Na Hong-jin Reveals Personal Roots Behind ‘Hope’ at Busan Masterclass

At a recent masterclass during the 31st Busan International Film Festival, acclaimed South Korean director Na Hong-jin traced the thematic DNA of his most prominent works, linking his latest film, “Hope,” to deep-seated anxieties about potential conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Na explained that the project was driven by a conviction held around 2017 that war was imminent. At the time, media coverage highlighted U.S. fighter jets and bombers conducting overnight flights over Pyongyang. Na anticipated that military engagement would likely commence in early 2018 or shortly following the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. This atmosphere of dread constitutes one of two essential triggers for the director; the second is a persistent discomfort with human interaction. He described observing people’s speech as a complex blend of truth, distortion, and deception.

Titled “Na Hong-jin, A Genre of His Own,” the session was structured as an hour-long exploration of his creative methodology followed by a 30-minute Q&A with students. Na shared that his cinematic sensibilities were heavily influenced by his childhood. His mother frequently purchased horror novels, mysteries, and comic books, passing them down to him and his brothers after she had finished reading them. Additionally, his father’s job required frequent travel to Japan. Na acquired a Walkman before starting preschool, which he lost repeatedly to older neighborhood boys who would replace it each time.

During university, Na studied crafts, working with materials such as wood, metal, ceramics, and dyes, as he found traditional two-dimensional drawing uninspiring. He emphasized that he does not actively hunt for story ideas, preferring to let them emerge while engaging with diverse groups of people.

Reflecting on his past works, Na revealed that “The Chaser” originated from a night spent watching football with friends at a bar, where he ended up drinking with detectives at a nearby table. One officer, intoxicated, disclosed that serial killer Yoo Young-chul had previously escaped custody after setting a fire in Mapo—a fact that surprised Na. The thriller “The Yellow Sea” was inspired by news reports of daily killings in Garibong-dong, an area with a significant Korean-Chinese population where law enforcement faced challenges. To prepare, Na traveled by plane to Yanbian, where he spent extensive time listening to accounts from a prominent gangster.

For “The Wailing,” Na formed a close relationship with a member of a shaman’s family and subsequently lived among shamans at a mountain hermitage for several months, an experience he described as visually and spiritually impactful. His preparation for “Hope” involved fishing trips along the east coast of Gangwon province with strangers, details from which were incorporated into the film’s narrative, including character names.