Na Hong-jin: 〈Hope〉 explores how a small incident can spiral out of control

Director Na Hong-jin said he turned to aliens in 〈Hope〉 after exploring supernatural beings in 〈The Wailing〉 (2016).

Speaking with Cineplay in Jongno District, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 7th, director Na Hong-jin discussed the release of 〈Hope〉 and the story behind the film. Na Hong-jin's new film 〈Hope〉, which was invited to compete at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, follows Beom-seok (Hwang Jung-min), the branch chief at Hopo Port located in the Demilitarized Zone, who learns from local youths that a tiger has appeared. As the whole village goes on alert, he encounters an unbelievable reality that sets the story in motion.

In the interview, Na Hong-jin summed up 〈Hope〉 in one line: 'Hope is a film about how far a very trivial incident that starts in a small village can grow.' On why he chose to deal with an unknown presence, he said, 'In 〈The Wailing〉, I talked about supernatural phenomena, and to deepen that I wanted to explore a larger presence.' He added, 'That naturally led me to outer space. If an outsider appeared in 〈The Wailing〉, in 〈Hope〉 I felt the need to portray a being on an even larger scale,' explaining why the idea of aliens occurred to him.

The film 〈Hope〉 opens on July 15.