Han Sun-hwa leads subtle heartfelt film 'A Letter from Kyoto'

Actress Han Sun-hwa plays the character of Hye-young in the upcoming drama movie “A Letter from Kyoto." Courtesy of KAFA

Singer-turned-actress Han Sun-hwa portrays an aspiring writer in the heartfelt drama film “A Letter from Kyoto."

The upcoming film, set to hit local theaters on Dec. 6, revolves around three sisters — played by Han Sun-hwa, Han Chae-ah and Song Ji-hyun — from Busan. One day, they stumble across a pile of old letters written in Japanese at their house and begin tracing the past of their mother, Hwa-ja (Cha Mi-kyung), who raised them alone after their father passed away. They soon uncover a truth that has been buried in their mother's heart for 50 years.

Han Sun-hwa plays the role of the middle sister, Hye-young, who returns home to Busan after a series of setbacks in Seoul, despite her struggles to become an author.

Being a native of Busan, Han shared that she felt a deep connection to her character, as she was already familiar with the regional dialect.

“Because I’m also from Busan, there were real emotions. I felt like I could express more. The lines were very familiar to me. Even with the same words, there are different nuances and I believe I was able to do well in conveying those nuances,” she said during a press conference for the film held in central Seoul's Yongsan District, Friday.

A scene from the movie “A Letter from Kyoto” / Courtesy of KAFA

Hye-young has an independent personality, different from her dedicated older sister, Hye-jin, who stays in Busan out of responsibility for her family. Han Sun-hwa said she related to the eldest sister's character more than her own at first.

“I’m the oldest (in my family) so I could understand Hye-jin’s background first. But I took the second-eldest character, who thinks the best thing for the family members is to live on their own and not interfere with each other. And I couldn’t resonate with that mindset at first, so I had to develop the character through discussions with the director,” she said.

Reflecting on personal experiences, Han Sun-hwa resonated with Hye-young's return to her hometown for solace when things don't work out in Seoul. "When I was younger, working in Seoul away from Busan, I would also visit my hometown to clear my head whenever I underwent a hiatus or hit obstacles, similar to Hye-young.”

Director Kim Min-ju said she wanted to tell the story of people going through a phase of growth away from their hometown, adding the film is biographical. “I wanted to tell a story about people who have left their hometown or settled in a new place," Kim said.

"This movie begins with Hye-young coming back to Busan, then shifts to her mother's story, and other characters’. Since it captures narratives on each character’s growth, I hope viewers can relate themselves to those characters’ situations and find inspiration for leaving their comfort zone to grow while watching it.”