 |
| A scene from the documentary film "This is the President" / Courtesy of M Project |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
"This is the President" is a documentary film that follows former President Moon Jae-in's life in Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, after leaving office. He served as the 12th president of Korea between 2017 and 2022.
Director Lee Chang-jae sits down with Moon and his aides for extended interviews, but much of the documentary centers around their admiration for the former president who is depicted as patient, calm and a good listener.
No part of the interview with Moon touches on political controversies or issues related to his nuclear phase-out policy, corruption allegations and prosecution reform. Rather, it mainly follows the retired politician as he leads a quiet life gardening in his front yard and playing with his beloved cat and dogs.
 |
| Director Lee Chang-jae poses on the red carpet of the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival held at the Sori Arts Center in Jeonju, April 27. Yonhap |
"I sat for roughly a 10-hour interview with him, which was hard for both of us. President Moon was reluctant about giving interviews and didn't feel comfortable speaking in front of the camera. He thought he was not the right person to be the main character of a documentary," he said during a press conference for the film at Megabox Seongsu branch in Seoul, Tuesday.
"I wanted to take a deep dive into the human side of Moon who goes from being a lawyer to a politician and then becomes president."
The film, which premiered at this year's Jeonju International Film Festival, faced criticism when the footage showed Moon saying "My five years of hard work went up in smoke." That was excluded from the final version of the film, according to director Lee.
Lee said Moon was not involved in any part of the filmmaking. Neither Moon nor any of his associates have contacted him to edit out the scenes. "I actually suggested to him to watch the film before its theatrical release, but he told me he would pay for the ticket and watch it later," he said.
On the difference between his earlier film "Our President," Lee said "Making a documentary about a deceased person can be free of interpretation whereas making a documentary about a living person can be tricky because the audience can feel the gap between what they see through the lens and real life," he said.
"This is the President" will hit local theaters on May 10.
![[INTERVIEW] Hip-hop group Uptown returns after 13 years with new lineup](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/0eae35da5e9c40c38cf439e550a2eb3e.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] ASTRO members aim to shine in musical theater](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/df16760dc50f469d93434f66a069465c.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
