Korea’s Yoon Ga-eun Talks Toronto Film ‘The World of Love’

Six years after “The House of Us,” Yoon Ga-eun returns with “The World of Love,” a film that marks a significant evolution in the Korean director’s approach to storytelling.

Speaking with Variety ahead of the film’s Toronto Film Festival Platform premiere Sept. 7, Yoon discusses her shift from first-person narratives to a more expansive third-person perspective.

“Most of my previous works were first-person films where the protagonist appeared in every scene, and which did not show other people’s experiences that the protagonist did not directly experience,” Yoon explains. “However, ‘The World of Love’ attempted a method of observing characters from a distance, that is, a third-person perspective. I tried to construct what other characters were doing when the protagonist was doing something, and how these things influenced each other, even though they were not visible to each another.”

The drama centers on 17-year-old Lee Jooin (Seo Su-bin), an unpredictable high school student whose angry outburst creates ripple effects throughout her world. For Yoon, the narrative shift was essential to the story she wanted to tell about how we perceive and judge others.

“In this film, of course, we still follow the protagonist’s perspective, but it was equally important to show how the world sees, talks about, and judges the protagonist – and to let that raise questions,” she says. “This is why a third-person narrative felt essential in the story.”

The change required Yoon to reconsider her entire directorial process. “Balancing the protagonist’s viewpoint with the perspectives of those around her wasn’t easy, but it was a new challenge that I found both exciting and deeply educational,” she reflects. “I also learned that, through omission and compression, it’s often possible to include even more in the story – a lesson I found incredibly satisfying.”

Central to the film’s success is newcomer Seo Su-bin, whom Yoon discovered through her characteristically unconventional casting process. Rather than traditional auditions, Yoon conducted improvisation workshops where actors didn’t initially know their roles.

“I wanted them to first understand what the film was about, and then gradually grasp the role they needed to play within it,” she explains. “I believe acting ultimately depends on how deeply someone understands the theme of the work and how closely they interact, respond, and breathe together with their fellow actors.”

Yoon was particularly impressed by Seo Su-bin’s collaborative instincts. “Actor Seo Su-bin may not have a lot of experience, but she is an excellent actor who always observes others carefully and responds in sync with them. That quality really stood out during the audition, which is why I cast her.”

The director’s approach to working with the newcomer was notably hands-off. “Honestly, I don’t think I did much myself,” Yoon says. “I frequently told Seo Su-bin that if she could simply exist, breathe, and respond as herself in every scene, that alone would create Jooin’s authenticity.”

This philosophy extends to Yoon’s broader directorial approach. “I’m not the type of director who has specific expectations or a fixed image of how an actor should perform,” she admits. “I tend to trust that they will do well, but I have no idea exactly what that will look like, so I feel more like a part of the audience, waiting and anticipating what to see.”

The film reunites Yoon with Chang Hyae-jin, who has appeared in all three of her features playing maternal roles. “Somehow, she has ended up playing the role of the mother in all of my films since then. But she doesn’t play the typical or stereotypical ‘someone’s mother’ seen in countless other films,” Yoon notes. “Instead, she brings to life a mother who is a real, fully realized individual, with her own rhythm and personality.”

The collaborative atmosphere extended throughout the cast, creating what Yoon describes as genuine chemistry. “Most of the scenes with the school friends were handled in this way,” she explains, citing cafeteria and gym class sequences that “became lively, laughter-filled moments through repeated rehearsals, allowing the actors’ natural back-and-forth interactions to shine.”

The film’s title carries particular significance for Yoon, who has been contemplating it for 15 years. The Korean title “Se-gye-ui Joo-in” can be read as both “Jooin of the World” and “Owner/Master of the World,” reflecting the character’s dual nature as both ordinary and extraordinary.

“I hoped it would be interpreted in a grander way: that this small, ordinary girl is actually ‘the true master of her own life, fully embracing her own world,’” Yoon explains. “However, as I was making the film, I strongly felt that while the protagonist, Jooin, has been deeply hurt by the world and may continue to be, she will always remain part of that world, living alongside everyone around her.”

This perspective reflects Yoon’s growing awareness of cinema’s role in addressing contemporary issues. While she’s long admired directors like Abbas Kiarostami and Hirokazu Kore-eda, she’s recently been struck by how filmmakers like Ken Loach, the Dardenne brothers, Mike Leigh, and Lee Chang-dong “have consistently and acutely tackled the most critical and urgent issues of the time.”

“This realization has led me to ask anew: what are the most important issues that need to be addressed in the era I live in, and how can I, as a creator, observe and articulate them?” she reflects.

Looking ahead, Yoon sees the film industry becoming increasingly globalized. “I have a strong sense that the world is truly becoming one. The distinction between domestic and international films seems to be increasingly blurred,” she observes. “I, too, will try to refrain from separating audiences by region and instead focus on what kinds of films are truly necessary for our time—what stories the world needs right now.”

With “Parasite” producer Barunson E&A presenting the film and handling worldwide sales, Yoon is optimistic about the film’s international reach. “Personally, this film is one that I truly hoped would reach a wide audience, so I was deeply moved and very grateful that a major production and distribution company like Barunson E&A partnered with us.”

As she prepares for the film’s journey, Yoon remains focused on cinema’s unique storytelling capabilities. “I will also be giving more thought to what stories cinema as a medium can tell, and how I can discover and develop new cinematic languages to convey them,” she says.

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