Actor Jeon Jong-seo expressed his thoughts while his Hollywood debut film ‘Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon’ was released.
'Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon', released on the 22nd, is a funky mystery thriller in which Mona (played by Jeon Jong-seo), a mysterious being who escapes a closed ward on a night when the red moon rises, sets off in search of perfect freedom with those she meets in an unfamiliar city.
‘Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon’ is a contender for the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival and the Hollywood debut of actor Jeon Jong-seo. Here, a variety of actors are present, including Hollywood actress Kate Hudson, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Ed Skrein, who left a strong impression as a villain in 'Deadpool', child actor Evan Whitten, and veteran Craig Robinson, who is familiar with the popular American drama 'The Office'. They show off fantastic chemistry.
In addition, starting with being nominated for the Golden Lion Award competition section at the Venice Film Festival, it was officially invited to leading film festivals such as the BFI London International Film Festival, Zurich International Film Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival, and Melbourne International Film Festival, receiving a spotlight on the world stage.The following is a Q&A with Jeon Jong-seo.Q, I’m curious about the casting process.
A. When I first received the script, I wondered whether I should participate in the audition. It was a big challenge, but I decided to audition, and I recorded and sent most of the scenes about Mona to the audition. I stayed up most of the night preparing the audition tape for a week and sent it in, and soon I received a response confirming my casting. However, because I was filming 'Call' at the time, I was in a situation where I had to start filming right away without actually having a meeting with the director once filming was over and I moved to the US. I went to the United States alone because I felt like I needed to see the director's face in person. I thought of it as a real meeting, so I went to the director's house in the United States and met him face-to-face for about three days and two nights, eating, talking, and watching movies.
Q. What did you think of the character ‘Mona’?
A. ‘Mona’ has special abilities, but she also seems to be the most pure character out of all the characters she has played. I also thought it was like a newborn baby. See what others cannot see, feel what others cannot feel. When a person is born, he or she takes his or her first steps into the world while crying. And within that, loving, hurting, fighting, and experiencing all this is ‘Mona’s’ journey.
Q. I heard that filming took place in New Orleans for three months. What was it like filming in an unfamiliar area?
A. New Orleans is a place where the weather changes several times a day. It kept raining, and it was always sunny and hot. It was also a mecca for jazz, and above all, it was a free place. There aren't many places I've been to overseas, but it was the place I had the most stimulating memories of. I felt that the deep atmosphere I felt in New Orleans was well captured in the movie.
Q. How was your chemistry with the actors you participated with?
A. It was fun working with new actors. Hollywood actors also had their own culture, which they thought was free and not coerced. Also, perhaps because music was important in the film, there was always a large speaker on set, and the song kept playing. It seems like the photo was taken in a festival atmosphere.
Q. What is your favorite scene in the movie?
A. This is a scene where Kate Hudson's character 'Bonnie', a dancer, dances while receiving a bundle of money at a club. In fact, I thought that the actor was good at pole dancing, was good at singing, and had a lot of musical talent. While watching everything from the rehearsal scene to the filming, Kate Hudson was so pretty, sexy, and confident. The sight left a very impressive impression.
Q. How will ‘Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon’ be remembered?
A. There has been a question mark for four years about “Will audiences be interested in ‘Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon’?” Now, four years later, watching the movie again, it feels so different. In fact, the reason I chose the movie was how different it feels depending on how you watch it. Like 'Burning', 'Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon' seems like a movie that will look different over time. I feel like this is what movies are all about. It is a work of great affection for me. I remember just following ‘Mona’s innocent gaze throughout the filming period without thinking about how it would be filmed or how it would come out. If there's one thing I wish for, it's to see a movie like this one more time. I hope the audience will enjoy watching it as well.
Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr