Dad who wept over daughter's book brings 'Long, Long Night' to Busan
A poster for "Long Long Night" / Courtesy of The Contents On
An animated film made by a father who burst into tears while reading his elementary school-aged daughter's book has been invited to the competition section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival.
“Long Long Night” is the only animated film among the 13 competition titles. Based on author Ru Ri's 2021 children's book of the same name, the film follows the journey of Norden, the last white rock rhinoceros on Earth, and a young penguin born from an abandoned egg.
The original book has sold more than 800,000 copies, becoming a megahit in children's literature and a rare children's story that has also won enthusiastic support from adults.
Director Youm Kyu-bock and producer Jung Kyoung-hee discussed the film's four-year journey to the screen at a press conference held Friday at the Busan Cinema Center in the city's Haeundae District.
Director Youm Kyu-bock, left, and producer Jung Kyoung-hee attend a press conference for the animated film "Long Long Night" at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae District, Busan, Friday. Yonhap
The project began with a book Youm's daughter brought home. Youm said he cried uncontrollably while reading "Long Long Night" to his daughter and became captivated by the friendship between the aging rhinoceros and the young penguin.
"I felt I had to make it into a film," Youm said.
"'Long Long Night' isn't a Hollywood-style story of salvation or a superhero movie," he said. "I was drawn to how small forces, which can be seen as metaphors for ordinary people around us who are suffering, come together to give one being tremendous momentum."
The cover of the children's book "Long Long Night" / Courtesy of Munhakdongne
"Long Long Night" has also been adapted into a musical and a "pansori" musical theater production in Korea. Turning it into a film, however, proved challenging.
"A 3D animated film based on a children's book was virtually unprecedented in Korea, so when we said we were making this film, no one believed us," Jung said. "The difficult parts were convincing people and having no references to work from."
The film closely follows the journey depicted in the original story. Norden and the young penguin rely on each other as they set out in search of the sea.
"I absolutely wanted to preserve the emotional arc of a protagonist who has suffered a tremendous loss but gives love to a smaller being, as well as the long nights they endure along the way," Youm said.
But an early version of the film, which sought to preserve as much of the original book's emotional tone as possible, was so subdued that children could hardly sit through its 99-minute running time.
The filmmakers consequently created African wild dogs as villains and added a chase sequence, along with a new action scene in which Norden and his companions find themselves in danger while surrounded by a herd of wildebeests. They also added humor involving farts and poop — subjects that tend to elicit immediate reactions from children — to make the animation enjoyable for audiences of all ages.
Singer and actor Suzy provides narration from the young penguin's perspective, adding another layer of familiarity to the film.
Commercial director's first feature after 20 years
A scene from "Long Long Night" / Courtesy of The Contents On
Youm invited his daughter, now in her second year of middle school, and her friends to his home to watch the film.
"When the movie ended, my daughter's friends came out of the room with their eyes completely swollen because they had cried so much," he said. "That was the most thrilling moment."
“Long Long Night” was also invited to the Centrepiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival last month. It marked the first time in 13 years that a Korean feature-length animated film had been invited to the festival, following director Yeon Sang-ho's “The Fake” in 2013.
Youm said the response from Korean students studying in Canada was particularly memorable.
"Students in their 20s came up to me after watching the film and showed me wads of tissues they had used to wipe away their tears," Youm said. "I think that will stay with me longer than any words of praise. I think the film offered some comfort to students who had felt lonely while living in an unfamiliar country."
Youm spent 20 years directing commercials before making his feature film debut. He directed advertisements for global brands including Samsung Electronics, BMW and Canon, and made his debut as a children's book author in 2017.
Youm said he "couldn't believe his ears" when he learned that “Long Long Night,” his first feature-length film, had been invited to the Busan festival's competition section because he had not expected it.
The winner of the competition's top honor, the Busan Award Grand Prize, will be announced at the closing ceremony Thursday. The winning film will qualify for submission to the Academy Awards' International Feature Film category.
“Long Long Night” is scheduled to hit theaters early next year.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.