Hwaran (Hopeless) © Plus M Entertainment
Hopeless, as seen by Kim Chang-hoon
Hwaran (Hopeless) embodies the Korean cinema of tomorrow. In this film noir, the first by Kim Chang-hoon, young Yeon-gyu tries to escape the daily hell of his hometown, the only one he’s ever known. Short on money, he finds help from Chi-geon, a member of a criminal gang, with whom he becomes friends. Director Kim Chang-hoon talks to us about his taste for cinema and looks back on his first steps as a director.
Tell us about how you got the idea for your film.
I always wanted to direct a crime film. While reflecting on what interests me about this film genre, I realised that it wasn’t the crime itself that captivated me, but rather its consequences. Once I realised this, the idea for the film slowly took form.
What was the atmosphere like on the set?
Since all this was new to me, I was in a state of total confusion. I think that the actors and film crew were sometimes a little disoriented due to my lack of experience. But despite all this, including a hectic schedule, they all did a magnificent job, and thanks to their efforts, I was able to complete this film.
Can you tell us a little bit about your actors?
Hong Xa-bin, Song Joong-ki, Kim Hyoung-seo, and the rest of the cast took the characters that already existed in the screenplay and made them even more vivid, more outstanding. They always provided me with good ideas regarding aspects that I had sometimes not considered. I consider myself extremely lucky, and I’m very grateful for their involvement.
“I learned that a film gains strength and develops by itself, like a living organism.”
What did making this film teach you?
I learned that a film gains strength and develops by itself, like a living organism. I learned to trust my actors and the film crew. And I also learned how special and rewarding the directing process is.
What would you like people to take away from your film?
I made this film in the hope that, despite being plunged into darkness due to a particular situation or environment, we can still remember that little light that survives in us.
What made you want to become a director? What influenced you?
I was inspired by the work of several great directors who came before me. When I was eight or nine years old, my mother, who loved the cinema, would rent films almost every day and often take me to the cinema. Thanks to her, I ended up loving this art, to the point where I was stopping by the video rental shop every day after school. My earliest memory of a film is Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg. I was so overwhelmed by it that I remained dumbstruck throughout the entire film. I wondered to myself how I could do something as great as that, and then I just naturally began dreaming of becoming a director.
Could you tell us about your next project?
Nothing has been decided yet, but it would also be a story that expresses some part of me in the form of a crime film.
