Director Lee Jung-lim Discusses Depiction of Domestic Violence in Netflix Series 'As You Stood By'

Director Lee Jung-lim(이정림) addressed the portrayal of domestic violence in his work.

On the morning of the 5th, a press conference for the Netflix original series 'As You Stood By' was held at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. The event was attended by Director Lee Jung-lim, actors Jeon So-nee, Lee You-mi, Jang Seung-jo, and Lee Mu-saeng.

During the event, Director Lee commented on the violent elements, stating, “I was aware from the beginning that visual representation can be much more shocking and stimulating than reading about it in text. We had many discussions to include only what was truly necessary. If you look closely, there are hardly any moments where bodies actually touch. We aimed to convey a grim atmosphere by showing the situations before and after. I learned a lot during this process and tried to maintain a good balance in those aspects.”

He continued, “The central theme of domestic violence seems unavoidable. It appears to be a choice the characters had to make. There are many scenes that might be difficult or uncomfortable when you put yourself in the shoes of Eun-soo and Hee-soo, but I hope viewers will find themselves rooting for them and feel a sense of happiness and belief. I kept this in mind while creating the series. Personally, it would be disappointing if people don't watch despite the challenges depicted. We discussed using music to keep the drama from becoming too heavy and tried to effectively utilize surrounding characters to maintain engagement.”

'As You Stood By' is a Netflix series that tells the story of two women who decide to commit murder in the face of an inescapable reality, only to become entangled in unexpected events. It will be available on Netflix starting November 7th.

Reported by Ryu Ye-ji, TenAsia ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr