'My Best, Your Least' depicts unexpected bond between pregnant teen, teacher

Pregnancy can pose various challenges even for an adult. However, for a high school sophomore dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, support is crucial.

"My Best, Your Least" intertwines the struggle of Yu-mi (Choi Soo-in), whose pregnancy places her future in jeopardy, with the emotional turmoil of her teacher Hee-yeon (Jang Yoon-ju), dealing with infertility.

Hee-yeon, burdened by her own infertility, reluctantly advises Yu-mi to leave school under pressure from a colleague, reflecting her conflicted feelings. However, as she contemplates Yu-mi's situation, she begins to consider what the best course of action might be, prompting the audience to also ponder the complexities of making the right choices under difficult circumstances.

Model-turned-actor Jang revealed that after reading the script, she felt compelled to help Yu-mi.

"When I first read the script, it was the kind of story I like," Jang said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. "I felt a sincere desire to help Yu-mi in my heart. That's why I chose this film."

Choi, who appeared in the 2016 film "The World of Us" and the 2022 Netflix series "The Glory," connected well with her character's resilience and desire to continue her education despite her pregnancy.

"When I first read the script, I had just graduated. I thought Yu-mi's character and personality were very similar to mine," the 20-year-old actor said. "The narrative was compelling to me, dealing with the relationship between the teacher and Yu-mi and the goodwill in complex human relationships."

Director Kim Hyun-jung meticulously portrays the process of Hee-yeon understanding and bridging the gap with Yu-mi's position, despite her own complex and difficult circumstances.

Kim won the grand prize at the 16th Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival for her short film "Home without Me" in 2017. As a female director, she has delicately depicted stories of relationships through the understanding of women in various positions.

The director highlighted the importance of casting Jang and Choi as the two leads, describing them as "the best choice."

"Both of them left strong impressions in their previous works," Kim said. "I wondered how they could express it through these roles. As an audience member myself, I had many points of curiosity, so I asked them to work on it. I think I was happy and enjoyed watching their performances on set."

"My Best, Your Least" will hit local theaters on Oct. 30.