Hyo Woo and Lee Min-jae's poignant coming-of-age film 'Boy in the Pool' is coming to the screen.
On the afternoon of the 30th, a press screening and meeting for the film 'Boy in the Pool' was held at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall in Seoul. Director Ryu Yeon-soo, along with actors Hyo Woo, Lee Min-jae, Lee Ye-won, and Yang Hee-won attended.
'Boy in the Pool' is a youth coming-of-age chronicle that captures the meeting and secrets of a girl named Seok-young, who loves swimming, and a boy named Woo-joo, who has webbed feet. It has been invited to the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival, the 24th Kaohsiung Film Festival, the competition at the 2nd Okinawa Pacific International Film Festival, and the 17th Hungarian Korean Film Festival.
This is the debut feature film of rookie director Ryu Yeon-soo, with dancer Hyo Woo from the dance crew HOOK and rising actor Lee Min-jae playing Seok-young and Woo-joo, respectively. Lee Ye-won plays young Seok-young, while Yang Hee-won plays young Woo-joo.
In particular, 'Boy in the Pool' captures the innocent and secretive summer of 2007 when 13-year-old Seok-young, who loves swimming, meets 12-year-old Woo-joo, who has webbed feet, and the memories and fleeting moments of the summer of 2013 when 19-year-old Seok-young, who wanted to be special but lives an ordinary life, reunites with 18-year-old Woo-joo, whose webbing has faded and is in a slump.
When asked about the casting reasons for the actors, director Ryu Yeon-soo said, “I’m a big fan of ‘Street Woman Fighter’ and have liked street dance for a long time. There’s a sense of injustice when a band I liked becomes known to others. When I saw the ‘It’s Raining Men’ stage in ‘Street Woman Fighter,’ the team HOOK often performs dynamic dances. They performed a musical-like dance with big movements but restrained facial expressions. I thought that with such expressiveness, they could do well in video acting. I thought she resembled Yoo Yeon-seok. I was so struck by the resemblance that I was curious and reached out via DM, and coincidentally, she was live streaming, so I approached her saying she looked like Yoo Yeon-seok. When she expressed gratitude for the acting offer, I got to know her and came this far,” he explained.
He continued, “I got recommendations after looking at the profiles of Lee Ye-won and Yang Hee-won. They were the first actors I saw for those roles. The friends I met for the first time were my fate. The staff were also very impressed. Our Woo-joo and Seok-young were Hee-won and Ye-won. I really researched Lee Min-jae. He had an athlete vibe and needed to capture the hearts of women. He was cast last, but his profile photo was sporty, and when I met him, his attitude was good, so we worked together. We appear as swimmers, but in ‘Weak Hero 2,’ he appears as a taekwondo athlete. It seems everyone has a similar eye for talent,” he joked.
Hyo Woo, who took on her first acting challenge, said, “I was active as a dancer, and when I received a call from the director, I couldn’t believe it. I only danced, so I never expected to be offered an acting role. After a lot of thought, I decided to participate as it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When I read the script, I didn’t quite grasp it at first, but it was a story I could relate to.”
Lee Min-jae shared about playing a swimmer in 'Boy in the Pool,' saying, “I really tried to look like a swimmer. The roles I’ve played so far have shown intense sides, but I had to express the opposite, and I think the director captured my personal side when I was comfortable and alone.”
Hyo Woo expressed her gratitude regarding her acting chemistry with Lee Min-jae, saying, “I really didn’t know anything and had many questions. So, I was like a ‘question bot.’ I relied on him a lot. I bombarded Lee Min-jae with questions, and he helped me a lot, so thanks to him, we finished the film safely.”
Lee Min-jae responded, “Before we started filming with Hyo Woo, we had many meetings with the director. The three of us went to an exhibition to match our tone and manner. Thanks to that pre-work, we were comfortable. Hyo Woo said she relied on me, but I also relied on her a lot.”
He added, “I think Hyo Woo made Seok-young very naturally and beautifully, so I learned a lot from her. The chemistry on set was good. The director made it comfortable for us, so we filmed in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.”
Yang Hee-won said, “When I read the script, I thought the boy with webbed feet was a hero. But when I filmed, I was disappointed because it wasn’t the webbed feet I imagined, like a frog. Overall, it was harmonious and impressive,” and added, “I had great chemistry with Ye-won. We did a lot of script readings. We met at the director’s house and read together. There were many parts that matched well, and I think it’s the first time I’ve matched so well. At first, I was wary of Seok-young in the movie, but I found it harder to be wary.”
Lee Ye-won shared, “The concept of webbed feet is unique, and that part was fresh. Before we shot the film, we had a meeting with the director, and we had a lot of conversations for a long time. It was fun talking with the director, and I really wanted to shoot together.”
She continued, “I had great chemistry with Hee-won. She was so cute, pure, and hardworking, so I really liked her unilaterally. While we were matching our breaths on set, there were times I forgot my lines, and she helped me, so I remember her taking care of me even though she’s younger. We have many scenes where we bicker, and I remember that it was all captured realistically, not just acting.”
Finally, director Ryu Yeon-soo said, “It was a difficult mistake to accept, but I hope it’s a mistake we can embrace,” and asked for warm interest in the coming-of-age story of 'Boy in the Pool.'
'Boy in the Pool' will be released on May 14.
