[Dispatch | Busan=Yuha Sky Reporter] "I hope this film will comfort your hearts." (Kim Hye-ja)

Actor Kim Hye-ja has returned to the screen after 9 years. The film tells the story of long yearning, memories toward one person, and love that does not fade with time.

'Still Radiant' depicts the story of Soon-ok (played by Kim Hye-ja), who meets her best friend again after 60 years. It sheds light on the time of girls who remained radiant even amid painful history.

Director Song Il-gon envisioned Kim Hye-ja as the protagonist from the start. However, the casting was not easy. Director Song visited her directly six times to convey the meaning of the work. In that way, he moved Kim Hye-ja's heart.

The 'Still Radiant' team held a stage greeting on the 8th at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Actor Kim Hye-ja, Park Seo-kyung, Choi Juun, Moon Sung-hyun, Lee Se-young, and director Song Il-gon attended.

Director Song revealed, "'Still Radiant' was originally a theatrical script. The hearts of the characters were so upright and beautiful. It was so moving that I wanted to make it into a film."

He wanted Kim Hye-ja for the lead role of Soon-ok. Director Song said, "It was the most difficult casting I've experienced while working. I heard that the teacher no longer wanted to work after a recent drama."

Director Song visited Kim Hye-ja's home multiple times. "Beautiful flowers were blooming at her residence in Yeonhui-dong. The teacher said, 'I want to live quietly like a nameless flower,'" he recalled. "I even wrote letters, but she sent them back."

Nevertheless, he did not give up. He consistently persuaded her about the meaning of the work and why Kim Hye-ja needed to be in it. Finally, Kim Hye-ja accepted the offer, saying, "If the resonance of the work can reach the audience, I will appear in it."

The work is set against the backdrop of the history of Japanese military comfort women. However, what the film seeks to portray is not only suffering. It focuses on the purity and beautiful moments of the girls who lived through that era.

Park Seo-kyung played the younger version of Soon-ok. She explained, "While it deals with the comfort women issue, it does not center on that alone. It shows how beautiful the girls were, displaying many of those pretty moments."

The actors emphasized the warm sentiment contained in the work. Park Seo-kyung recalled, "It is a radiant work with pure 17-year-old girls and teacher Kim Hye-ja. I tried to act while holding beauty itself."

Director Song Il-gon described the film production process as a 'miracle.' Things that initially seemed impossible became reality one by one. From Kim Hye-ja's appearance to the completion of filming, the hearts of countless people came together, he explained.

Director Song said, "There were many miraculous moments. Things that seemed impossible all came to pass. All the staff worked while crying. Until the end, we united and completed the film," revealing his affection.

At the center of this was sincerity toward the work. Director Song hoped, "I wanted to show the process of living without forgetting yearning and love toward one person. I hope the audience will also relate to that heart."

<Photo=Song Hyo-jin Reporter>