Netflix to release short film series Persona featuring IU

[Fritz]

Netflix will be releasing Persona (페르소나), an original 4-part short film series featuring IU, done by four different acclaimed Korean directors: Im Pil Sung, Lee Kyung Mi, Kim Jong Kwan, and Jun Go Woon.

Trailer:




Lee Kyung Mi's "Love Set," in which IU plays a heated game of tennis with her father's girlfriend (played by Bae Doo Na). The girlfriend tells her before the match, "If I win, you end things with your dad," and IU's character later pleads, "Dad, don't marry that woman."

The second film, Im Pil Sung's "Collector," stars IU as a mysterious young woman with a secret. A man says in voice-over, "From the very beginning, you were special, and you had a lot of secrets." IU's character then comments dreamily, "When I let my body flow with the waves, it felt like I had become sugar. I want to be freer and eternal."

The third film, Jun Go Woon's "Kiss Burn," stars IU as a spirited high school student who decides to help her friend get revenge. The preview begins with IU's character calling her friend and saying worriedly, "Something happened to you, right? I'm on my way." However, once they meet up, IU's character asks, "What is this? Allergies?" and her friend happily tells her, "Hickeys." IU's character later declares, "This won't do. Time for revenge," while insisting to her friend defensively, "Of course I know. I know that you get hickeys from kissing."

The fourth film, Kim Jong Kwan's "Walking at Night," tells the story of former lovers who meet in their dreams and share the things they couldn't say in real life. IU's character remarks sadly, "Dreams and death… they don't have a set path. You don't go anywhere, and it will all be forgotten. We're here, but no one remembers."


Persona will be available on Netflix, beginning April 5.

[reader17]

Each story sounds so different then the other stories!

[Fritz]

Mar 26, 2019 2:16:33 GMT reader17 said:

Each story sounds so different then the other stories!

That rather seems to be point - four completely different types of stories, with only the lead actress as a common thread. 

[Fritz]

IU was recently interviewed at a press conference about Persona:

"I was surprised to get such an offer. I enjoyed watching these directors' films in the past, so it's amazing that I got to work with them. I tend to be shy, but I talked about myself easily at our first meeting. Since then, I felt we had good teamwork. It was a fun project, a fresh attempt. The four directors interpreted me from different angles, so it felt like I was given the characters. It was also a challenge. I think I'll remember this experience for a long time."


On the positive response about her acting, IU responded, "I feel good about receiving warm reviews. I dreamed of acting since I was young, and I wanted to become an actor before becoming a singer. After debuting as a singer, I was involved in a number of projects, and I put my all into them. Through these projects, I learned what I was inexperienced with. I think that's why in the viewers' eyes, my acting is changing."


She said on the film series, "In the case of this project, I was very lucky. There weren't any directors whose outlooks were different than mine. They were able to help me understand fully, and they were so open-minded that I was able to voice my opinion without being intimidated. To be honest, I didn't know it was such a big project. I didn't know I'd get this much attention when I was first offered the role. I was happy to get the offer, and I was determined to work hard. So many people became interested. I never imagined we'd hold a press conference like this. I just did it because it was such an honor, and a fresh attempt."

[Fritz]

Netflix's launch of Persona was postponed until April 11, apparently due to sensitivity over the Gangwon wildfire situation that's been in the news.