Film shines spotlight on era of love without smartphones

Aug 21, 2019

Actors Jung Hae-in and Kim Go-eun during a press event on Tuesday at the CGV Yongsan, Seoul.

Cellphones play a central role in helping people have a relationship these days.

Thanks to them, people can talk and see each other even when they are far apart.

So how did couples keep in touch and maintain relationships before the cellphone era?

Melodramatic film "Tune in for Love," starring Jung Hae-in and Kim Go-eun, brings attention to this question.

"I wanted to unfold a romance story of young people in the bygone days, when there was (virtually) no cellphone," filmmaker Jung Ji-woo said during a press event on Tuesday at the CGV Yongsan, Seoul.

"Tune in for Love," set in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is the bittersweet love story of Misoo (Kim Go-eun) and Hyunwoo (Jung Hae-in.) They first meet at Misoo's bakery on October 1, 1994, when the radio program "Yoo Yeol's Music Album" premiered. Their lives and romance flow with the program, going through ups and downs.

In fact, the movie's Korean title is "Yoo Yeol's Music Album." The filmmaker was inspired by singer Yoo, who previously told him that radio was a medium connecting different minds. The show hosted by Yoo aired 1994-2007, winning people's hearts with its moving and interactive content.

In the movie, Misoo and Hyunwoo resort to various media, including radio and email, to stay connected to each other amid a whirlwind romance, evoking a nostalgic mood. But the movie does not merely highlight vestiges of the past.

"I didn't want to focus on reminiscing the past, because the characters are living in the present in the movie," Jung Ji-woo said.

"Tune in for Love" is a melodramatic flick made by Jung Ji-woo.

Nevertheless, it seems odd for such a melodramatic work to hit local theaters in summer, when action or horror genres usually dominate the box office. The filmmaker explained why.

"If you eat the same dishes every day, you will be fed up with them regardless of the taste," he said. "So I suggest people watch offbeat genres (like "Tune in for Love") and enjoy a different meal."

The actors also delivered their thoughts on the movie.

"The flick is like my self-portrait," Jung Hae-in said. "As I filmed, I attempted to handle the uneasiness stemming from my youth."

Kim Go-eun said the movie offered her a valuable opportunity to play an ordinary character.

"I hope the audience can feel the same happiness that I felt during the shooting," she said.

For Kim, this is her second film with Jung Ji-woo. She made her debut in his 2012 romance flick "Eungyo."

"I didn't' know anything when shooting 'Eungyo,' so I heavily relied on the filmmaker," Kim said. "But this time, I wanted to give my hand to him and lighten his burden."

Jung Ji-woo said: "I counted on Hae-in and Go-eun a lot this time. They excelled in expressing themselves. I am truly thankful."

"Tune in for Love" will be released on Aug. 28.

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