Lee Yoon-Ki's "My Dear Enemy" - Q&A Notes

In the Q&A after the screening of My Dear Enemy on Saturday, Director Lee Yoon-Ki explained that he'd been in a bookstore in Korea, scanning the display of best-sellers, and a lonely little stack of the Japanese novella One Fine Day caught his eye. Drawn to the lonesome stack, like one quiet, lonely person drawn to another, he picked up a copy. He said he found the story heartwarming and thought he'd like to make a film that would touch people's hearts the way the book had touched his.

The title was a problem: there are lots of films with the title One Fine Day, for example, the one starring George Clooney. Director Lee thought of the term "enemy" because it can be used in Korean to refer to lovers, friends, even children. Thus, he thought the title My Dear Enemy might work. (I can understand that. Isn't it the people closest to us who can cause us the greatest heartache?) Director Lee mentioned that in adapting the story for the screen, he also had to adapt it to the Korean culture. He discussed how he had to expand on the novella, adding to the number of people the ex-lovers encounter as the two spend the day trying to borrow enough money to pay the woman back. Some other changes were made in bringing the story to the screen, including the scene toward the end, when the woman smiles, which is very different from the end of the Japanese story, in which the woman laughs out loud and claps her hands. In his adaptation of the story, Lee brings us subtle images of two people, played by Jeon Do-Yeon and Ha Jung-Woo, caught between closure and a new beginning. Like Ad Lib Night, the story line and the characters' emotions and relationship are subtle, somewhat hidden from us, and thus, a little hard to figure out -- like people can be. However, as Director Lee said in response to a question from a confused viewer, "It's all there in the film." Although he apologized to that viewer for not being clear and promised to do better next time, it seems that he has mastered the skill of withholding the immediate so that viewers can engage more deeply with the characters and their emotions.

Director Lee did say that he's working on a new project with a cinematographer from the same team and that the male lead, Ha Jung Woo, will be in it. The new project will have slightly more melodrama and more comedic features. My Dear Enemy is funny in spots, and charming, but also frustrating as the characters proceed through a long, difficult day. As such, though not a comedy in the typical sense, My Dear Enemy captures a slice of the human comedy we're all in - as we try to fill in the blanks and understand what happened as we go back - literally or just in reflection - to people we've known and choices we've made.

The atmosphere Director Lee has created in the film is greatly enhanced by the wonderful jazz film score -- with influences from the 20s and 30s as well as Latin/Brazilian jazz. Director Lee said he'd insisted on using this type of music despite disapproval from many on the production team.

Thus, I'd recommend that you try to see My Dear Enemy for the great performances as well as for that great music! Tomorrow, Monday, June 22, My Dear Enemy will be showing at the Regent at 1:30pm. Not sure of the plans for distribution -- hopefully, it will be at MPark 4 in the near future, too. For a great summary/review of the film, see http://jbspins.blogspot.com/.