[Dispatch | Busan=Reporter Tae-yun Jung] "What might Dora's heart be like."

The film 'Dora' (directed by Ju-ri Jung) is a story that overturns Freud's 'Analysis of Dora's Hysteria'. Freud analyzes the complex psychological elements experienced by a sensitive girl with those around her.

Treatment fails, and Dora is recorded as a hysterical patient given to concealment and deception. But director Ju-ri Jung transformed Dora into a human capable of healing herself and rising up.

Actress Do-yeon Kim shed tears recalling Dora's thoughts and choices. She said, "Dora, who initially felt distant to me, gradually came closer as I talked with the director."

The film 'Dora' held a press conference on the 9th at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Director Ju-ri Jung, Do-yeon Kim, Sae-byeok Song, and others were in attendance.

'Dora' received an official invitation to the Gala Presentation section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. It previously had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight.

Do-yeon Kim said, "This is my first time attending the Busan International Film Festival. I'm happy to be on this journey together," and added, "I'm nervous ahead of the first screening and GV."

Eighteen-year-old Dora is a character who suffers from severe skin disease and cannot even attend school. Dora feels changes in situations and emotions through her skin, experiencing severe rashes and improvements repeatedly.

Her heart moves upon meeting Nami (played by Sakura Ando) at a villa on Namhae. Do-yeon Kim completed Dora as an enigmatic yet intensely desiring character.

Do-yeon Kim recalled, "When I first read the script, I thought Dora and I were different. Dora's choices were so different from my thoughts."

So the process of understanding Dora was a precious experience. "As I read the script sentence by sentence, I felt each layer of the sentences was beautiful. The process of understanding the sentences was happy," she said.

She continued, "Filming was also an enjoyable experience. There was a Japanese actress, and the cinematographer came from France. It was all new, and I could learn a lot. It was a precious experience to engage so deeply in something," she said.

This was her first title role in a film by director Ju-ri Jung. For an actor without much experience to add her own interpretation and carry her part is no easy task.

Nevertheless, Do-yeon Kim completed Dora with her own face. What was the most important process for acting Dora?

She recalled, "The work of changing my way of thinking was important. It was during my first audition. I received an excerpt from the script. I did a reading of just that part without knowing the content at all."

The scene in question was ambiguous about whether Dora was lying or telling the truth. She asked director Ju-ri Jung, "Is Dora lying right now?"

Director Jung's answer was, "Dora continues to speak with sincerity." Do-yeon Kim said, "At that moment my head went numb and I was shocked," and she shed tears.

"In that moment, I thought about how Dora must be so lonely and struggling. Thinking from Dora's perspective and speaking myself, I wonder if I'm lying too, but what was Dora's heart like?" (Do-yeon Kim)

Having understood Dora, she didn't worry much about nude scenes. She said, "Even though it was my first time with such a scene, I naturally accepted it when I read the script."

Director Jung's role was also significant. Do-yeon Kim said, "The director asked about my heart a lot and listened to me," and explained, "I made an effort to better understand the script."

She continued, "Nami and Dora each have their own pain and wounds. Showing them wholly to each other for the first time, sharing that connection, is very important in the film," she emphasized.

"Thanks to the director, I gained the confidence that I didn't need to worry. So I could immerse myself more in filming. On set, Sakura Ando helped me a lot. I relied on her a lot during filming."

Finally, she said, "This work is very meaningful to me, and I love this story so much. So I hope that the audiences who see this film will come to love it too."

<Photo by Hyo-jin Song, Reporter>