"Dear Jinri" director shares his experiences working with Sulli in interview on #BIFF2023

The documentary film “Dear Jinri” (directed by Jung Yoon-Suk) was unveiled for the first time at the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

The film captures the last moments of the late singer-actress Sulli (real name Choi Jinri). “Dear Jinri” is a documentary film that presents various aspects of Sulli’s daily life, thoughts and concerns through interviews. It was introduced in the Wide Angle section’s Documentary Showcase. 

Originally planned as part of the “Persona: Sulli” series, the production of “Dear Jinri” was abruptly halted when Sulli passed away during filming. “Persona: Sulli” consists of two short films starring Sulli, which are the short film “4: Clean Island” and the documentary film “Dear Jinri”. 

Director Jung Yoon-Suk, during a GV (conversation with the audience), reflected on his memories of Sulli and the process of preparing the film.

He said: "The most important thing in the process of making the film was to carefully follow the protagonist’s thoughts and behaviors." Recalling the filming days, he recounted, "Sulli was a great listener. She was really good at hearing people and made a genuine effort to understand my point of view." "That’s when I realized she was different from what the media described. The person I worked with was the real Choi Jinri," he added.

He continued, "She was a kind and considerate person who genuinely embraced the thoughts of others. It was surprising to discover that her public image was entirely different from her real-life personality".

The director emphasized that Sulli strove to illuminate herself as an artist rather than just an entertainer. He believed that Sulli had an artist’s self-awareness, and it was essential to view her through that lens.

Jung Yoon-Suk mentioned that in mainstream entertainment and TV formats, a day’s worth of filming might result in only one hour of content being shown. As a result, the protagonist’s silence often gets edited out. He considered this aspect important for conveying the protagonist’s essential identity. 

In conclusion, he explained that from this perspective, the public might occasionally perceive her actions as radical, leading to misunderstandings and controversies.