[Interview] A Truly Moving Classic Romance – Our Movie Director Lee Jung-Hum
Source: Cine 21
Written by: 이유채
A love story between an actress with a terminal illness and a male director filming a work with her as the protagonist. With a premise reminiscent of the 2000s, SBS’s Our Movie in 2025 finds itself poised between delivering a classic narrative and offering a reinterpretation. When asked about the genre of his upcoming project, director Lee Jung-Hum, returning after four years since JTBC’s Inspector Koo, provided a straightforward answer: "The script is filled with many sorrowful scenes; it’s a traditional melodrama. However, the attitudes of the two protagonists towards life bring a fast-paced rhythm, shaping the overall tone of the drama. Expect a melodrama where sadness and light-heartedness coexist harmoniously."
Film director Lee Jae-Ha (played by NamKoong Min), who is struggling with creative stagnation, aims for a comeback by remaking a work by his renowned director father. As the story’s heroine is an actress with a terminal illness, he seeks advice and encounters Lee Da-Eum (played by Jeon Yeo-Been), a bit-part actress suffering from a rare disease. Shortly after, he meets Da-Eum again at an audition, where something about her captivates him. Regardless of how much time Da-Eum has left to live, Jae-Ha casts her as his leading lady.
Director Lee Jung-Hum describes Jae-Ha and Da-Eum as “a character crushed by their own internal logic and one striving to break free from society’s defined logic.” He adds: “The main storyline of Our Movie revolves around these two characters with entirely different ways of accepting themselves. They meet, fill each other’s voids, overcome hardships together, and ultimately fall in love.”
Casting takes up more than 80% of importance in melodramas. The director proposed the role of Jae-Ha to NamKoong Min, with whom he collaborated on the drama Falsify seven years ago. “His obsessive precision at work, coupled with his boyish charm when relaxed, mirrored the character of Jae-Ha in the script,” he explained. As for Da-Eum, the director envisioned Jeon Yeo-Been, who he described as “an actress exuding healthy energy in both body and mind.” He recalled, “During our first meeting, Jeon Yeo-Been walked into the café, sliding the door open energetically and greeting me cheerfully. At that moment, I was certain my instincts were right.”
For film enthusiasts, here’s an exciting tidbit: according to the director, Our Movie is also a drama about filmmaking. “It’s a story about the process of completing a movie,” he shared.
Our Movie
Production: Beyond J
Director: Lee Jung-Hum
Screenwriters: Han Ga-Eun, Kang Kyung-Min
Cast: NamKoong Min, Jeon Yeo-Been
Channel: SBS
Release Date: To be announced
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