Shin Sae-kyeong steps out of comfort zone with documentary 'Another Record'

Actress Shin Sae-kyeong, left, and director Kim Jong-kwan pose during an online media conference for the documentary, “Another Record,” Friday. Courtesy of Seezn

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actress Shin Sae-kyeong has taken on a new challenge to star in streaming platform Seezn's upcoming original documentary, “Another Record,” which will shed light on an unknown side of the actress.

Directed by Kim Jong-kwan, who led the romance film, “Josee” (2020), and the drama film, “The Table” (2016), the documentary will follow Shin's journey through Seochon, one of the oldest neighborhoods of Jongno-gu in northern Seoul.

Exploring the neighborhood, the actress meets different people for genuine conversation and shares a part of her life that she has never shown to the public.

“I loved the purpose of this project, and I had faith in the director,” Shin said during the online media conference for the documentary, Friday. “And personally, I've been thinking that this time, I need to take on a new challenge. I've always wanted to do something outside the same old cycle.”

Adding that this was such a special experience in her career, she said that working on this documentary has taught her a lesson.

“It was weird to be my real self in front of the camera, instead of portraying a certain character. I am actually very cautious and don't enjoy adventures that much. I prefer stability,” she said. “But this documentary has taught me that it is okay to embark on new journeys like this… I've always thought that I don't like being put in unfamiliar surroundings, but I actually enjoyed them more than I expected. So it allowed me to explore myself.”

A scene from the documentary / Courtesy of Seezn

The director explained that the documentary will allow people to get to know Shin, who started out as a child actress, deeper, just as it did for him.

“This film crosses the boundary between a documentary and a fictional movie. It's about Shin meeting strangers to listen to their stories, and as she also tells them about her story, she shares her own values in life,” Kim said.

Kim said that he has always taken interest in the actress since she starred in the 2014 crime film, “Tazza: The Hidden Card.”

“I became curious about her after watching her in 'Tazza: The Hidden Card.' I wanted to work with her someday,” he said. “And when I saw her YouTube channel, I noticed that she not only works hard for her career as an actor, but also puts effort in finding things that would make her life happier. So I thought that if we capture that in our documentary, many people could relate to it.”

This is the first documentary Kim has directed. He said that working on this project was a turning point.

“I took a more cinematic approach (to making this documentary). Working on this has provided me with several turning points. It has widened my perspective in looking at films and different genre works,” he said. “This documentary brought a lot of changes to my life, as a creator.”

“Another Record” will premiere on Seezn on Oct. 28.