"She's an actress with a deep understanding of her characters and a sharp intellect." (Director Han Chang-rok)

This was Director Han Chang-rok's first impression of actress Baek Ji-hye. After meeting her, his words made perfect sense. When asked a question, she didn't merely give an answer — she returned an insight.

Though her role was raw and instinctive, Baek did not rely on intuition alone. To portray 'Ji-sook's' struggle with anorexia, she immersed herself in books and research to capture the psychology of the character.

"Ji-sook feels like she can't control anything in her life. That's why she clings to controlling her own body. I read various materials on anorexia to explore how to expand on that mindset."

Ji-sook is a girl who can never fill her hunger for love, no matter how much she receives. Likewise, Baek Ji-hye carried her own thirst — a hunger to act well. This sense of incompleteness made the actress and her character alike.

Dispatch met Baek Ji-hye at the 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), where she appeared with Funky Freaky Freaks (directed by Han Chang-rok), invited to the festival's competition section.

◆ Funky Freaky Freaks | "Drawn to emptiness"

The title Funky Freaky Freaks is derived from the words impulse (衝動), collision (衝突), and shock (衝擊). The film depicts impulsive teenagers who collide and fracture, creating shocking consequences.

The protagonists are three high school friends: Ji-sook (Baek Ji-hye), Yong-gi (Joo Min-hyung), and Dumbo (Shin Jun-hang). They spend all their time together, even after school. Ji-sook falls head over heels for a handsome transfer student, Woo-joo (Jung Soo-hyun), and gets swept into a whirlwind.

At the center stands Ji-sook, a high school girl, 169cm tall and weighing only 44kg. She obsessively pursues extreme thinness, desperately craving love yet constantly fearing abandonment.

Baek Ji-hye was captivated by Ji-sook's emptiness.

"Ji-sook exposes her instability and her yearning to be loved. I thought that was incredibly courageous," she explained.

"She takes action to fill her void. She doesn't care what others think, which makes her seem independent. She is proactive, yet pitiable. I loved how this character could be seen from so many perspectives."

◆ Ji-sook's exterior | "The act of controlling oneself"

Ji-sook pops diet pills and even forces herself to vomit, obsessed with maintaining a thin frame. To prepare, Baek's first step was to open books on anorexia.

"I read a lot about eating disorders. Anorexia is often a way for people to assert control over their bodies when they feel powerless in every other aspect of life," she said.

"By controlling her body, Ji-sook feels she's proving, 'I'm capable of going this far.' I also believed she suffered from borderline personality disorder, so I studied relevant papers."

Already slender, Baek lost an additional 5kg for the role and dyed her hair red.

"I thought Ji-sook's dye job wouldn't be neat, so I did it myself to make it look patchy and uneven."

She even chose isolation on set.

"I'm an ENFP, very outgoing by nature. But if I stayed that way on set, I felt it would break Ji-sook's concentration. So I avoided people both on set and at the dorm. That solitude helped me channel her loneliness and emotional poverty."

◆ Ji-sook's interior | "I want to be loved"

What Baek uncovered at Ji-sook's core was a simple truth: the desperate desire to be loved. Insatiable and relentless, Ji-sook tries everything to fill the void. Baek embodied this not with an eager face, but with a haunting gaze.

"There's a scene where Ji-sook confides her dark past to Woo-joo. I played it calmly at first, but the director asked me to stare straight into his eyes as if to say, 'Look how pitiful I am — don't you like me?' That direction pushed me to refine the performance."

Ji-sook carries a troubled childhood, a history of abuse, anorexia — all heavy traits. But Baek chose not to overcomplicate. Instead, she simplified and acted boldly.

"I thought, 'No matter what it takes, I want to fill this unquenchable thirst inside me.' That one goal drove every action. It gave me dimensionality. As an actress, I too want recognition and love. By extending that desire into Ji-sook, I found where we intersected. Toward the end, the director hardly gave me notes — the performance just flowed naturally."

◆ On set | "Raw, unfiltered"

Ji-sook's enigmatic face was magnified by the film's vintage visual palette. Director Han employed collage-like imagery inspired by 1990s–2000s films and music videos.

"The strong color tones created a dystopian vibe. For example, in a taxi scene with Ji-sook and Woo-joo, a green light shines directly on us. I interpreted it as a way to make viewers uncomfortable," Baek explained.

Another unforgettable moment was a surreal scene where Ji-sook and Yong-gi wear their childhood clothes and cry in each other's presence.

"We just looked at each other and cried. There was no specific directing. If I cried, he cried, and that cycle built until we were wailing. It felt raw, like a modern art performance. The relationship was abstract, but expressed instinctively."

She cherished the project purely, wanting to perform well for its own sake. The film's selection in BIFF's competition section was an unexpected reward.

"I never imagined meeting audiences in Busan like this. It feels surreal. Because it's such a new perspective and attempt, I worried how people would receive it. But maybe its uniqueness will make it more enjoyable."

◆ Baek Ji-hye | "Thirst for acting"

Funky Freaky Freaks came alive with raw direction and raw acting. Baek embodied Ji-sook's emptiness with depth — the fruit of disciplined craft.

Yet she confessed:

"I've never once thought I was good at acting. I still question whether I can really call myself an actress. I waver every time."

She hadn't dreamed of becoming an actress from the start. She was a girl who simply loved the stage and dancing. Although she majored in acting in college, she often cried comparing herself to her peers.

Instead of withdrawing, she pursued what she could. Modeling gave her experience. Returning to school, graduating, and working in independent films restored her confidence.

"At some point, I thought, 'I think I can really act now. I want to do this properly.' That's when I sought an agency and began acting in earnest."

"Acting is lonely and desolate, but when I act, my thirst is quenched. That's why I can't stop. Because I'm not good enough, I want to do better. That unquenchable thirst keeps me going. In that way, Ji-sook and I are similar."

Baek named Charlize Theron and Bae Doo-na as her role models.

"I want to be an actress with a broad spectrum. I don't care if I have to shave my head or do nudity — as long as the project is good, I want to try every character."

Finally, she revealed her ultimate dream as an actress. Like Ji-sook, she voiced her desire boldly:

"I want to become a world-class actress. People say you should dream big to reach even close to it (laughs). And I want to be courageous. In everyday life, showing your weakness makes you vulnerable. But in front of the camera, it earns applause. I want to be an actress who can boldly reveal my weaknesses on stage — a courageous actress."