Sim Su-bin is still at the beginning of her acting career. So far, she has appeared in supporting roles in Korean dramas, alongside her film work, but Yoon Dan-bi’s The World Before gives her the space to show much more of what she can do. As seventeen-year-old Jin, a girl who has never left the island where she was born, Sim is wonderfully natural and never tries too hard to make the character’s emotions obvious. It is a quiet performance, but a beautiful one, and one that shows just how much potential Sim has as an actress. The film has already taken her work to an international audience, with The World Before premiering in the Platform competition at the Toronto International Film Festival before screening in the New Directors section at San Sebastián.

To get into the mindset of her character, Sim returned to her own memories of first love, reading letters and diary entries she had written years ago. She also lived on the island during filming, and some of that experience naturally became part of Jin.

Right after TIFF we sat down with Sim and talked about going back to those memories and working with Kim Eo-jin. She also spoke openly about the emotional scenes she found difficult, what the film taught her about herself as an actress, and the strange experience of watching the rough cut and seeing expressions she didn’t even realise she made.

View of the Arts: Jin has lived on the island her whole life and knows almost everyone there. When you first read the script, what did you think of her, and what helped you understand her character?

Sim Su-bin: When I first read the script, what I loved most was that it was a story about love. Jin seemed to be experiencing everything you can possibly feel when you’re right in the middle of falling in love, and as an actor, I really wanted to try to express all of that.

While playing Jin, I tried to go back to my own experience of first love and remember what those feelings were like. I even went back and read some of the letters and diary entries I had written at the time. Because it was my first love, everything felt so much bigger back then, and looking back now, I think there was an innocence to those feelings that almost makes me embarrassed.

I wanted to bring that same rawness to Jin without trying to polish it or make it prettier than it really was.

VOA: Jin slowly realises that she likes Dujae, but she doesn’t say it directly. How did you show those feelings through the way she looks at him and behaves around him?

SSB: I tried to show how sensitive Jin is to everything Dujae says and does, and to make sure that the way she looks at him is always filled with affection. Even though she never says it out loud, I wanted her feelings to be obvious in that very innocent way — almost like a puppy wagging its tail when it sees someone it loves.

VOA: Jin becomes quite shy and awkward around Dujae as they spend more time together. What did you enjoy most about playing those scenes?

SSB: I really enjoyed the scenes where Dujae and Jin seemed to be on completely different wavelengths. Before filming, we didn’t discuss our characters’ feelings separately or try to coordinate how we would play the scenes. Instead, we wanted to see what emotions and chemistry would naturally come out in the moment and as a result, quite a few scenes changed while we were filming. What I found interesting was that Dujae has no idea what Jin is feeling for him or what is going through her mind, while Jin, in the same way, doesn’t really know how Dujae feels either.

VOA: As Jin gets closer to Dujae, she also starts thinking differently about the island and her own future. How did you understand that change in her?

SSB: Just like the title The World Before suggests, I felt that meeting Dujae opens up a new world for Jin. I think we all have our own world, and when we fall in love with someone, we step outside of it a little and begin to enter theirs. We become curious about their life, just as Jin wants to know how Dujae has been living all this time.

It’s only through their separation that Jin begins to truly understand Dujae, and I felt that this makes her own world a little bigger and helps her grow as well. It also made me wonder how many more new worlds Jin will discover in the future.

VOA: One of the most emotional scenes is when Jin says goodbye to her friend and then cries in the middle of the road. How did you prepare for that scene, and was it difficult to film?

SSB: For this film, I tried to work with emotions that felt as real as possible. It’s difficult to explain exactly what a “real emotion” is, but I kept trying to find something that felt as close to the truth as I could. There were both limitations and a sense of freedom in working that way, and as an actor, I found it a very special and beautiful experience.

Because of that, the emotional scenes were actually more difficult for me. Finding something that felt genuinely truthful was hard, and holding on to that feeling throughout the scene wasn’t easy either. Going through that process made me realise where I still have room to grow as an actor, and it gave me a chance to look at myself again and become more aware of what I need to work on.

VOA: After playing Jin and spending so much time with this character, what did you like most about her, and is there anything about her that you think you will remember for a long time?

SSB: When I first watched the rough cut of the film, I remember thinking, “Oh, I didn’t know I made expressions like that.” I was quite surprised. Jin is probably one of the only bright and lively characters I’ve played, so while preparing for the role, I tried to keep myself feeling as healthy and light as possible. I also lived on the island while we were filming, and I think being there naturally brought out certain sides of me that became part of Jin.

Maybe that’s why, when I watch Jin’s innocence and all those feelings of first love rushing through her whole body, I feel strangely emotional about her. Even though she’s a character I played, it almost feels as if I’m watching someone else who is very dear to me. I don’t think I’ll have many experiences quite like this as I continue acting.

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy of PR/Managment of the actress

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