| Actress Ha Ji-won poses at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of CJ Entertainment |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Ha Ji-won, who has performed in movies spanning a variety of genres including action, romance, drama and comedy as well as created numerous hits for both TV and cinema, has returned to the silver screen with the tear-jerker "Pawn."
The film revolves around debt collectors Doo-seok (Sung Dong-il) and Jong-bae (Kim Hee-won) who take a nine-year-old girl as "collateral" from an illegal immigrant named Myung-ja (Kim Yun-jin).
Myung-ja gets deported and the two are left to look after the child. The three come together to create a familial bond. Ha Ji-won plays a grownup Seung-yi, while child actress Park So-yi plays the younger version of the character.
Returning to the big screen four years after her last film "Life Risking Romance" in 2016, Ha said she wanted to join the cast despite the part being relatively limited.
"Before reading the script, I knew that my part wasn't going to be huge. However, it seemed like my role was perfectly adequate because the grownup Seung-yi leads the beginning and the ending of the story. The film isn't about a traditional family, but reflects that there are times when strangers can become family. This message touched my heart," Ha said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Monday.
She confessed that it was challenging to play the older version of the character, as she had to maintain continuity with the younger Seung-yi.
"I tried to portray the character who had grown up receiving so much love from two 'ahjussis' (uncles). I thought it was important to show how much she was loved and cared for. Luckily, So-yi is bright like I am, so I was able to carry on her feeling and energy," she said.
Ha picked calling Doo-seok "dad" as the most touching scene in the film.
"If Seung-yi hadn't met her birth father, she wouldn't have been able to call Doo-seok dad," she said. "She realizes that Doo-seok is her real family after meeting her birth parents, and I cried a lot in that scene because I was moved by the love I received from him. There are people who mean more to you than your actual family. "
The actress also reflected on her 24 years of acting and shared how she was able to continue to showcasing a new side of her talent.
"I pour all my energy into my work and try to envision the character as much as I can. For instance, when I was preparing for the boxer role in Miracle on 1st Street (2007), which is based on the life of Korean female boxer Kim Ju-hee, my management agency took me to a luxury gym to work out and practice. However, I insisted on working out where Kim practiced because I wanted to learn more about her," she said.
On the growing presence of female filmmakers and female narratives, she expressed satisfaction that women were gaining more representation and called for more diverse and inclusive films.
"I hope there will be more diverse stories and content in the future," Ha said. "I will continue to push myself and not get complacent."
"Pawn" is currently playing in cinemas nationwide.