Director Park Hyo-sun’s ‘The Meryl Streep Project’ Unveils Letters to Meryl Streep

The film 〈The Meryl Streep Project〉, opening Oct. 28, follows the journey from launching a project to meet Hollywood actor Meryl Streep to completing a documentary. What began as a fan’s admiration for an actor grew into a film about a creator’s survival and women’s voices, through persistent attempts to reach Streep and the real-world barriers that stood in the way.

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New stills from 〈The Meryl Streep Project〉 capture director Park Hyo-sun’s singular passion for Hollywood actor Meryl Streep and her bold pursuit of a meeting. From documenting her affection for Streep online to making merchandise by hand and sharing it with others, the stills reveal Park’s distinctive way of expressing her devotion. A scene in which she sends video letters to those who supported her efforts adds warmth, showing how a fan’s admiration for one person can grow into a connection with others.

Director Park Hyo-sun has shared a letter she wrote to Hollywood actor Meryl Streep. The newly released letter includes Park’s candid account of how Streep’s work helped shape her own cinematic perspective, as well as her concerns about social stereotypes surrounding women actors. It offers a glimpse of how a project that began with admiration for one actor expanded into a journey examining social prejudice around women’s lives, age and appearance.

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The first letter opens with a request to invite Streep to be the film’s final interview subject. Park notes that Streep’s performances have continually challenged the limited expectations placed on women. She writes that Streep’s story—of expanding the possibilities for actors in her own way despite age, appearance and social prejudice—could resonate beyond Park herself, giving a meaningful voice to women creators and social minorities. The request is more than a wish to meet an actor she admires; it is also an effort to examine the realities women creators face and listen to their stories. The first letter reveals the origins of “The Meryl Streep Project” and the message Park hopes to convey through the journey.

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The second letter tells the story of “Pocket Meryl,” a mini-book Park made herself. Through Streep’s filmography, Park set out to examine social stereotypes surrounding appearance, acting ability and age. She focuses on the idea that charisma does not necessarily come from physical appearance; it can also be shaped by an actor’s performance and the individuality of a character. And through Streep’s transformations in appearance and image to suit each role, Park questions society’s expectation that women actors play certain roles at certain ages. “Pocket Meryl” serves both as a record of one actor’s body of work and as a prompt to reconsider familiar standards for viewing women actors.

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The two letters Park wrote to Meryl Streep are a record of how her affection and admiration for one actor grew into a way of seeing the world. Through Streep, Park reflects on prejudice surrounding women’s lives, age and appearance, and finds a way to connect with the world in her own words. A record of growth that began with admiration for one person and took 10 years to complete, and a distinctive love letter posing questions to the world, 〈The Meryl Streep Project〉 opens in theaters nationwide on Oct. 28.