Boy Meets Boy at PIFF
by javabeans
On October 5, the short film Boy Meets Boy held an open discussion at the Pusan International Film Festival with its stars Kim Hye-sung (Jenny, Juno) and Yeh Ji-won (Mixed-up Investigative Agency) and director Kim Jo Kwang Su.
I remember being intrigued when I first heard about Boy Meets Boy [소년, 소년을 만나다], which marks Kim Hye-sung’s departure from his family-friendly image in Unstoppable High Kick. His early career had been marked by an emphasis on his pretty face more than anything (he rose to fame as an internet uljjang with thousands of fans, got a couple movies, and then the hit sitcom High Kick), but he seems to have a grounded perspective of his fame (as he explained in the interview linked above).
Not only is he portraying half of a gay romance in the short film, the narrative is expressed without dialogue — the director opted instead to tell the story mostly in the characters’ gazes.
While most young stars labeled with the tag “pretty boy” (or kkot-minam, 꽃미남) usually opt to emphasize their masculinity as they grow out of their adolescence (see: Jang Geun-seok), Kim Hye-sung is taking a riskier approach in the queer indie romance, wanting to challenge himself: “Although it was difficult to communicate not through dialogue but through a look in the eye, I took up the challenge thinking this would allow me to learn more about acting.”
He continued, “A lot of people think that I’m very effeminate, but that’s not actually true. But toward the end of shooting this film, I thought I might really be able to like hyung [male co-star Lee Hyun-jin].” He joked that people would see his co-star, who’s more masculine, and say, “Kim Hye-sung must be the girl and Hyun-jin the boy.” He added, “Whenever that happened, I’d get the feeling that I was a girl [laughs].”
Director Kim also disclosed that the actors weren’t paid for their work, and expressed his gratitude.
The film gets an official release in November.
Via News Open World
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Tags: film festivals, Kim Hye-sung, Lee Hyun-jin, press conferences, short films, Yeh Ji-won
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1 catcha
October 6, 2008 at 10:23 AM
wow. yeh ji won looks great. and i really wanna see this!! i don't think i can since its a short.... :(
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2 Sue
October 6, 2008 at 10:43 AM
he looks like a cute maplestory character with that white beanie on. haha.
but really? no dialogue at all?
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3 Amita
October 6, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Oooh, I really wanna see this!
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4 Sue
October 6, 2008 at 11:34 AM
he also looks very bored. haha.
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5 cbc
October 6, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Holy cow...that Kim Hye-sung looks exactly like a girl in the second left photo from the top o_O
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6 Sevenses
October 6, 2008 at 11:46 AM
He's so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute! But he does look sort of girly. Hmm.
I can't wait to see the movie!!
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7 Annie
October 6, 2008 at 11:50 AM
kim hye sung is such a cutie pie. I can't wait to see him age some more ;)
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8 ffiza
October 6, 2008 at 12:53 PM
what did he mean that the actors weren't paid for their work? is this movie for some kind of charity?ermm..i'm not being sarcastic, i'm curious.
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9 Javabeans
October 6, 2008 at 12:55 PM
It's an indie short, so it's likely it was made on a shoestring budget. The actors acted for free.
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10 Charlo
October 6, 2008 at 3:00 PM
huh...wonder if it's based off the book Boy Meets Boy or it's one of many unusual consequences.
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11 deeta
October 6, 2008 at 6:44 PM
Yeh Ji Won looks so incredibly pretty. Gawd, I wanna have her makeup artist.
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12 marz
October 6, 2008 at 9:55 PM
this looks interesting.
i like lee hyun jin.
hmm.. i hope it would be released..
kim hye sung is very pretty..
in that style..
love the beanie..
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13 enkhee
October 7, 2008 at 8:21 AM
Next to him I would look like a boy. Natural selection is turning the next generation into the pretty generation. gosh ... I feel so old.
Who will play his lover?
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14 vivian
October 7, 2008 at 3:56 PM
He sounds so down to earth. I've heard about this a while back and couldn't get more information on it but I'm glad to hear that the project is still active.
I want to watch it!!
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15 lazybum
October 7, 2008 at 9:23 PM
damn he is pretty! XD
interesting movie...
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16 twee
October 11, 2008 at 1:55 AM
im kinda interested to see this...hopefully i'll be able to!
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17 lheia...
November 14, 2008 at 11:19 AM
i love you my baby kim hye seong!!!
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18 lheia...
November 14, 2008 at 11:28 AM
i love you more now hye sung! waaah... dont you know that I deffended you on some certain forums because they're accusing you that you are a gay??? i fight with them.. and i was sooo happy now to hear it straight from you that you are a real man! i love you hye seong! kisss***mwuuuaaah*** now i know that i won!
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19 Yaleni
April 18, 2009 at 1:35 PM
kim hye sung is soooo adorable and cute. awww..
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20 aaaa
December 7, 2009 at 12:00 AM
kim hye sung!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so handsOme..
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