Berlin, and (1)

Due to the nature of Berlin, where there is no direct flight, the group from “The Strange Garden” got off in Frankfurt and took a train to arrive at the hotel. By the time I completed check-in, it was already well past midnight.

“The screening is in 13 hours, so get some rest!”

Han Yu-il faithfully followed the advice of the production company staff. As soon as I lay down on the bed, I fell asleep as if I was being sucked in.

As soon as the sun rose, Yuil put on his makeup and changed his clothes. Haeyeon, who became the only dedicated stylist, spun around and looked around with him in the middle, like a sculptor who had created a masterpiece. She carefully examined every single strand of hair covering her forehead and exclaimed proudly as if stamping confirmation.

“perfect! do!”

After a light meal, Yoo Il traveled in a film festival support vehicle with Koo Chan-ik and Hwang Yi-won, both wearing tuxedos. Red banners depicting standing bears were hung all over the city.

[Internationale Filmfestival Berlin]

“It will get off soon.”

Han Yu-il exchanged glances with Hwang Yi-won and then sighed lightly. Her car door opened, and Han Yu-il, wearing her cobalt blue suit with her hair slightly flipped, revealing half of her forehead, got out of her car.

As soon as they got off, flashes started going off everywhere. At that time, when I was standing waving my hand with a faint smile, I heard a familiar language.

“Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”

Han Yu-il turned his head in surprise. I could see people reaching over her fence.

“Yuil!”

“It’s Hwang Yi-won!”

“Quaaaak! “You’re so handsome!”

People of different ages and genders were gathered together and waving.

“···!”

Yuil walked towards them without realizing it.

“What brings you here?”

People shouted enthusiastically at his question.

“I’m an international student!”

“I’m on a trip!”

“We’ve been waiting for hours!”

“···!”

Yuil took the notebooks and postcards that people gave him one by one and signed autographs, something he had become accustomed to not long ago.

“…It must have been hard waiting.”

“Ahh! “It’s not difficult at all!”

Of course, Yuil didn’t think they would be here just because of him. Isn’t it a film directed by Koo Chan-ik, and also starring Hwang Yi-won?

Aside from that, I felt bad thinking about the people who had been standing in the chilly weather for a long time.

‘I wish I had had enough time.’

He bowed his head to those who could not sign autographs and quickly followed behind coach Koo Chan-ik.

“sorry.”

Gu Chan-ik walked away with a tsk sound. It was a good thing that it didn’t seem that bad.

“You’ve become a star.”

Only Hwang Yi-won, who heard Director Koo muttering, laughed softly.

*

The interior of the movie theater is noisy with people changing seats or coming in late.

A man walked in between them.

Philippe Sciamma, a young director who was born in Paris and has been traveling around Europe making films since graduating from La Fémis, brushed away his tangled curly hair and sat down in a chair.

Philip was very excited now. What made his heart beat was ‘Director Goo’ who appeared with a new work after a long time.

‘···I was really curious.’

He looked at the title of the movie that appeared in the subtitles and immediately focused on the movie.

Philip, who watches more than one movie a day no matter how busy he is, nodded as he looked at Hwang Yi-won who appeared in the first sequence. Hwang Yi-won has appeared as a lead role several times in Korean movies that I have seen.

‘That actor’s face is quite familiar.’

Hyuk-jin (Hwang Yi-won) comes in from the rain wearing a suit and with a tired face and stops in front of a small store.

A flower shop that has already gone bankrupt.

It is a flower shop without a decent sign or nice interior. But strangely, Hyukjin cannot take his eyes off him.

He looked at the crushed gypsum flower on the floor visible through the glass door and slowly turned his gaze away.

[Seeking Rental: 010-XXXX-XXXX]

The first scene ends with him staring at the paper taped to the door.

Afterwards, a scene showing the passage of time passes.

Hyukjin is seen opening a flower shop. A montage shows him picking up a bunch of flowers from the flower market and trimming them, as if he was familiar.

As Hyukjin is examining the red anemones, the door opens with a clear bell sound.

– Are you looking for a part-time job here?

A youthful young man with a somewhat clumsy yet confident attitude appears.

.

.

.

Philip was watching the movie with a slightly dejected look on his face.

This was because the color of Director Goo that he had expected was not visible at all.

However, regardless of the complaints, the suction power was quite good. The story unfolded in a flow that was neither very slow nor too fast.

Then the movie reaches a scene where Su-il gets angry at his friend who came to visit him.

It was then.

The expression on Philip’s face, who had been sitting indifferent to the story, which was simpler than expected, changed slightly.

A young man talking face to face with his friend, Suil’s expression… It was unusual.

He wasn’t the loose, easy-going person he was when he worked at the flower shop.

– good.

He seemed like a child who wanted to disappear from the world.

From then on, Philip’s gaze continued to follow Sunil’s expression.

The actor who played Soo-il was a fun actor to watch.

Even though it is the same cut, the tone, eyes, and facial muscles subtly change every moment. All of them fit together like elaborate gears.

‘That actor must have been calculating every second while acting.’

Otherwise, this is a performance that cannot be produced.

But what is unusual is that the calculation is not noticeable at all.

All those detailed elements felt as natural as breathing and moving your fingers.

Philip sat tightly in his chair and gradually became absorbed in the movie.

The end of the movie has already arrived.

– I wanted to meet you and ask you.

– Don’t say it.

– But… it’s okay now.

Soo-il barely smiles while bleeding from his mouth.

A young man who suffered just because he knew too much is dying.

Philip bit his lip without realizing it when he saw the dying figure of Soo-il among the numerous withering colorful flowers.

It’s a terrifyingly beautiful sequence.

That beauty paradoxically made the young man’s death inevitable and fateful. Like Ophelia’s death in Hamlet.

– ···cold.

But then, the flowers start to move.

Philip, who thought the movie would end soon, opened his eyes wide.

It wasn’t just moving. As if someone had turned the rewind button, the wilted flowers between the broken bottles came back to life like a lie.

Is this Suil’s fantasy, or Hyukjin’s fantasy?

Or is it a fantasy of the flower shop that embraced them?

I couldn’t tell which one it was, but it was an even more impressive sight because it was unexpected.

Immediately after that, a close-up of Suil’s eyes fills the huge screen.

Along with the sight of flowers filling Su-il’s eyes, his tired voice is heard.

– That… isn’t just visible to my eyes…

Instead of answering, Hyukjin places his hand on the newly blooming flower in front of him.

‘That’s why those cuts were included.’

Philip nodded. It was a moment when I understood why inserts of flowers swaying in a windless room were necessary.

At that moment, Suil’s voice rings out.

The words he whispered secretly as he looked at the flowers.

– ···want.

These were words that Hyukjin and even the audience had never heard.

– I want to go back to the time when I didn’t know anything.

The flowers that were the only object of that wish fill the screen.

And fade out.

When all the audience is holding their breath and looking at the screen, Hyukjin opens his eyes.

And then he realizes that he is standing at a funeral.

Suil is there with a youthful face, as if he has just entered middle school.

Hyukjin approaches him as if possessed.

– Are you my dad’s friend?

Hyukjin shakes his head in response to Soo-il’s innocent question.

– I came to see you. I have something I want to say.

He slowly places his hand on Sunil’s head.

And says:

Like chanting a spell.

– From now on… you don’t have to look for answers to every problem.

-···Even if it’s a problem with an answer?

– Not all answers will make you happy.

Then the boy does not answer easily.

Hyukjin knows. How smart and bold this boy is.

So, I decide to wait quietly. I made sure I wouldn’t be surprised no matter what answer he gave.

– But… you can’t be happy all the time.

Hyukjin bursts into laughter after hearing the boy’s answer.

Now Hyukjin realizes.

He may have given this answer several times, or even dozens of times.

Nevertheless, he opens his mouth.

– Well, do whatever you want.

-···Because I’ll be waiting.

The young Soo-il’s face is seen looking up at Hyuk-jin with an unknown expression.

.

.

.

As the credits rolled along with music full of calm yet deep sadness, the sound of applause echoed through the movie theater.

Several people jumped up from their seats. Starting with them, the reporters and audience members who were sitting for reporting began to stand up.

Director Koo Chan-ik and the cast also stood up and bowed their heads to the audience several times. I had no idea there would be a standing ovation.

Philip was one of those who gave a standing ovation.

However, even as he clapped his hands, he felt a little uncomfortable.

If we look at the movie itself…

···Yes, it was good. The level of completion and directing was flawless.

‘Still, I can’t say I’m not disappointed.’

It was a work that those who liked director Koo’s work could not help but feel disappointed about.

Until eight years ago, Koo Chan-ik made films that were far from traditional narratives. The intentionally fragmented characters and locations interfered with comfortable viewing, but Philip liked the ambiguous and unfriendly world created by Ku Chan-ik. So much so that I am ready to become a fish and swim in the sea of ​​elixirs at any time.

‘···If you had seen this work with the director’s name obscured, you would never have thought it was Koo’s work.’

Philip swallowed his complex emotions and waited for their conversation.

Soon the director and two actors appeared on stage, along with a host and an interpreter. After lightening the mood with light conversation, the host began to ask questions in earnest.

“There is talk that this movie is very different from previous works. What do you think?”

“Well… it’s difficult.”

Gu Chan-ik coughed slightly and slowly continued speaking.

“As you know, the days of film movies are over. It’s been a while since we haven’t filmed a movie in Korea. I, too, am someone who started making movies by cutting and pasting film. The fact that the era of film has passed was a great wound and loss for me. Many people have seen my films and made elaborate remarks, but in reality, the films I have made are like grown children who cannot let go of their mother. “It was the lament of an old man and a film director who couldn’t forget the past.”

It was an unexpected answer.

The young French coach adjusted his posture and sat down.

Even people who had been looking at the patterns on the floor or ceiling turned their attention to the stage as the veteran Oriental director told an honest story about his movie.

“is it so. To me, movies are a lament. In that sense, this movie can be said to be in the same context. On the surface, you might think they are completely different, but I don’t think so.”

Koo Chan-ik’s voice echoed in the quiet movie theater.

“I don’t know if there are people here who know. I haven’t made a film in a while since her daughter died. “She couldn’t let go of that child.”

‘···ah.’

Philip sighed involuntarily.

“But the moment I read the script my daughter wrote, I knew. This is the ‘lament’ left behind by that child. It is not much different from my previous works, except that the object of the lament is ‘me’. “I think the answer is too long compared to the question.”

“Oh, not at all, Gu. It was a really beautiful and deep story. “Thank you for stopping by.”

After that, the Q&A continued in a more serious atmosphere. Several questions and answers were exchanged, and then someone raised their hand and asked a question.

“The acting of the two lead actors was impressive, especially that of the actor who played the role of ‘Soo-il’. I understand that you are a new actor. How did you cast him? Was there anything special about it?”

“… To be honest, I am not a director who expects much from actors.”

Director Koo Chan-ik continued without changing his expression.

“But this time it was different.”

“Oh, is that so? “In what ways was it different?”

“This friend will explain that.”

And Koo Chan-ik passed the microphone he was holding to the side.

‘···!’

Yuil, who suddenly took over the microphone, looked around the audience with a bewildered expression.

He could see hundreds of pairs of eyes focused solely on him.

“hmm···.”

After much deliberation, Han Yu-il opened his mouth.

“When I first met the director, he told me, ‘I hate teen stars.’ …And when we parted ways that day, the director entrusted me with the lead role.”

“wow!”

“Probably because they thought I wasn’t worthy of a teen star.”

A little laughter came from the audience. Yoo Il opened his mouth with a faint smile.

“It’s all thanks to the director’s trust.”

These were words filled with deep sincerity that no one could deny.

There were several questions after that, but due to the tight time, I had to answer briefly.

“Ah, it’s already so late. I’m asking this because it’s the last time. Please be honest. Do you have any complaints or requests for the director, Han?”

The host even winked and told him not to worry because it would never be leaked. The reporters here were already transcribing their conversation right after the screen went up, so no matter how they said it, there was no way it could be a ‘secret’.

Yuil looked at the sparkling eyes looking at him.

Now that it was like this, he decided to answer honestly.

“I have a small complaint.”

“oh! “What is that?”

Han Yu-il lowered his eyebrows and answered.

“You said there was a delicious pho restaurant in Berlin, but you still didn’t tell me the name of the restaurant.”

“What did you say!”

The host laughed and said things like, ‘Goo, your actor seems to be dissatisfied. What should I do?’

So the screening ended in a pleasant atmosphere.

*

And lunch the next day.

Yuil was finally able to go to the rumored pho restaurant. It was an impressive store with a red sign and a terrace.

Hwang Yi-won ordered bibim salad noodles, and Gu Chan-ik ordered meat rice noodles. Yoo Il ordered the same food as Gu Chan Ik.

“You chose well.”

Yuil set the table, looked around, and waited for the menu. The inside of the store was crowded with office workers and tourists.

It was a sorry thought for director Koo Chan-ik, but Yoo Il was thinking about how delicious the rice noodles would be.

But the moment he took his first bite, he realized he had been very mistaken.

“···!”

The hot, savory yet savory finish stimulated my tongue. The combination of the crunchy bean sprouts, the thick soft meat, and the moderately cooked noodles was perfect.

What Gu Chan-ik said was not a lie.

“It’s really delicious, director.”

Gu Chan-ik grumbled, ‘Then I must have lied?’, but the corners of his lips were slightly curled up.

Hwang Yi-won also emptied the bowl cleanly with a satisfied look on his face.

The three of them went out into the street, patting their swollen bellies.

“I didn’t expect to find a good pho restaurant in Berlin.”

“It’s a city of immigrants.”

Hwang Yi-won, who answered like that, looked at Director Koo Chan-ik’s notice and whispered that he prefers the kebabs he buys on the street.

“…Once you eat doner kebab here, you will think of it sometimes.”

It was then.

A man with curly hair who looked to be in his mid to late 30s followed them.

‘Who is it?’

When I looked at the face, it looked familiar. She was sitting at a diagonal table at a pho restaurant.

The man asked in English with a unique accent.

“···Director Gu, right?”