform in the photo of poet Yun Dong-ju.
In addition, the costume team set the principle of making clothes for the prison where 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu' were imprisoned, based on historical evidence, but taking into account the sentiments of our country. The original design of judo-style ties at the waist was judged to have a strong Japanese feel and could give a sense of rejection, so the basic design was maintained, but the button-type design was completely modified instead of the belt to remove elements that would give the audience a sense of heterogeneity. The back door that the prison uniform numbers of 'Dong-ju' and 'Mong-gyu' were written in Chinese characters, written by director Lee Jun-ik, to add a special touch. In addition, considering the characteristics of the black-and-white screen, where the details of the clothes stand out more, all fabrics were able to stand in front of the camera only after going through a preliminary check through the black-and-white filter application on the smartphone. Based on thorough historical research, the costumes of <Dongju>, which carefully considered even the smallest details such as the character's characteristics and the emotions of the current era, added strength to portray 'Dongju' and 'Mongkyu' more truthfully.