[Interview] Jeon Jong-seo of 'Project Y' ① "I chose it because it's a buddy film made by actresses of the same age"

An instinctive actor. The presence of Jeon Jong-seo, an actress who embodies raw and hip charm, has been a decisive key in making 〈Project Y〉 imprint as a ‘stylish neo-noir’ film.

The film 〈Project Y〉, set to be released on January 21, tells the story of Mi-sun (Han So-hee) and Do-kyung (Jeon Jong-seo), who live in the heart of a glamorous city dreaming of a different tomorrow, as they steal black money and gold bars at the edge of life. Jeon Jong-seo plays the role of Do-kyung, who takes the bold choice to steal black money and gold bars, risking everything to seize an opportunity that may never come again alongside Mi-sun in a cliffhanger situation.

The synergy created by the presence of Jeon Jong-seo and Han So-hee is the driving force of 〈Project Y〉. Jeon Jong-seo defined 〈Project Y〉 as "a buddy movie with a fresh setting rarely seen in Korean cinema, where two women run hand in hand until the end." As director Lee Hwan mentioned at the press conference, "It would have been difficult to even start without the two actresses," the momentum of 〈Project Y〉 running with the two characters holding hands until the end entirely starts from these two actresses.

How did Jeon Jong-seo approach this stylish and sensory buddy movie? Actress Jeon Jong-seo met with Cineplay for a release commemorative interview on the afternoon of the 9th in Jongno-gu. Below is the full text of the interview with Jeon Jong-seo.

Actress Jeon Jong-seo has a diverse filmography in various genres, including 〈Ballerina〉(2023), 〈Mona Lisa and Blood Moon〉(2021), and 〈Call〉(2020). The upcoming 〈Project Y〉 is a stylish crime film. If there are points that differentiate it from previous genre films, what would they be?

It's the fact that it's a buddy film. Two actresses chase and are chased, and I think there are many scenes that haven't been seen in existing Korean films. There hasn't been a buddy film made by actresses of the same age. While 〈Ballerina〉 was close to a solo performance, I thought 〈Project Y〉 is a film where Do-kyung and Mi-sun run hand in hand until the end. I chose this film because the script clearly reflected that aspect. I wanted to capture the feeling of Do-kyung and Mi-sun running together like a decalcomania, and I hoped it wouldn't be a film where someone stands out or performs solo.

〈Project Y〉 is a work that expands with the charm of Jeon Jong-seo and Han So-hee. Could you tell us about the characters Mi-sun and Do-kyung as interpreted by Jeon Jong-seo?

Mi-sun appears delicate, but as the film progresses, she is actually a strong, decisive, and action-oriented character. Do-kyung may seem stronger and tougher, but in reality, Mi-sun is the one who embodies those traits more. Do-kyung has a fragile, glass-like quality, and a sense of being delicate and breakable. So, Do-kyung and Mi-sun have different sides to them.

As you mentioned, Do-kyung is a character who hides her emotions. Why did you interpret Do-kyung as a more fragile character than Mi-sun?

When I play a character, I always try to look for the character's inner side and show it. I think that’s how viewers can find it interesting. So I tend to look for the opposite of the character, and when I read the script, I felt that there was something hidden in Do-kyung. Behind her tough and strong exterior, there are parts that are not revealed, like her complicated relationship with her mother (Kim Shin-rok) and the fact that she lives day by day without a dream. While Mi-sun is well-adjusted next to her and has a goal to escape this place, Do-kyung lacks a sense of purpose. When I saw that, I felt that Do-kyung has something internal that could explode at some point. So I thought I needed to unleash Do-kyung's emotions in the latter part and timed it with the interactions with other characters, like when she meets her mother or interacts with Mi-sun and Seok-gu (Lee Jae-kyun).

The relationship between Mi-sun and Do-kyung with their ‘mother’ Kayoung (Kim Shin-rok) is also impressive. The relationship between Do-kyung and Kayoung is not explained in detail in the film. How did you want to portray the relationship between Kayoung and Do-kyung?

I thought the explanation of the mother-daughter relationship might be unkind. So, to dramatically portray this relationship in the scenes where the mother, Do-kyung, and Mi-sun appear together, we had a lot of conversations. For example, in the first meeting, why the mother is not acting like a mother and is sick, and the scene where Do-kyung goes to save her mother but gets abandoned again. I tried to make it as explanatory as possible through such scenes.

There must be a favorite scene in the movie. Also, is there a scene that stands out to you during filming?

My favorite scene is the one where Do-kyung and Mi-sun dig up gold from the grave. The reason is that I think the movie ignites from that moment. From that scene, new characters are introduced, hidden family relationships are revealed, and ultimately, the system based on the Hwa Jung market collapses, leading to a story of liberation from a hellish life. And throughout the film, it was also the most challenging scene. I don't know how many times we dug. (laughs) Almost all the filming was at night, so everyone was switched between day and night.

The action scene with Seok-gu that comes after the grave-digging scene was also impressive. Since you, Jeon Jong-seo, have done action in films like 〈Call〉 and 〈Ballerina〉, and Han So-hee has also done action in 〈My Name〉, it seems that action acting would have been easier.

The action scene with Seok-gu was the first action scene in the film. It was the scene where (Han) So-hee's struggles began. The script didn't detail the way the fight in that scene would unfold. However, this film has a lot of realistic action compared to other films, so I had to use my body much more than I expected. So-hee is not the type to hold back either. Compared to 〈Call〉, I think there was more than ten times the amount of action.

※ The interview with actress Jeon Jong-seo of 〈Project Y〉 continues in part 2.