Rubie will put in articles on 'Time' and 'Breath' right sis?..
I've looked through the
Time and
Breath articles but nothing seems to mention about HJW directly, especially the latter.

But we'll keep on looking and sharing,
The Unforgiven was quite a well-reported movie too, the surprise treat actually.
Inez-sis... maybe the other "HJW thread" that we thought we've seen before... maybe in the Korean Celebs Photo section, they sometimes like to put up a picture thread for certain actors/actresses.
heartshapelove, do share captures of HJW from
Lovers in Prague, please

... would really love to see them again. The bodyguard is soooo sweet.. the reluctant little brother of JDY.

Anyway... more articles on
Never ForeverJune 10, 2007
Korea-US Joint Film Speaks of Love By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Korean-American director Gina Kim, right, actor Ha Jung-woo, center, and director Lee Chang-dong,
co-producer of the film "Never Forever," talk with enthusiasm and affection about the film, jointly produced
by Korea and the United States, during a press conference at a Seoul hotel last Thursday. / Yonhap "Never Forever" translates onto screen the language of love, through which Korean-American director Gina Kim hopes to connect with the audience. "I wish my film will be a means of establishing mutual understanding with the public," she said during a press conference last Thursday at a Seoul theater.
Before the film's release on June 21, Kim and actor Ha Jung-woo enthusiastically discussed their work, along with co-producer Lee Chang-dong, the celebrated director of "Secret Sunshine."
Kim, a noted Korean-American rookie filmmaker, also wrote the love story, and explained that "Never" is about mutual understanding.
"Two individuals sharing affection is in the end mutual understanding," she said. "It's not just a simple form of communication. Love equals passion plus compassion, and I believe mutual understanding joins the two elements together," Kim said.
Jointly produced by Korea and the United States, the film traces the emotional journey of Sophie, an American woman (Vera Farmiga), who, believing that only a child will save her shaky marriage with her Korean-American husband, begins an illicit sexual relationship with Jihah, an illegal immigrant (Ha Jung-woo).
Kim explained that it was difficult to cast Vera Farmiga, who made a breakthrough in "The Departed"' opposite Leonardo Dicaprio and Matt Damon and is often praised as the next Meryl Streep.
"It was difficult to find an actress for the role, but I fell in love with Vera Farmiga after seeing her in 'Down to the Bone.' But she had grown to become a highly demanded actress sought after by Martin Scorsese, Anthony Mingella and others."
"But I heard she was an intellectual, so I sent her the screenplay and got an okay. She said she liked the strong script, and the fact that I was a woman made her feel at ease," said the director.
"Vera called me this morning and was deeply sorry she could not be here," Kim said on the actress' behalf. Farmiga is currently in Budapest, Hungary shooting another film.
As for choosing Ha for the male leading role of Jihah, Kim explained that producers Lee Joon-dong and Andrew Fierberg had previously met at the Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival. "The one film we saw was 'The Unforgiven' (starring Ha), and the three of us thought 'What a charismatic actor,'" she said.
"After casting Vera, we were searching for an actor who would complement her. We suddenly thought of Ha Jung-woo. It's usually not easy to agree, but the two producers and I unanimously decided to cast him."
Ha said he accepted the offer because the script moved him. Though he admitted feeling uneasy about acting opposite Farmiga, he explained that their first encounter extinguished his fears.
"We met at a coffee shop. She was reshooting and promoting 'The Departed' at the time, and showed up carrying her costumes and make-up box herself," Ha said.
"She came across as being very open, humane and warm, and maintained this first impression throughout the whole of the filming. Vera is a big actress who encompasses an equal amount of absorption (with her work) and is very considerate of her co-stars."
Though Ha worked in a foreign environment, much like his character in the film, he learned how to "act using all the five senses" by intensely concentrating on his co-star and reacting to her every move.
Lee Chang-dong co-produced the film with Now Film representative Lee Joon-dong and New York-based producer Andrew Fierberg ("Keane," 2006).
Lee praised Ha's performance: "It's very difficult for a young actor to possess such powerful presence and depth. I believe he's a very special actor, and look forward to what he has to offer in the future. He is an actor who will mature along with the Korean film industry."
Lee decided to take part in the film project after reading the screenplay.
"Despite being a Korean film with Korean characteristics, the film takes place in the United States and embraces the American culture and system," said Lee. "I wanted to see what we (Korean and American filmmakers) could offer each other, and I learned a lot about the American independent film industry."
Lee complimented Kim's ability to put the film together with enormous speed, concentration and calculation. "She created a good film full of intensity that also manages to loosen up when it needs to," he said.
It is also noteworthy that composer Michael Nyman, renowned in Korea for his soundtracks for films such as "The Piano" (2003), created the beautiful piano score for "Never."
"I had met Michael as a fan of his when he performed in Korea," Kim said. "I immediately thought of him for the music, and got a 'yes' two hours after e-mailing him. It was a great honor for a rookie like me to work with such a great artist."
Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2...6/135_4445.htmlJune 11, 2007
[MOVIE REVIEW] 'Never Forever' explores contract-based sex Contract-based sex is not a revolutionary subject in the film industry. But a talented storyteller can turn a trite topic into a refreshing tale. Such is the reality thrust upon Kim Gina, director of "Never Forever."
"Never Forever," the first Korean-American joint film project, explores the blurred boundary between sex and affection, and director Kim puts her own creative spin on the storyline, showcasing her knack for spotting the complex yet fascinating elements of human emotions.
The film, made by VOX3 Films in New York and Now Film in Seoul, immediately generated a buzz in Korean film circles when it was screened in the main competition section at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to the up-and-coming director who has built her reputation fairly quickly at major international film festivals, "Never Forever" has another advantage. One of the film's producers is none other than Lee Chang-dong, a star director and former culture minister, who impressed both Korean and foreign critics with his latest flick "Secret Sunshine," which took home the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival last month.
"Never Forever" involves a Korean man, Ji-hah (Ha Jung-woo), an illegal laborer in the United States. He barely makes a living through manual labor, but he is driven by the hope of getting his girlfriend, who is now in Korea, into America. Since Ji-hah does not have a green card, he is even disqualified as a sperm donor at a fertility clinic. Meanwhile, Sophie (Ver Farmiga) and her Korean-American husband Andrew (David McInnis) fall into despair when tests show that they are unable to have a child together. Sophie wants a child, so she makes an appointment at a fertility clinic where she happens to encounter Ji-hah. She notices that the man strangely resembles her husband -- tempting her to explore alternative options other than the fertility clinic treatment.
A few days later, Sophie offers a deal: she will pay him $300 when they have sex and $30,000 if she gets pregnant. After Ji-hah accepts the deal, their strange sex-for-money relationship begins, but they slowly sense that something has gone awry -- emotionally.
The refined storytelling, after all, reflects director Kim's renowned cinematic sensibility. Her previous films, "Gina Kim's Video Diary" (2002) and "Invisible Light" (2003), have been featured at many international film festivals, including Berlin, Locarno, Rotterdam, Vancouver, Pusan, and Torino. And her works have been screened at the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Museum and Lincoln Center in New York.
"Never Forever" also reflects her simple yet profoundly provocative aesthetic rigors and narrative techniques. Kim's key cinematic style has won critical acclaims around the world.
At a press preview held in Seoul on Thursday, director Kim said she had had many worries about whether the story's key idea -- absolute love that goes beyond class, race and nationality -- could be properly delivered to local audiences.
"The Korea title 'Dubeon-jje Sarang' (Second Love) literally means the second romantic relationship that comes after the first one. Women have some fantasy about their first love. But when their first love falls short, women tend to seek another love. And that's why we have chosen this Korean title," Kim told reporters at a news conference following the screening.
"Never Forever" may come as somewhat confusing in terms of genre for some Korean audiences because the film can be viewed as either a small-budget independent film or a highly sophisticated commercial film, depending on the perspective of the audiences.
Lee Chang-dong offered his take on the genre of the film: "I jumped into the project because the story is very Korean but the film itself has been seamlessly integrated into American society and culture."
Lee noted that "Never Forever" marks the country's first Korean-American joint production, with all the scenes shot in the United States. "We wanted to learn from each other, and we learned a lot from the American film system," Lee said.
Renowned British composer Michael Nyman has also joined the film project, providing memorable scores that fit the overall mood of "Never Forever." The movie is set to be released nationwide on June 21 through Prime Entertainment.
By Yang Sung-jin
Source: https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/htm...00706120003.asp