Lee Jung-Jae’s debut film as a director and screenwriter had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it is screened out of competition.
Hunt is an action-spy thriller centered around two South Korean spies who are tasked with uncovering a North Korean mole and end up investigating each other. The 49-year-old Korean star stars as one of the spies and shares the screen with longtime friend Jung Woo-sung.
The actor, who has a thirty-year career behind him, said he relied on his experience as an actor to make his first film. “I’ve acted in many different genres and I remembered scenes I had shot as an actor that were difficult to film or didn’t turn out the way I expected,” before adding “I tried to remember those scenes when I was writing the script to make sure I was as efficient as possible when directing.”
Propelled to the forefront of the international scene thanks to the success of the Netflix series Squid Game, which has become the streaming giant’s most popular series. Since then, the actor has had roles and successes on television, in cinema and in music. “I’m so grateful to be making my directorial debut during this revival of Korean culture,” he said.
Asked which of his hats he prefers the most, director or actor, Lee Jung-Jae answers without hesitation “I prefer to act. I am an actor. It is my identity. That’s really what I love the most.”
