Director Lee Jung-cheol of the movie 'Last Homework', set to be released on September 3, expressed his affection for lead actor Um Tae-woong.
'Last Homework' tells the story of a teacher who becomes a temporary homeroom teacher and the children who complete their last homework in their own unique ways. With the warm sensibility characteristic of director Lee Jung-cheol, known for directing 'Heart 2' and 'Family', expectations are rising as he reveals behind-the-scenes insights from the scriptwriting, casting, and filming processes.
Director Lee introduced the work by saying, "'Last Homework' is a reflection of adults written through teacher Kim Young-nam. It is a film that resonates with the audience through the reflection of teacher Kim Young-nam, who has past mistakes, and the process of reconciliation among the children." He also added, “My previous work, 'Family', started from the relationship between a sister and a father, and 'Heart 2' was a piece that reminisced about a pet dog. This time, 'Last Homework' contains the emotions I felt while raising my daughter and son,” suggesting that he will continue to explore the meaning of family in various forms and his artistic perspective on 'happiness'.
The director explained his reason for casting Um Tae-woong in the role of 'Kim Young-nam', who appears as a temporary homeroom teacher at a private elementary school in Gangnam, saying, “Just as I thought of Soo-ae while writing the script for 'Family', the actor that came to mind while adapting this script was Um Tae-woong. I have a deep trust in him as we have been connected since his unknown days.”
He also mentioned, “Actor Park Sang-myeon’s character, who is a 'yelling' vice principal, contrasts with Kim Young-nam in both physique and personality. I cast actress Jeon Soo-kyung without a doubt as the calm principal who leads the emotional line of the story. I was personally a fan of actress Yoon Hyun-sook, who plays the role of the parent association president,” sparking curiosity about the performances of the excellent supporting cast.
In particular, regarding actor Lee Sung-jong, who made a special appearance and is a former member of the group Infinite, he expressed, “I am really grateful for his passion on set, even with a small role.”
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
