Part 2 - 9

This is the apartment that will be used as Lee Soo Hyun’s room where he lived alone. We learned that this building was going to be torn down in September. This is in Yanaka, the downtown part of Tokyo where there are a lot of temples and traditional Japanese scenery. It is one of my favorite areas in terms of its images.

Seo Jae Keyong who plays the part of Min Su is doing a good job in portraying his character. He is a popular actor in Korea, known for the diversity of his acting – the flexible way he changes a serious expression to a comical one is really something. He knows exactly what is expected of the character he is playing in context of the film.

As the producer said to himself, ”The casting was perfect!”, he and Lee Tae Sung are starting to make a good team.

Incidentally, Lee Tae Sung’s Japanese pronunciation is improving rapidly.
It’s probably because he is still young and has got a good sense in learning the
language, but all the same, it is quite amazing.

During our ride back, I was taken aback when he asked me, “The train is an important motif in this film isn’t it?” in Japanese. You are absolutely right!

How many trains will be crossing the screen in this film, I wonder? Maybe this will make a great question for a quiz.



P.S. A surprise present.
Lee Tae Sung shared one of his valuable “hot rahmen” he probably brought from
Korea. And this is just delicious! It’s one of my favorite foods now.

(Originally posted in Japanese on July 6, 2006)

Part 2 - 8

We had a shooting at the Lotte factory in Shin Okubo.
Hong Kyung Min-san plays a businessman who is a graduate of Soo Hyun’s Japanese school. Just by coincidence, he comes to visit the factory where Soo Hyun worked as a part-timer.



This a photo of Lotte candies, my cigarettes, and the Korean Jinro Chamisu I drank too much of last night.



I wrote this scene based on the fact that many Korean students actually worked in this factory.

During the shooting, Hong Kyung Min, Lee Tae Sung, and I were interviewed by Sankei Sports Shimbun and Tonichi News. They will be releasing this article in tomorrow’s paper.

The shooting went very smoothly.
Although the scene is completely in Korean, I can tell that Hong Kyung Min understands what I am trying to say just by listening to my Japanese explanation. We seem to have good chemistry, because he apparently understands my ideas before it is translated into Korean. Such great instinct!

Lotte is involved in this film as our special sponsor.
This factory is where Lotte began its business, and it was a strange coincidence that it stands right in front of Shin Okubo Station, where our story takes place.Adding to that, upon learning that Lee Soo Hyun’s father and the president of Lotte were from the same town, Lotte offered their full support on our project.

Shooting ended by early evening, and we (Hong Kyung Min, Lee Tae Sung, the people from the music business and the reporters from the papers) had dinner at a Korean restaurant nearby.



Hong Kyung Min shared his story on how he began to be involved in music to his respect, or should I rather say adoration towards his aboji (father). It was his father’s advice that prompted his decision to participate in this film.

His determination upon starting his activities in the Japanese music world, seemed to somewhat overlap with Lee Soo Hyun’s sense of responsibility and passion in trying to bring Japan and Korea together.

I too, revealed my thoughts even more passionately than usual. I talked about how films and music have the power to bring people together, and also about the potential this power has, taking the Beatles as an example. Shaking our hands on this, I felt the tightness of his heartfelt grip. This was going to be the beginning of a great friendship…. I was convinced of this that night.

(Originally posted in Japanese on July 5, 2006)

Part 2 - 7

We took the day off today, because we worked all night the day before, and used the day for preparations. Early in the evening, we met up with Hong Kyung Min and his musical staffs at a hotel lobby.

On our side was Lee Tae Sung and the producers of our film.

My first impression of Hong Kyung Min was that he seemed the shy type. I had listened to his songs, but he seemed smaller than I imagined. He is probably a different man on stage. Many people who excel in something can seem shy until we get to know each other.

By a strange coincidence, he belongs to the same baseball team (made up of Korean actors and singers) as Lee Tae Sung . They had some friends in common, and after discovering this, the air became considerably friendlier.
On top of this, he seemed to have some common ties with our interpreter Uran in the army.

We were told that he was playing the lead in a Korean TV drama until the end of June.

We discussed a few matters on tomorrow’s shooting, and ended our first meeting on a friendly note.

He seems to have a few projects waiting for him in Japan. It looks like I will be seeing more of him off the set, too.

(Originally posted in Japanese on July 4, 2006)

Part 2 - 6

Yesterday’s shooting ended a little after 5 in the morning, just as the sky started to become lighter.

Lee Tae Sung is showing dramatic changes in this film – so much so, that even he is aware of it.

All the staffs that are supporting him - in costumes, make-up, camera, and lights - testify that he seems like a different person from the actor in the beginning of this project. Everyone is impressed by how his expression has become manly and sharp.

When he stood in front of the train, with his whole being charged with energy, his expression and image had an aura that made one gaze at him unblinkingly.

”Lee Soo Hyun is here this moment for sure!” These words were voiced as if in unison by everyone at the site.

There is no doubt that he will become an actor that will lead the Korean film industry of the next generation. Marky, who joined us around 1 a.m. also made a heartfelt performance of the very first scene of the film just before sunrise. A sorrowful requiem inexpressible by words was flowing from her whole being. It made me naturally recall the image of the music used in the opening of the film.

This would surely make another beautiful scene.

What is being shot is surpassing my expectations of the completed image in a positive sense. This is the best reward of all. Perhaps that is why my shoulders are not as stiff as it usually is.

On the way back, I slept like a log in the car. I was so energetic until a while ago, but strangely, I felt totally drained then.


EXTRA





Green back


The front part appears to be completely white in this photo, but actually, a green cloth to be used for computer generated images is being put up all over the wall.

So, what sort of picture will appear in this scene? I look forward to seeing it in the film.

(Originally posted in Japanese on July 3, 2006)

Part 2 - 5 Extra 2

On the way to Ibaragi, we found a bamboo Tanabata ornament at the high way rest area by surprise (Translator’s note: July 7 is the “Star Festival” in Japan. People write their wish on a strip of colorful paper, and hang it on a bamboo ornament). We all wished for the same thing – the success of our film. Lee Tae Sung’s card also had the title of his other film that was in its final stage “Violence Circle”. The color of my card, was green, of course. In the process of making films, we cannot help turning to God. But it’s been an awful long time since I’ve last written a wish for Tanabata.


While I was writing this, the sun shone only where we were. It had a rather nice effect.

Part 2 - 5 Extra 1

This is the set of the platform we made at the railroad siding.
We were told that the Kashima Railway would be completely defunct next March. This reminded me of the station of Nagano Railway we used in “Lament of a Lamb”. The station in that movie does not exit any more, either.

The apartment by the railroad tracks in Nippori that we will be using soon (Soo Hyung is to live there alone), and the apartment we will be shooting in Tsuruhashi in Osaka (the place he will meet the old lady who is a first generation Korean), is also scheduled to be torn down this summer.

It leads me to think that perhaps films have meaning as a record of the age.

Part 2 - 5

We arrived at the site in Ibaragi.
It seems that I am able to make postings from my cell phone. Of course, I have set my phone so I could see it, too. In that case, I need to access my original livedoor address.

There at Ishioka Station, on Kashima Railway, the shooting was going to take place by creating a part of a platform at the place which is used to do maintenance on the trains. The art team was making final touches to the set. The camera crew was to arrive in less than hour. The shooting will probably take until dawn.

This is a scene that needs snow fall with CGI. It’s summer in reality, but we’ve been taking a lot of winter scenes lately. The magical first scene also begins from here. Whether this becomes an impressive scene that opens and closes the film will determine the impact of this work. I’m going to have to give it my all again today…..which means, another day of stiff necks and shoulders, I guess (laughs).


(Originally posted in Japanese on July 2, 2006)

Part 2 - 4

The weather was cloudy.
We shot the “chase scene” which comes directly after the scene where the two main characters meet.

Going through the downtown area of Ikebukuro Station’s east exit, Soo Hyun and the guys run between buildings and all over the place. Tae Sung is really energetic. Being a born athlete, he seems to feel at ease when he is moving his body.

In between takes, he played at the near by game arcade, and got many prizes with the UFO Catcher game he was good at. I was told that he is so good that his hotel room is overflowing with prizes.

During break time, I saw a copy of an article in the newspaper Sports Hochi with the headline, “Marky, of High and Mighty Color Wins the Lead in a Movie”.
According to the producer, we were informed yesterday at 4 p.m. that they were planning to put out the article today.
Following the articles which went out yesterday mentioning Hong Kyung Min’s appearance in this movie, information on this movie started to fill the pages of the media all at once.

I asked Ren-chan of the network GOHEY in Hokkaido to help us write a guitar score for the music we were going to use in the film. Tae Sung needed to practice his guitar, but the preparations were not ready. I wanted him to look at the score as early as possible, so I asked my friend for his assistance. To Kattsu-san of “21 (twenty first)”, thank you so much!

After shooting the scenes with Lee Tae Sung riding the bicycle, in the afternoon, we went to the motion picture studio in Ikebukuro.

The staff did a terrific job in remodeling the studio on the fifth floor into a Korean style apartment. From the color of the wall to the objects in the room, they arranged the room paying the utmost attention to the details. Lee Tae Sung and the other Koreans were quite impressed, saying “It’s very much like a real room of a young Korean man”.
This was the fruit of the work done by the art team and Yona-chan, who is a staff/interpreter. Yona-chan is a junior of the Japanese language school Lee Soo Hyun attended, which is called Akamon-kai. She is presently attending a film school here, and with the dream of working in the film industry in Japan, she is participating in this project.

The scene we were about to take, was where Lee Soo Hyun drinks with his friend while talking about the future. The conversation between the two friends (chingu) go on and on. Although I cannot understand the exact meaning, because I had gotten used to the sound of the Korean language while on location in Korea, I was able to detect some mistakes in their lines. But it seems that I get tense in the shoulders while we are shooting without being aware of it. I had thought that my shoulders were better after the treatment I received, but it started to become painful again during shooting.

We finished off before 11 p.m., and went back to our hotel in Shinjuku. We had a meeting at a nearby restaurant with the producers that came back from Nagoya, reporting on such matters as the progress of the shooting.

On the way back, I could not tolerate the pain in my neck and head any longer, so I jumped into the nearby sauna and got a thorough massage.

I finally felt some relief at 4 in the morning, and went back to the hotel. I should be able to get some sleep now.

(Originally posted in Japanese on July 1, 2006)

Part 2 - 3

Third day on the set.

I think I’m pushing myself to the limit, because I’m becoming acutely aware of my tiredness. First of all, I can’t speak in a loud voice. I find myself looking for a chair in between takes. Maybe it’s because we have only been eating bento (meal boxes) for awhile, but I can only get myself to eat half of it. The staff is starting to show signs of fatigue, too.

It’s not because of the shooting itself, but rather the fact that we went directly into shooting after the preparations.

The scheduled shooting for today is only for the biggest scene. But, it took about 8 hours just to take the first half of it. Once the total film is connected after editing, this scene will only be for about 4 minutes, but we need to do each cut with care. The way the characters meet, the conflict they experience, and the features of each of the characters – in this significant scene, each one of these play an important part in the development of the drama as it depicts the relationship of each one.

The latter half of the shooting was the live performance scene. The cast play their instruments and sing, synchronizing with the sound that was prerecorded. We didn’t even have enough time to practice this, so it was a really tough job completing each song. After shooting one song, we went on to the scene with acting interwoven in the live music. In between takes, Kaneko-kun practiced his drums. He has a bit of experience on the instrument, but it is tough for him, too because he did not have enough time to rehearse. This is true for the other members also. All of them show radiance.

In this movie, the presence of music is extremely important. The messages expressed in the music included, I did not want to cut corners on this point. I want to make it as authentic as possible. It was a priority when we worked on the casting, too.

On top of this, we need to weave in a passionate drama.

Time went by without us knowing it, and when we were finished, it was past 2 in the morning. We really put in all we had. But I am confident that we shot a good scene.

All burnt out, we went home almost in a state of lethargy. Frankly, I don’t even remember when I slept.


(Originally posted in Japanese on June 27, 2006)

Part 2 - 2

Part 2-2

Day two, and it started to get cloudy earlier than forecasted. Don’t need an umbrella yet, but it’s getting kind of dark.

Lee Tae Sung left the earlier than us to take guitar lessons. He needs to learn the song he will be playing in the film. The scheduled rehearsal was called off, so shooting will begin from the afternoon.

The whole crew assembled at the road by Tokyo Tower. The staff is great. I can just leave it to them to get the job done. In the meantime, I have things going through my mind concerning the script. I rather like thinking this way, in a somewhat noisy environment, just going along with the flow with the questions that come up in my mind. I guess I’m just not the type to sit and contemplate at the desk.

Though the looks of the sky is not very encouraging, the expressions and movement Tae Sung shows is exactly as I envisioned it to be. It looks promising. Tae Sung was shooting an action movie just awhile ago in Korea, but the influence of that experience is not coming out in a negative way. The private lives of actors who are good in getting into the character tend to be influenced by the roles they are playing. With Tae Sung, I have had many discussions on “creating a character” and “acting”. Though he is young, his ideas on acting are quite mature. What pleases me is that it’s not all talk neither.

From late afternoon, we started to shoot the night scene at the park by the railroad tracks near Takadanobaba Station. It is the scene in which Lee Soo Hyun (Lee Tae Sung) and Yuri (Marky) are alone together for the second time. There were more trains going by then we imagined, and we had a hard time getting a good take because we could not hear their lines.

The scene needed a relaxed mood, so we did not want a very detailed storyboard, and we did not want to postrecord it, either. But the “train” is a very important motif in this movie. I wanted to include it in the image implicitly somehow. The staff scouting for locations, knows how I feel about this. Which unfortunately leads to other troubles… (laughs)

It is necessary to have plenty of time for a shooting in the night time. Film, is an art in the visual sense of “light and shadow”. The night scene is indeed a world in which we can create everything by what we choose to light up from the dark and how.

No matter how great a job the art director does in providing props, we cannot capture it without light. The same can be said of beautiful actors. That is why it takes time.

So, by utilizing the standby time for lighting and art work, we did a reading of the script. The rehearsal we did with Marky paid off, and she was showing much change. She seems to have grasped something in the way of putting her emotion into the character. She is responsive, just as I thought. But it took some time to reconsider the script. Every time the word “Korea” comes up, we tend to become sensitive. I believe this is something this film cannot get away from.

Tae Sung was constantly talking amiably and making jokes, and along with the staff, he was trying to create a space with Marky. The two are creating a good atmosphere. This kind of communication is what makes the atmosphere of the movie itself. In this way, we produce a film, one cut at a time.

First was the scene where they play in the basketball court in the park. When I told them, “Do it for real!”, little Marky (her height is in the 150s, where as Tae Sung is over 180 cm) gets serious and goes to seize the ball. This brought out a natural expression from her that worked well. I could also see some of the intensity that is desirable in her role. The chemistry between the two also seemed good.

We were able to take a few cuts. Then, the last cut for this scene was the expression on Yuri’s face as she walks away. I wanted to see the many emotions that goes through her in the moment, but it is difficult to get it out of her. We go through many retakes. She knows why I am calling the NGs. It is one thing to be able to understand it in your head, and another to be able to express it. I can tell she is trying desperately to respond to my request.

When I was finally able to call, “Okay!” it was nearly 11 p.m.
“Good job! Let’s pack up!”
That was the end of day two.

(Originally posted in Japanese on June 24, 2006)

Part 2 - 1

Getting up at five in the morning, we started shooting in front of the Asakusa Kaminari-mon. It was a fine day. The god of cinema seems to have smiled upon us.

I looked at the familiar big, red “Kaminari-mon” lantern – today, I found a carving of a dragon at the bottom of it. “Dragon” happens to be my lucky item!

The shooting started smoothly. To start things off, we only took one cut. We wrapped things up by 8:30, and we moved on to Akihabara. That is the only way we can get permission to shoot there. Therefore, we shot a montage picture at a different place. This will be used for the scene Soo Hyun goes sightseeing on his bicycle.

With an iPod shuffle in my ear, I am listening to the music that will be used in this scene which just arrived yesterday. I need to come up for an image for the live session scene which we will be shooting on the 22nd. The music is good, but I still don’t have any of the lyrics nor the score. Okay, how should I arrange the cuts for the shooting? I’m at loss....

My own outfit for today is a green battle surcoat. It is one of my favorites, made with material for a kimono. I thought of wearing it today to get fired up. All I need is a fan then I could be a feudal warlord! (laughs)

Some of the staff told me wryly, “Maybe you’re just a bit overzealous”, but they seem to like it okay.

A bit after noon, Marky, who is going to play the part of Yuri appeared at the sight. Her shooting is scheduled only for the evening, but the chief assistant director was going to tend to her rehearsal. We’ll see how far she gets tomorrow. I wonder how things will turn out.

When I trained her personally a few days ago, she shed tears from frustration, but all talented rookies go through this phase. There isn’t an obstacle that can’t be overcome. But the problem is, there is just too little time for rehearsal. I am worried whether she will be able to keep up with us.

When we went back to the Nakamise shopping street in Asakusa, the area was full of sightseers from all over the world, even though it was a weekday. I asked Tae Sung for his personal opinion as a Korean, to think about what Soo Hyun would have thought at the souvenir shop. His preference of souvenirs was a bit different from what the Japanese staff imagined. That’s the interesting part.

As usual, we were disturbed by traffic congestion, and traffic lights going on and off at the wrong time, but we were able to finish shooting the bicycle riding scene as scheduled. The picture is pretty good – a refreshing scene full of speed. It should go well with the music.

The only thing left for today was the first cut with Marky. We travel across Tokyo for Shibuya. In this scene, she is working as a part-timer. This will be her first experience in movies – how will it turn out? The audience can check for themselves in the theater.

That was day one. I’m not sure if I will have the time to blog from now on. But I want to leave a record of this project somehow. The shooting has just begun!

(originally posted in Japanese on June 21, 2006)

Commemorating the 5th Anniversary of the Death of Lee Soo Hyun

The Commemorative Ceremony on the Fifth Anniversary of the Death of Lee Soo Hyun
& Party Announcing the Kick off of Shooting

It has been a while since I have updated this blog.

The main cast from Korea arrived in Japan on the 25th. We all met at the Akasaka Prince Hotel – it has been a while. Everyone went out of their way to make time for this event. Although it’s only been about ten days since we last saw each other, it some how seems like more, and it was good to see them again. The Korean members were all smiles, saying they had been looking forward to coming to Japan.

On the next day, Jan. 26, a ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of Lee Soo Hyun’s death was held from 2 p.m. Because it was a weekday, we were worried about the attendance of the event. But as things turned out, we didn’t need to worry. The room was packed and we were even short of seats.

In front of the room, there was a screen showing an image video that was made in Korea, and with the staff from the Akamonkai International Language Academy (Akamonkai L.A.) and LSH Asia Shogakukai (scholarship foundation) acting as host, the ceremony began solemnly by everyone giving a minute of silent prayer.

Many participants of this event gave heartfelt messages in commemoration of this young man. Among them, were such people like, Mr. Nishimura, a young Diet member from the “Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union” (a group with 360 bipartisan members led by the former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori) expressed his willingness in heading a support group for us; members from the Korean Residents Union in Japan, and the Korean business leaders residing in Japan; the councilor of the Korean Embassy in Japan. Ms. Makiko Tanaka, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, also sat discreetly in the corner of the crowd.

Following the speeches, we all lined up to lay flowers in memory of Lee Soo Hyun。
Many members related to this movie were seated in the audience. Business representatives who were dedicated to helping out and had even gone to Korea earlier attended the event. Many participants from the public were present also

From a fan club that supports the actor Bae Yong Joon, as many as 20 members from all over Japan gathered for this occasion. I learned that not only have they been participating in this event every year, they are committed to extending continuous support to the LSH scholarship program by collecting donations. As many of them are mothers themselves, they claimed that they felt a strong compassion towards Lee Soo Hyun’s mother. They were there with the yearning to make the most of Soo Hyun’s good will, and to support his parents’ wishes in any way they could.

Some of my own friends were there, too. There was N-san, who had just joined our project to lend us a hand as one of the producers…..he was the one who gave me the chance to direct my very first film, “Lament of a Lamb”. He is a truly energetic man, who also produced my second movie, “Touch a Dream”.

The leading member from “WAO!”, a group I have been collaborating with for more over 2 years with the aim of establishing a　graduate school specializing in films, was also there. We will be collaborating in a new way in this project. Also present was I-san, an old friend of mine who came to the rescue when we were having a hard time with the casting in Korea. We’ve known each other since I sought advice on psychiatric treatment in the drama “Forever Child” – so, how many years does that make? Ms. Masako Imai, a scenario writer also kindly made time to participate in this event. O-san, who I got to know at the screening of “A Yankee’s Dream” in Gamagori, came from Nagoya. The members of “Yume-net” sent us flowers, and Jin-san in Akita delivered a cake for us. I am supported by so many people. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you again.

Indeed, there were so many people there that we almost ran out of flowers.

Next, we gave our presentation announcing the kick off of the shooting of this film, in front of the photo of Lee Soo Hyun. First, M-san, the producer gave a speech, followed by me, Lee Tae Sung and the members of his family, and lastly, the boys playing Soo Hyun’s friends. Frankly, I don’t remember what I said, as I spoke without a memo. But I was later told that it was an OK speech. I’m sure I’m going to feel embarrassed when I see a video of it one of these days, but oh well, it will have to do.

Lee Tae Sung was really something! He managed to introduce himself in Japanese and his pronunciation was great, too. Listening to him speak I was confident that there would be no problems with his Japanese in the film!

There is one thing I do remember mentioning in my own speech.

The photo I uploaded on this blog is the “image poster” for the film, and there is an interesting episode behind it.

One day after the shooting of the film started in Korea, the producer received a letter. It was from someone who claimed that he had witnessed Lee Soo Hyun’s in the last moments of his life.

It is a fact that there was about 7 seconds from the moment Soo Hyun jumped off the platform until the moment that the train came in. Seven seconds is enough time to escape if one wanted to, and being a young healthy athlete, this certainly should have been the case for him. The same can be said of Mr. Sekine, the photographer who also tried to help.

What were they trying to do during this time?

This was a point we could not find an answer to, no matter how we tried. We could imagine things of course, but we had no means of verifying our guesses. But what we were looking for was exactly what was written in the letter we received.

The answer is in the pose taken in the poster. Lee Soo Hyun had embraced the last moments of his life, by opening his arms wide in front of the train, as if he were standing up to some challenge.

How can we deliver this message as a film?
For now, I want to continue to think deeply on this point.

(Originally posted in Japanese on Feb.1,2006)


고이수현군 5주기 추모기념식

이수현군 사망 5주년 기념식과 촬영시작을 알리는 파티.

오래간만에 브로그를 합니다.

25일에 주연배우가 한국으로부터 일본에 도착했습니다. 아카사카 프린스호텔에서 오래간만에 만났습니다. 모두 시간을 내서 이 이벤트에 참석했습니다. 만난지 10일 정도 밖에 안되었는데 더 오래된 것 같았고, 다시 만나게 되어서 좋았습니다. 한국회원들은 모두 미소를 지었고 일본방문을 기대하고 있었다고 말했습니다.

다음 날인 1월 26일에 이수현군의 사망 5주년 기념식이 오후 2시부터 열렸습니다. 주중이어서 참석하는 사람이 많지 않을까봐 걱정했었는데, 괜한 걱정을 했었습니다. 룸은 다 찼고 좌석이 부족하기까지 했습니다.

룸앞에서는 한국에서 만들은 영상비데오가 상영되는 스크린이 있었고, 이수현 아시아장학회와 아카몬카이 국제언어아카데미가 사회를 보고 진행을 하는 가운데 모두가 1분간의 묵념을 함으로써 기념식은 엄숙한 분위기에서 시작되었습니다.

모리모토 전총리가 회장을 맡는 초당파 의원 360명이 소속되어 있는 「일한의원연맹」에서 오신, 응원단장을 해 주시겠다고 하는 젊은 니시무라 의원, 민단이나 재일의 경제계의 분들, 재일 한국 대사관의 참사관분들등, 한사람 한사람이, 진심에서 우러난 메세지를 주셨고, 5년전, 당시의 외무 대신이었던 타나카 마키코 의원도 살그머니 한쪽 구석에 앉아 있었습니다.

헌화가 계속되었습니다..
이 영화의 관계자석에도, 여러 멤버가 모였고, 한국까지 와 준 열성적인 협찬 기업의 대표들이 있었고. 일반인도 다수 참가했습니다.

배용준씨를 지지하는 팬클럽에서는 일본 전역에서 20명의 회원이 이 행사에 모였습니다. 매년 이 행사에 참가 할 뿐아니라, 기부금을 모음으로서, 이수현장학회를 계속해서 지지하고 확장해 나가겠다는 약속을 했습니다. 그들 대부분도 어머니이기 때문에 이수현씨의 어머니에 대해 강한 동정심을 느꼈다고 했습니다. 그들은 수현군이 남기고간 뜻 뿐 아니라 할 수 있는 한 부모님들의 바램도 지지하기 위해서 모였다고 말했습니다.

제 친구 몇몇도 참석했습니다. 프로듀서로서 우리를 돕기 위해서 프로젝트에 참가한 N-산이 있는데, 그는 저의 첫 작품인 “양의 비가”를 감독할 기회를 준 사람입니다. 그는 정말 활동적인 사람이고 제 두번째 영화인 “꿈을 뒤쫒아”도 만들었습니다.

영상대학원설립을 목표로 제가 2년여 동안 관계하고 있는 그룹, “WAO!”의 지도자도 역시 참석했고, 이 프로젝트에 새로운 관계를 가질 것 같습니다. 그리고 한국에서 배우를 캐스팅하는데 어려움에 처했을 때 우리를 구원해 주었던 제 옛친구인 I-산도 참석했습니다. 드라마 “영원한 어린이”에서 정신과 치료에 대한 어드바이스를 원했을 때부터 알았으니 벌써 몇년입니까? 시나리오작가인 Ms. 마사코 이마이도 참석했습니다. 가마모리에 있었던 “양키의 꿈”의 영상회에서 알게 되었던 O-산도 나고야에서 왔습니다. “Yume-net”회원들은 꽃을 보내왔고 아키타에 있는 JIN-산은 케익을 보내왔습니다. 여러분으로부터 많은 지지를 받았습니다. 이 기회를 빌어서 다시한번 여러분께 감사드리고 싶습니다!

너무 참석자들이 많아서 꽃이 거의 모자랄 뻔 했습니다.

다음은 이수현군 사진앞에서 이 영화의 촬영을 시작하는 보고회를 가졌습니다. 첫번째로 프로듀서인 M-산께서 스피치를 했고, 다음은 저, 이태성씨 그리고 그의 가족, 그리고 마지막으로 선현의 친구역할을 맡은 2명의 소년들이 스피치를 했습니다. 메모없이 이야기를 했기 때문에, 솔직히 무슨 말을 했는지 기억이 안나지만, 나중에 스피치가 괜찮었다는 얘기를 들었습니다. 비디오를 보게 되면 부끄럽겠지만, 할 수 없지요.

이태성씨는 정말로 굉장했습니다. 그는 일본어로 자기 소개를 했는데, 발음이 너무 좋았습니다. 그가 얘기하는 것을 들으면서 영화에서 일본어로 말할 때 아무 문제가 없으리라는 것을 확신했습니다!

제 스피치에서 기억나는 것이 하나 있습니다.

제가 이 블록에 올린 사진은 영화 ‘이미지 포스터”인데, 흥미있는 에피소드가 숨어 있습니다.

한국에서 촬영이 시작되고 다음날, 프로듀서가 편지를 하나 받았습니다. 그 편지는 이수현군의 최후의 순간을 목격했다고 주장하는 사람으로부터 온 편지였습니다.

사실, 수현군이 플랫홈에서 뛰어내린 순간과 기차가 들어올 때 까지 약7초간의 간격이 있었습니다. 7초는 만약 원한다면 피할 수가 있는 충분한 시간이었는데, 하물며 스포츠로 단련한 그와 같은 사람이라면 가능한 얘기였습니다. 도와줄려고 했던 Mr. 세키네도 같은 말을 했습니다.

그러면 그 시간 동안에 무엇을 하려고 했을까?

아무리 노력해도 대답을 찾을 수가 없었습니다. 물론 상상은 할 수 있었지만, 추측을 확인할 수는 없었습니다. 그러나 우리가 찾던 것이 바로 우리가 받은 편지에 쓰여있었습니다.

답은 포스터에 있는 모습입니다. 이수현군은 전철을 향해 양팔을 펼치고 직면하듯이, 그의 최후의 순간을 맞이했다는 것이다.

어떻게 이 메세지를 영화로 전달할 수 있을까요?
지금은 이 점에 관해서 깊게 계속해서 생각하고 싶습니다.

(English to Korean translation by suehan)