The coming-of-age film “It’s Okay, It’s Okay, It’s Okay” brings warmth to the late winter cinema.
On the afternoon of the 18th, a press screening and meeting for the film “It’s Okay, It’s Okay, It’s Okay” was held at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Seoul. Director Kim Hye Young and actors Lee Rae, Jin Seo Yeon, and Jung Soo Bin attended.
“It’s Okay, It’s Okay, It’s Okay!” tells the story of people who are clumsy alone but okay together as they seek each other's happiness. This is the feature film debut of director Kim Hye Young, who gained recognition for her directing skills through the JTBC drama “Melo is My Nature” and the Coupang Play series “Unicorn.” It proved its solid quality by winning the Crystal Bear Generation K Plus award at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, the first of its kind in Korea.
Lee Rae plays the role of the endlessly positive girl In Young, while Jin Seo Yeon takes on the role of the artistic group’s witch director Seol Ah. Jung Soo Bin plays the center of the artistic group, Na Ri, Lee Jung Ha plays In Young's male friend Do Yoon, and Son Seok Koo, who collaborated with director Kim Hye Young in “Melo is My Nature,” plays the pharmacist Dong Wook, who provides both verbal and medicinal prescriptions.
Director Kim Hye Young stated, “I started filming after ‘Melo is My Nature’ ended. I have had a dream of making a coming-of-age drama since college. I wanted to create a kind and warm film that people of all ages could relate to.”
Regarding the special appearance of Son Seok Koo, she said, “When we were working on the drama ‘Melo is My Nature,’ I shared the filming with director Lee Byung Hun. I didn’t get to film much with Son Seok Koo, so I felt regretful afterward. I wanted to work with this actor a bit more, and I heard that Son Seok Koo also wanted to work with me, so I thought we were on the same page.”
She continued, “After writing it, I thought he would fit the pharmacist character well. His playful smile and delivery of lines were perfect. So, I reached out to him. When I initially told him he would play In Rae's friend, he was happy about it. He agreed to appear without hesitation.”
Jin Seo Yeon commented on winning the Berlin Film Festival award, saying, “I never expected it. At that time, the distribution wasn’t even decided, so after the theater screening, I would wear a dress, take a taxi home, and it was a tough environment. At that time, Lee Rae was a minor, so she couldn’t drink, and we talked about wanting to eat pho together after receiving the award, and we ended up winning. I thought they would really like it when I saw the atmosphere at the Busan International Film Festival, but the response was better than I could have imagined. I want to say it exploded here. I came back with gratitude for the unexpected response. Afterward, the distribution was confirmed, and I’m thankful that we can screen it.”
Since dancing was important in the film, the actors practiced diligently. Lee Rae explained, “There are more dance scenes than I expected, so I wanted to pay a lot of attention to it. I didn’t want to look clumsy while dancing, so I started practicing choreography one or two months before filming. The choreography teacher helped me, and I made time to learn the choreography even during filming.”
Jin Seo Yeon said, “There’s no group dance, and I’m a teacher, but I have a solo dance. It was my first time dancing, and since we didn’t have much time, we practiced from two and a half months ago. I felt a lot of pressure because I’m from an ace dancer background, so I practiced a lot. I did my best.”
Jung Soo Bin confessed, “I also worked hard as Na Ri, who doesn’t miss being number one. I felt how hard dancers work. It took time to understand various props like fans. It was an honor to experience the life of those dancers with my body for a month or two.”
When asked about her chemistry with Lee Rae, Jin Seo Yeon said, “In the film, I’m the ice witch, and I’m not warm in real life, so I didn’t try to get close. Lee Rae is so lively and has the charisma to lead the set, so we just had to do our parts well.” Lee Rae expressed her gratitude, saying, “Although she says that, she created a comfortable atmosphere on set.”
Lee Rae also talked about her chemistry with Son Seok Koo and Lee Jung Ha, saying, “In the pharmacy scene, I had to act as if I had known (Son Seok Koo) for a long time on the first day we met. He approached me comfortably. It takes time to open up, but I followed his acting tone and mannerisms, which made it easy to act. Lee Jung Ha also made it easy for me to treat him like a friend, even though we’re not that far apart in age, so I was able to act comfortably in a surprisingly short time.”
Finally, director Kim Hye Young said, “I hope you enjoy it as we have prepared for a long time. We ended up saying ‘It’s okay’ a lot among ourselves, and I hope the audience has okay days as well.” Jin Seo Yeon added, “I want this film to convey the message that it’s okay to give up and fail. I want to tell you that it’s okay not to do well. I hope you find comfort while watching the film.”
“It’s Okay, It’s Okay, It’s Okay” will be released on the 26th.
