'The First Ride' Director Nam Dae-jung "I Want to Make a Harmless, Feel-Good Comedy"

Director Nam Dae-jung expressed his ambition to provide pure laughter and comfort to the audience through his new work 〈The First Ride〉.

In an interview held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 23rd, Director Nam said, "Rather than the desire to create a memorable masterpiece as a film director, I have a longing to make people a little happy," adding, "I wanted to make a harmless comedy that makes people feel good."

Starring Kang Ha-neul, Kim Young-kwang, Cha Eun-woo, Kang Young-seok, and Han Sun-hwa, 〈The First Ride〉 depicts the story of 24-year-old friends who achieve a long-delayed overseas trip in their 30s. Through the portrayal of ordinary people who become endlessly childish and ridiculous when they meet childhood friends, it evokes laughter and empathy while delivering comfort that embraces the hidden wounds behind the laughter.

Director Nam stated, "I hope you have an experience of laughing, feeling sad, and healing during the two hours the movie is screened." He added, "If after watching the movie, a long-forgotten friend suddenly comes to mind and you feel like calling them, or if you want to check in on your close ones, I would feel rewarded as a director."

The characters in the movie are largely based on the real-life appearances of Director Nam's childhood friends. Director Nam explained, "I have friends I have known since the second grade of elementary school, and we still occasionally meet, which has many similarities to the situations in the film, including gatherings among parents."

Characters such as Tae-jung (played by Kang Ha-neul), who is ranked first in school and among the top nationwide, Do-jin (played by Kim Young-kwang), who looks fine but doesn't know how to use his brain, Yeon-min (played by Cha Eun-woo), who is handsome without needing words, and Geum-bok (played by Kang Young-seok), who delivers nonsensical remarks, are all drawn from real people including Director Nam. He laughed, saying, "Some of the lines were actually taken from things my friends said, and they are coming to the premiere, so I think they will feel a bit embarrassed while watching."

Kang Ha-neul, who starred in the previous work 〈Love Reset〉 (2023), was the first to be cast, and it is said that Cha Eun-woo was approached first for the casting. Director Nam explained, "Originally, he had a boy-next-door image that evokes a protective instinct, but thankfully after casting Cha Eun-woo, I revised the script to feature an overwhelmingly handsome character." Yeon-min, played by Cha Eun-woo, is portrayed as someone so good-looking that he makes those around him smile just by being there.

The actors who played the friends became close like real friends on set, allowing for natural comedic performances. They especially grew close during a month of local filming in Thailand. Director Nam recalled, "On our days off, the actors and staff would swim and play together, and as they became closer, I thought, 'I hope this energy is conveyed to the audience.'"

Worried that the staff and actors might feel uncomfortable, Director Nam did not enter the pool but watched from the balcony and laughed, saying, "It was such a beautiful scene that I thought, 'Isn't this the reason I make movies?'"

Finally, Director Nam said, "I hope the audience simply enjoys themselves and leaves the theater feeling good," adding with a smile, "Even if you write negative comments somewhere, if that relieves your stress, I think that would be good."