[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “I’m grateful as a member of the audience, but as someone in the film industry, I also felt grateful for the opportunity to blaze a trail where no one has gone before.”

Director Lee Chang-dong made these remarks while sharing his impressions after watching Director Na Hong-jin’s new film, *Hope*. Director Lee, a master of the film industry, lavished praise on Director Na and urged audiences to look forward to *Hope*.
Directors Lee and Na held a “GV” (Q&A session with the audience) for *Hope* on the 14th, the day before the film’s release, at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul. As expected for such a highly anticipated film, the packed audience drew significant attention.
Conducted in a question-and-answer format between the two directors, the GV generated a lively atmosphere as they exchanged a wide range of topics—from Director Lee Chang-dong’s impressions and interpretations of the film to Director Na Hong-jin’s creative vision for *Hope* and behind-the-scenes stories from the shoot.

On that day, Director Lee described *Hope* as “literally a crazy movie.” He shared, “Shortly after filming for *Hope* wrapped, I spoke on the phone with Director of Photography Hong Kyung-pyo. When I asked him how it went, he replied, ‘I just shot a crazy movie,’ and I had a feeling right then.”
He went on to lavish praise, saying, “I’d like to describe *Hope* as the pinnacle—or rather, the extreme—of entertainment cinema.” Director Lee remarked, “I believe this film pushes every element we experience in cinema—tension, suspense, impact, and pace—beyond their limits. I felt truly grateful that he made a film like this.”
Regarding Director Na’s new creative approach, Director Lee added, “I sensed something beyond any limits I could have even imagined,” and noted, “I felt he technically expanded and boldly executed things that hadn’t been done before.”

Director Lee Chang-dong’s assessment of the action sequences that highlight the film’s second half also drew the audience’s attention. Director Lee described the latter part of the film as overwhelming. “You can’t just call the scene where Seong-gi (played by Jo In-sung) jumps over a fence on horseback ‘fun.’ It’s insane,” he said, adding, “Without actor Jo In-sung, it would have been difficult to establish the film’s crucial center of gravity.”
Director Lee also drew attention by remarking, “I think we should call it the ‘Na Hong-jin genre,’” adding, “While genre films are bound by the conventions of their genre, the world created by director Na Hong-jin is, in fact, thoroughly rooted in Korean spaces and the lives of Korean people.”
When asked about the film’s main focus, Director Na Hong-jin said, “I really want to emphasize that this film aims for something completely different from my previous works and was made with that specific goal in mind.”
“Hope” is a science fiction feature film directed by Na Hong-jin—known for “The Chaser” and “The Yellow Sea”—marking his return to the genre 10 years after “The Wailing.” The story begins when Beom-seok (played by Hwang Jung-min), the head of the Hopo Port branch office located in the Demilitarized Zone, hears reports from local youths about a tiger sighting. As the entire village is thrown into a state of emergency, he is confronted with a reality that is hard to believe.
The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, along with Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender.