Na Hong-Jin stated that his film “Hope” originated from a conviction around 2017 that conflict was approaching the Korean peninsula. The concept for his film “The Chaser” developed during a night out watching football with friends at a local bar.
A drunk detective informed Hong-Jin that serial killer Yoo Young-chul had previously set a fire and escaped from police custody in Mapo. Reports of a killing in Garibong-dong, an area with a dense Korean-Chinese population, initiated the narrative for “The Yellow Sea.”
For “The Wailing,” Hong-Jin spent several months living with shamans at a mountain hermitage. Furthermore, Hong-Jin travelled by plane to Yanbian, where he encountered a well-known gangster.
Regarding his creative method, Hong-Jin stated that he settles on a genre and a rhythm before writing a screenplay. He also mentioned that space takes precedence when planning a film shoot.
Hong-Jin did not employ storyboards for “The Wailing”; instead, he discussed shots with his cinematographer daily. He stated, “It was just me and my DOP working without a tight plan.”
Believing post-production is the key moment that makes or breaks a film, Hong-Jin expressed this view. Hong-Jin warned that losing control of the schedule transforms a filmmaker from hunter into prey.
He believes each film possesses its own fate, often revealed through near-miraculous moments of weather and nature during shooting. Concerning “The Wailing,” Hong-Jin stated that the film intended to show that misfortunes have causes and outcomes unrelated to the sufferers.
The director indicated an increasing desire to let audiences see light in his later works. When asked about his personality, Hong-Jin stated, “I can tell you that I’m not an easy person to be around.”
