“My goal is to make a film like ‘The Godfather’ (1973). I don’t intend to create only comedy-based works. But there’s always the question of balancing what I love and what I can do well.”
Actor and director Ha Jung-woo shared these thoughts as he returned to audiences with his fourth directorial film “The People Upstairs,” following “Fasten Your Seatbelt,” “Chronicle of a Blood Merchant,” and “Lobby” (which has been referred to as “Lobby” in search results).
Recently, we met Ha Jung-woo at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Along with anecdotes related to his new film, he spoke about a wide range of topics. “The People Upstairs,” a remake of the Spanish original “Sentimental,” follows two couples entangled in nightly “sex-related” noise between floors who end up sharing a dinner together, leading to unpredictable conversations.
Ha oversaw everything from screenplay to direction and acting, while also taking the lead in casting Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Dong-wook, and Lee Ha-nee. He plays Mr. Kim, the upstairs husband who comes down with a “sex-related” proposal, taking responsibility for much of the humor in the film.
That day, Ha said, “‘The People Upstairs’ isn’t just a sex comedy built on wordplay. There’s a clear and solid drama beneath it. It might not explode immediately upon release, but I hope it will endure.” He added with a laugh, “In my earlier directorial works, I was overly eager to show something — too many characters, too many stories. This time, I let go of that desire.”
“The People Upstairs” is built on a bold premise rarely seen in Korean cinema. Ha takes an absurd and potentially uncomfortable narrative and turns it into an entertaining R-rated comedy through his sense and wit. The sharp verbal exchanges shared between Ha, Gong Hyo-jin, Lee Ha-nee, and Kim Dong-wook in a confined space are a major highlight. Without strong acting, the film could easily have lacked credibility or slipped into cheap adult humor, but Ha’s intuitive direction and the cast’s performances fit together seamlessly.
Casting, therefore, was crucial. Ha shared, “Gong Hyo-jin was my first choice. I told her we should keep both upstairs and downstairs open and explore everything. I promised we’d make something good. I even exaggerated, saying she’d win Best Actress with this — that’s how I persuaded her,” he said, laughing.
He continued, “In Lee Ha-nee’s case, I passed the script to her through Gong Hyo-jin. At first, she asked for time to think. As an actor myself, I could sense what that meant — I assumed it was a no. So I quickly began seeking other actors for scheduling reasons. But two weeks later, Lee Ha-nee said she would do it. She had just finished a drama and needed time to recover from an injury. Gong Hyo-jin really helped keep communication smooth.”
Ha added, “The character ‘Sookyung’ was one only Lee Ha-nee could play. She understands comedic tempo extremely well. Her voice also carries the calm reassurance of a therapist. She’s an actor who brings credibility to any role. Some of the dialogue she delivers in the second half could have easily sounded crude, but with her performance, it came across almost like medical terminology,” he said, laughing.
Lee Ha-nee was reportedly in the early stages of her second pregnancy while filming. She kept this a secret to avoid burdening the production. Ha revealed the behind-the-scenes episode: “I learned about it about a third into filming, through Gong Hyo-jin. Even in her condition, she completed all the yoga and training scenes assigned to her without complaint. I truly had no idea. Once we found out, we made the decision to openly discuss it and shift the production into emergency mode. We ventilated every 10 minutes, removed all smoking areas nearby, and even had the production team mop the floor daily.”
As for Kim Dong-wook, he was a natural choice — an actor Ha has worked with many times, from “Take Off” (2009) to the “Along with the Gods” series.
So why did Ha Jung-woo choose to appear in “The People Upstairs” himself? From “Chronicle of a Blood Merchant” to this latest film, Ha has consistently appeared in projects he directs.
Ha explained, “I never start a project thinking I’ll play a role myself. When considering casting, every actor is a candidate.” He continued, “Mr. Kim was originally not a classical Chinese teacher — he was a chef running a Spanish restaurant. The script kept evolving. At first, I imagined other actors — someone who wouldn’t say strange things, someone who didn’t look like a chef, or someone shorter so they wouldn’t visually match Lee Ha-nee. Then the character changed to a Chinese teacher, and I realized I fit the role.”
He added, “I also thought about characters from the film ‘The Handmaiden’ — bizarre, perverse, but at the same time oddly innocent. After thinking it over repeatedly, I naturally stepped into the role.”
The conversation shifted to “Director Ha Jung-woo.” He shared, “My dream since I was young was to become a film director. I wanted to be a filmmaker like Charlie Chaplin.”
Ha continued, “I happened to start as an actor first, but before too much time passed, I felt I needed to make my first film quickly. That’s why I challenged myself with ‘Fasten Your Seatbelt.’ Opportunities came immediately after, and I didn’t want to miss them, so I moved straight into directing ‘Chronicle of a Blood Merchant.’ Directing isn’t just an event that happens during an acting career — it’s the journey of unfolding the dream I’ve had since I was young.”
He added, “Martin Scorsese’s works and films like ‘The Godfather’ influenced me greatly when I was young. I wanted to create works like ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Goodfellas.’ But wanting something and doing it well are different matters. As a director, it’s something I must keep observing.”
Ha also spoke candidly about production budgets in the Korean film industry. “If a project can be made with a smaller budget, it should be. Whether it’s 10 billion won or 20 billion won, it always feels tight. Many elements are intertwined, making it difficult to give definitive opinions. But Korean cinema has the know-how to create strong films even with modest budgets. Still, I believe appropriate budgets should always be allocated.”
He continued, “A director must persuade people and earn their understanding. Even choosing a subject is difficult. Sometimes you choose impulsively, sometimes after long contemplation. The result is unpredictable. Casting is the same — choose the right actor and things flow. Choose wrong and it becomes hell. It’s always scary and difficult. Over time, I’ve learned to accept this challenge and naturally listen to more people’s opinions and be more cautious.”
When asked whether he plans to direct OTT series as well, Ha laughed and said, “If someone funds it.” He added, “I always try to keep the mindset of starting from zero.”
Aside from “Narco-Saints,” Ha is appearing in a TV drama for the first time in about 18 years. The series “How to Become a Building Owner in Korea” is set to premiere on tvN on March 16 next year.
He said, “It’s been so long since I last filmed a drama. Things have changed now, but in my memory, drama sets were places where you barely slept for days and couldn’t even go home. Returning after 18 years, I found myself saying, ‘Oh? Things are this relaxed now?’ Another thing that changed: I can now see what directors struggle with. Sometimes they look like they want to shoot more but can’t because of pressure. In the past, I would have just said ‘Good work’ and left, but now I find myself asking, ‘Shall we shoot one more?’”
Ha also hinted at an upcoming Japanese film and shared that he plans to direct another project next year. “It will probably take two to three years to complete. I keep receiving new projects, and some really stand out,” he said.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
Copyright ⓒ 뉴스컬처 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지
본 콘텐츠는 뉴스픽 파트너스에서 공유된 콘텐츠입니다.
