Actor Choi Ji-woo, middle, poses for images with actors Min Jin-woong, left, and Go Dong-ha at a press convention for the upcoming movie “Sugar” in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Actor Choi Ji-woo makes her return to the massive display screen after three years with an impartial movie primarily based on the true story of a household navigating life after their son is identified with diabetes.
“I used to be cautious as a result of I needed to painting a real-life determine,” Choi stated throughout a press convention Thursday for the upcoming movie “Sugar.”
A mom of a younger daughter herself, the actress stated she might immerse herself within the function extra simply than she would have earlier than experiencing motherhood.
“I attempted to not seem too emotional on display screen and really needed to maintain again my emotions all through the efficiency,” the “Winter Sonata” star stated.
She defined her character, Mi-ra, as a mom who bravely accepts a brand new actuality: Her 12-year-old son, lively in his faculty’s baseball membership, is immediately identified with Sort 1 diabetes — a power autoimmune dysfunction that stops the physique from producing insulin to manage blood sugar.
Mi-ra, an engineer, secures a tool from abroad that may measure blood sugar with out drawing blood, sparing younger sufferers from painful finger pricks required a number of occasions all through every day, and develops expertise to attach it with smartphones. However she encounters quite a few authorized and regulatory obstacles alongside the way in which.
Admitting she knew little concerning the illness earlier than capturing, Choi stated she now understands that it could actually strike anybody “like a automobile accident,” because the dysfunction is not attributable to food regimen, age or life-style.
“The illness hits if you’re utterly unprepared, and immediately your total every day life involves a halt,” she stated. “As a mum or dad, you may’t let your guard down for even a second, not even when your little one is asleep.
“It should be extremely painful to undergo all of this. Whereas elevating consciousness concerning the illness is essential, we centered extra on how the household navigates this journey collectively,” she stated.
The movie’s director, Choi Sin-chun, who was not current on the press occasion resulting from a private matter, has lived with Sort 1 diabetes herself since being identified in sixth grade. She started writing the script in 2019 and secured funding from the Korean Movie Council in 2023, receiving 300 million received ($202,900) in manufacturing assist.
“The movie made me rethink how I reside my life. It’s a heat and hopeful household film that can make you cherish each second of your life,” the actress stated.
“Sugar” is about for launch Jan. 21.
