Actress Lee Na Young is set to make a striking transformation in her first film in seven years, taking on two drastically different characters in her comeback project. Through the short film 'Baby Doe,' Lee Na Young plays both the mastermind behind a string of child disappearances and the detective chasing that very criminal organization—her first-ever dual role. As this marks her first screen appearance since the 2018 film 'Beautiful Days,' the project is drawing considerable attention from the Korean film industry.
'Baby Doe' explores themes of human dignity and identity through the story of children stripped of their names and erased from society. The film contrasts two figures: “Shepherd,” who resists the system from the outside, and “Jin Yi,” a detective struggling within it. Through these parallel lives, the film delivers a chilling portrayal of how a single person can fracture into entirely different selves depending on their environment and choices.
Lee Na Young portrays the opposing characters of 'Shepherd' and 'Jin Yi' with completely distinct textures. Shepherd is cold, controlled, and defiant toward the system, while Jin Yi wrestles with her moral compass and institutional constraints. The duality demands an exceptional range, positioning the film as a potential turning point in Lee’s career.
Director Cho Hee Soo, who studied fine arts at the Korea National University of Arts and the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, is known for bold mise-en-scène and experimental visual storytelling. With short films such as the nine-minute Divers and the 28-minute Triathlon, Cho has already been recognized for a unique cinematic voice. Baby Doe represents a new challenge that blends visual artistry with deeper narrative ambition.
Speaking on the casting, Cho said, “I was looking for an actor who could freely cross the boundary between two characters. When Lee Na Young said during our first meeting, ‘Make me the face of someone without an identity,’ I knew she was the only person who could lead this film.” Cho added that Lee “dismantled the boundary between Shepherd and Jin Yi completely, digging into the core of both characters.”
Lee expressed her own affection for the project, saying, “I’ve always had a deep interest in short and independent films. As soon as I read the script, I knew I wanted to do it. Even though it’s been a while since I’ve returned to the screen, the process was meaningful and enjoyable as an actor.”
'Baby Doe' was selected for the '2025 Creative Talent Development Project' hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency, with the Korea Film Producers Association (KPPA) participating as the supporting platform. The production aims to submit the film to major domestic and international festivals in 2026. As a philosophical sci-fi noir that examines anonymity and identity loss created by modern systems, the film has been praised for achieving a rare level of narrative completeness within the short-film format.
Lee Na Young’s return marks her first major screen appearance since director Yun Tae Ho’s 'Beautiful Days' (2018), where she earned acclaim for portraying a North Korean defector and mother with a painful past. The film opened the 2018 Busan International Film Festival, signaling a major shift in her acting repertoire.
Even after marriage and motherhood, Lee has maintained a steady creative path. She married actor Won Bin in 2015 and has one son, balancing her personal life while working across dramas, films, and shorts. With 'Baby Doe,' Lee reasserts her presence as a powerful performer, hinting that her “return after seven years” is not merely a comeback but the start of a new chapter.
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