26th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Hur Jin-ho, Director of “A Normal Family”

Hur Jin-ho, renowned as the “master of Korean melodrama”, is in his element in his latest production, A Normal Family.

Drawn from the pages of the Dutch author Herman Koch’s gripping best-seller The Dinner, the film revolves around two married – and morally very different – brothers who are forced to confront a harrowing family secret. A Normal Family not only deals with the multifaceted aspects of humanity but it also presents a deeply engaging story with a talented group of actors, led by Sol Kyung-gu (Memoir of a Murderer) and Jang Dong-gun (Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War) as the leads.

As it tours the world’s festival circuit – most recently screening at the 26^th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy – it’s being recognised as a modern masterpiece of suspense and (of course) drama.

The director travelled with his film to FEFF and sat down to talk with View of the Arts about the film’s evolution, and the nuances of human behaviour.

A Normal Family / Image © Hive Mediacorp

View of the Arts: Why did you choose family as the subject of the movie and Herman Koch’s The Dinner as the original novel?

Hur Jin-ho: I was eager to tell a story about families and I was particularly drawn to ironic situations that reveal the dual nature of humans. I wanted to explore how our everyday beliefs and moral values, which we take for granted, can suddenly collapse. For these reasons, I chose Herman Koch’s “The Dinner” as the source material as it illustrates conflicts within a family and the duplicity of human nature.

View of the Arts: The film unfolds in two parallel stories with the beginning and end parts mirroring each other. What was the reason behind this structural choice?

Hur Jin-ho: I didn’t mean to show these two stories in terms of structural aspect but I aimed to expose human duplicity through the film. I wanted to show that while people think they will never act a certain way, they can behave entirely differently under certain conditions. Additionally, inspired by how minor everyday disputes can escalate into significant emotional triggers leading to unexpected outcomes, I devised a structure that juxtaposes the beginning and end of the film. This was intended to demonstrate the potential for our beliefs to lead us to actions completely unimagined in response to certain events.

View of the Arts: There are two couples at the heart of the film but you follow the character of Jae-gyu (Jang Dong-gun) almost delicately. What were the key considerations when creating this character?

Hur Jin-ho: Jae-gyu was initially portrayed as a benevolent doctor, prioritizing his vocation over financial gains and taking pride in it. However, to avoid portraying him as wholly virtuous, I revealed his materialistic side during an early conversation with his wife. My long-standing collaboration with actor Jang Dong-gun helped utilize his inherently benevolent image. On the other hand, Jae-gyu’s duality was gradually developed on set through communication with the actor. For instance, we created scenes like his reaction of laughter upon hearing about a homeless person’s death, building his ambivalent characteristics.

View of the Arts: Have you discovered anything new about the theme of ‘love’ in your movies?

Hur Jin-ho: In this film, the approach to ‘love’ was somewhat different from before. This story is more about social aspects and the primal instincts of humans rather than the love of a parent for their child. I wanted to explore what choices might be made in events between parents and children, and how those choices could potentially shatter our moral standards or the certainties we’ve lived by. This exploration was crucial in showing how personal beliefs and standards can change.

View of the Arts: Before this movie, you also made the TV series Lost. What are the differences between producing films and TV series?

Hur Jin-ho: The filming techniques were similar for both the movie and the series. Although series often require a faster pace of shooting, the way I communicate with actors and direct their performances was not much different from films. However, working on a series involves close collaboration with a writer and dealing with scripts that are not yet fully written, which often makes it difficult to predict the end. This highlighted the significant role of the writer. Additionally, a notable difference is that series allow for a longer narrative, which provides a broader scope for storytelling.

View of the Arts: Are there any new types of ‘relationships’ you wish to explore in future projects?

Hur Jin-ho: While nothing is definitively decided at the moment, I am preparing a few ideas. The upcoming projects might involve narratives that are somewhat different from the themes I have explored in the past.

Written and interviewed by Lee Eunseo

*** Eunseo Lee attended the 26th Far East Film Festival as part of the FEFF Campus initiative for aspiring critics, writers, and film industry creatives.

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}