Filmmaker KWAK Jae-yong’s 2001 film My Sassy Girl emerged as a totally new kind of romantic comedy. The love story between a confident, straightforward young woman and an ordinary, timid young man gained popularity not only in Korea, but all around Asia as well. KWAK Jae-yong, who made his directorial debut with the conventional melodrama A Sketch Of A Rainy Day in 1990, was able to open a new chapter in his career with this film. After enjoying a streak of success with box office hits such as The Classic (2003) and Windstruck (2004), he moved to the stages of China and Japan to direct local films there. Time Renegades is his first Korean film in eight years. The film is a thriller but offers a deep melodramatic sensibility that is uniquely KWAK Jae-yong's

It’s been a long time for you to direct a Korean film since you released My Mighty Princess in 2008. How do you feel?

Since it’s been quite a while, I really hope to be welcomed. While I was working overseas, I missed Korea so much. Some people envy the fact that I've made films in foreign countries, but as time went by, I even felt like I was living in exile. That was how much I have yearned to make a film in Korea. I have really envied directors who made films and became successful in Korea.

How was it shooting in Korea after being away for eight years?

A lot has changed. In the past, the director had the initiative to decide and command everything on set, but the current system no longer depends primarily on the director. Since the financing mostly comes from major entertainment companies, filmmaking seems like a process of making a standardized product. They occasionally come to check on the filmed footage as if they're conducting quality tests. Of course the majority's opinion is important in a commercial film. But it has become more difficult for directors to carry out their intentions. There are also some positive aspects. The shooting phase has become more efficient with staff specialized in specific parts of production. Crew members often suggest good ideas from their expertise. Overall, the film set has become more systematized.

I'm sure you must have received numerous offers to direct films in Korea. Why did you choose Time Renegades as your come-back project?

Most offers were projects similar to My Sassy Girl. If they fell into a similar category as The Classic, I would have accepted without a second thought, because those type of films have strong melodramatic narratives. I prefer films with strong stories. Furthermore I wanted to do something different. So I chose to work on a Chinese film, Yang Guifei (which later became Lady of the Dynast ), although I had to pull out in the end. By that time, I felt it was about time to return to Korea. After working extensively in China and Japan, I came across the script of Time Renegades. I liked the fact that it combined thriller and melodramatic elements.

This is your first thriller. Considering your track record, it seems quite unusual for you to be attracted to this genre.

I'm an avid fan of Alfred Hitchcock's films. In fact, my films have been greatly influenced by his. Hitchcock's films are not like the dry, merciless thrillers of today. They always have love stories between a man and woman, and there are also beautiful women, as well as suspense where some innocent person is being chased. This film also has a man and a woman in love, and the suspense element of them being chased after.

Time travel thrillers have been very popular in the Korean film and TV scene.

This subject has stood out lately due to a few hits, but films on time travel have been made in the past. The most well-known one would be Back to the Future. I think it’s become a separate genre due to the sudden rush of time travel films. And that's why I didn’t feel any particular pressure about the subject matter. It was more important for me to come up with the right story.

This film is more thriller-oriented than expected.

I put a lot of energy into the process of disclosing the villain. I intentionally put in a subplot and a confusing angle to make the ending more cathartic. I also borrowed the concept from Leonardo da Vinci’s picture The Last Supper and placed the villain in Judas' position.

There are a number of chase and action scenes.

The actors and crew members really suffered as we had to shoot during the dead of winter. We had to shoot various takes despite extreme time constraints, so I had to wield the camera myself to shoot things at times. The scene in which So-eun (LIM Soo-jung) runs through the mountains after she escaped the villa was shot with Hitchcock's North by Northwest in mind.

The parallel between two time frames in this film is reminiscent of The Classic. How did you intend to express the difference between the past and the present?

The policemen in the present day scenes are dressed in dandy suits. However, police today don’t dress like that. It was an intentional set up to show a distinction between 1983 and 2015. If you think about 1983 and 2015, you don't really feel the difference, so I wanted to emphasize this by presenting it as a visual experience.

Although this film is oriented as a thriller, Time Renegades is stamped with a deeply KWAK Jae-yong-style melodramatic sensibility.

'Love' exists in every relationship between the characters. Chief KANG (JUNG Jin-young), Ji-hwan (JO Jung-suk) and Gun-woo (LEE Jin-wook) are all desperate to save the women whom they love. Because the ending is very melodramatic, you may feel this a bit more strongly. This deep melodramatic sensibility is the key element that makes Time Renegades stand apart from other thriller films.

You mentioned Time Renegades as your third debut work, following conventional melodrama A Sketch Of A Rainy Day and romantic comedy My Sassy Girl . Why did you choose Time Renegades which combines your specialty melodrama with another genre as another turning point in your career?

I’ve experienced as many failures as successes. Indeed, every time I've ventured into other genres, the results have turned out negative. Twice I had to cancel entire productions although we were already shooting. One was an action film and the other was Yang Guifei, which I mentioned earlier. Those experiences made me want to believe I was meant for melodrama. And I decided to add my own kind of sensibility while working on different genres. In this sense, I hope Time Renegades marks a turning point for me.

Your films focus on actors' performances as well as images. You're especially known for making your actresses look beautiful in your films. Following the footsteps of Gianna JUN and SON Ye-jin, what inspired you to cast LIM Soo-jung?

Although she goes in and out of two time frames, Yoon-jeong and So-eun, the two characters that LIM plays, don't take up much screen time. However, she's at the center of the story. The actress playing these roles of women loved by two men from different eras had to be convincing. I wanted an actress who could project a lovely aura and still carry her presence effortlessly. She had to be someone who blended in well with 1983 and 2015. The girlish look and grace of LIM made her the perfect match.

You directed Cyborg She in Japan in 2008, and Meet Miss Anxiety in China in 2014. How was it working overseas?

The film industry is always difficult regardless of the country. When I first went to work in China, I ran against a wall by approaching things in a Korean way. I just had no clue about the Chinese film industry. You have to shoot every day in China. And because the land is so vast, you have to shoot in just one location, or production budgets skyrocket. On the other hand, the Japanese film industry has its own unique character. I went through a lot of trial-and-error.

You're the only Korean filmmaker who can direct mainstream films in Korea, China and Japan.

I'm keen on challenges. My first Japanese film, Cyborg She, was a moderate success at the local box office. But because it wasn’t a major hit, I didn't get any offers to direct Japanese films afterwards. I'm sure that they felt there was no need to hire a foreign filmmaker with a result like that. So, I gathered my wits to knock on their doors once again. Eventually I was able to direct my second Japanese film, Kaze No Iro which is currently in post-production. The same went for China. A lot of negative words were said about me after cancelling the production of Yang Guifei. But I never gave up and went on to direct Meet Miss Anxiety, which was a local box office hit. My next Chinese project is Crying out Love, in the Center of the World. The funny thing is the Chinese release of Cyborg She and the Japanese release of Meet Miss Anxiety were both on April 8th. I heard it was the first Chinese film in almost ten years to be theatrically released in Japan.

They say the era of melodramas is over. Do you think Time Renegades, which combines melodrama with thriller, could stand as an alternative?

It’s inevitable as melodrama is a genre that has been repeatedly mined for ages. For today's audience there's nothing new about a love story between a man and woman. That's why a film that combines melodrama with another genre could be competitive in the market.