[Dispatch|Cannes (France)=Reporter Jung Tae-yoon] The red carpet began. The moment actress Jeon Ji-hyun stepped forward. Fans erupted in cheers, and flashes poured down. It was a night at Cannes.
Jeon Ji-hyun remembered that moment this way. "Going to Cannes is a dream for filmmakers, isn't it? I feel like I'm realizing that dream, and I've developed a healthy obsession to come again," she said.
"In fact, as a woman and as an actress, I think every day that these opportunities might gradually diminish as I get older. I'm working with a grateful heart."
The day after the world premiere of the film 'Collective' (directed by Yeon Sang-ho) ended, while the excitement was still lingering. Dispatch met with Jeon Ji-hyun.
Jeon Ji-hyun made her return to the screen 11 years after the film 'Assassination' (2015). She received the scenario for 'Collective' and thought, "This is what a movie is."
She said, "The genre was presented intensely, and it contained exactly the message I wanted to convey. As soon as I read the scenario, I said to the director, 'Thank you so much,' and decided to participate together."
Kwon Se-jeong, played by Jeon Ji-hyun, is a biology Ph.D. A character who analyzes and repurposes zombies inside a sealed building. She does not waver even in extreme situations.
She said, "I believe people's true nature is revealed in urgent situations. I thought the most important part of this film was how Se-jeong doesn't lose her center and solves problems in such a situation."
In fact, convincing a rational character in a life-and-death situation was not easy. However, that tone was established in one scene.
The moment Kwon Se-jeong suppresses her emotions before the death of a close person. Director Yeon Sang-ho conveyed, "I thought the overall tone of Se-jeong was established there."
Jeon Ji-hyun said, "Director Yeon tends to trust whatever actors do unconditionally," and added, "That trust actually created a desire to do better."
Director Yeon also remembered the role Jeon Ji-hyun played. "Some actors are only focused on their own acting, but Jeon Ji-hyun paid attention to everything around her and fulfilled her role as a lead actress to the end," he said.
Jeon Ji-hyun has played various characters over the years. From the spirited female college student in 'My Sassy Girl' to the skillful pickpocket in 'Thieves,' to the cold-blooded sniper in 'Assassination.'
She said, "I started my career since childhood and walked the path of acting without sufficient social experience. The characters filled that void."
"I have a lot of fear of making mistakes, so I always observe from behind. But as I took on various characters from a young age, I think I actually grew within them. I believe that became the motivation to add strength to the characters again."
Kwon Se-jeong was in that continuum. A character who doesn't lose her center even in urgent situations. Jeon Ji-hyun said, "I was dissatisfied with how righteous Se-jeong was, but that firmness actually became a lesson for me."
Finally, Jeon Ji-hyun conveyed a special sense of responsibility for this work.
"The trend at the theaters these days is good, isn't it? I have a sense of responsibility that 'Collective' could become a work that responds to the Korean film revival period. I want to be with many audiences."
Meanwhile, 'Collective' will be released domestically on the 21st.
<Photos by photographer Lee Ho-jun>
