Daughter Eunhye, starring in ‘Woobles’
Digestion of the first week and supporting role for the developmentally disabled
When asked the secret of popularity, “It gets better on its own”
When asked about ‘dream’, he said, “It seems that everything has come true”
Drawing 4000 people as caricature artists
The daily documentary ‘Your Face’ was released
Mother Jang’s “real mother and daughter”
I wish I could see that my daughter is also a human being.”
Jung Eun-hye and future reality mother and daughter hug each other at the Segye Ilbo in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 20th. Jang, who usually calls her daughter ‘Eun-hye’, said, “Even after Eun-hye became an adult, many people stopped talking and treated her as a child because she was disabled.” . Reporter Ha Sang-yoon
Nowadays, he is one of the most ‘hot’ characters. People who meet him everywhere ask for a photo and hand out a piece of paper for his autograph. Taking a picture with a ‘cool’ expression, he turns around and says: “Oh, I’m tired.” This is the story of Eun-hye Jeong (33), who recently became a ‘superstar’ by appearing in the TV drama ‘Our Blues’ as Yeong-hee.
“I must have been very surprised. My twin sister, Younghee. Down syndrome. “In the play, my boyfriend (Kim Woo-bin) couldn’t hide his surprise at the words of his younger brother (Han Ji-min) who introduced her older sister in the play. Most of those who have seen his performance must have had a similar expression. It is the first time for an actor with developmental disabilities to play a lead or supporting role in a Korean drama. I met ‘Eun-hye’, who became a popular actress, and his ‘lifetime manager’ mother Jang Cha-hyeon (59) and heard about their daily life.
If you search for Eunhye on the portal site, a gorgeous profile will appear. ‘Seoul Cultural Foundation Jamsil Creative Studio Writer’, ‘Caricature Writer of 4000 Faces’, ‘Coloring Book Writer’, ‘Famous Drama Supporting Actor’, ‘Theatrical Documentary Hero’. Like her splendid history, Eunhye, whom I met at the Segye Ilbo studio on the 20th, looked a little tired. After appearing in the drama, interview requests are flooding in, and he is busy with the release of his daily documentary ‘Your Face’. This day too, before the interview, I was on the way to appear on a live news broadcast, and after the interview, there was a preview schedule.
“I didn’t expect this kind of interest,” Jang said. She seems to live in a different world,” said Eun-hye, who was next to her, with a nonchalant face. “I knew.” When asked how she plays her so well, she said, “It’s natural.” When asked why people think she likes Eun-eun, she said, “Well. I think she got better on her own,” came back a rather vague answer. ‘I don’t hate’ cute brats. Throughout her interview, I couldn’t stop laughing at Eun-hye’s reply, which was pleasant and humorous.
The documentary ‘Your Face’, which was released on the 23rd, tells the story of Eun-hye drawing people’s caricatures at the ‘Munho-ri River Market’ in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do for many years. Director Seo Dong-il, her father, who followed Eun Eun-hye from The Rain or the Cold, took the camera and directed it. Eunhye in the documentary is a little different from the disabled person she has seen in the media. People with disabilities in movies and dramas are usually portrayed as ‘pure and kind’, and are sometimes used as a material to highlight the sadness of the main character or to maximize emotion. Audiences who watch the movie in anticipation of such an impression will be puzzled. This is because in ‘Your Face’, the most frequently spoken word by Eun-hye is ‘chit’, and the expression she sees the most is that of ‘looking at her mother’.
Eun-hye is constantly arguing with her mother. Eun-eun eating her meal As her mother talks about her diet next to her, Eun-hye stops spooning and looks at her mother. “Okay, okay,” says her mother, who sensed her unusualness, as she strategically retreats to her, but she speaks quietly, Mr. Eun-hye. “Oh, I’m going to pretend.” When she sees the ‘real mother and daughter’ who are displeased with her mother’s nagging and bothered by her meddling, her laughter comes out.
When asked if he still fights like this these days, Mr. Jang laughed, saying, “We had a big fight yesterday morning too.” Jang said, “I think he came out nice in the drama,” but he said, “I like the looks in the movie.” He said, “It’s natural for humans to be happy when we’re happy and to be angry when we’re angry, but those with developmental disabilities are suppressed. They are comfortable with each other arguing over trivial matters, but Jang respects Eun-hye more than anyone else. That is why she usually calls her daughter ‘Mr. Eun-hye’. Jang said, “Even though Eun-hye turned 20 and became an adult, people easily dismissed her words and treated her as a child because of her disability. Seeing that, I got a little angry, so I started calling her ‘Eun-hye’ first.
Eunhyeun at the Moonho-ri River Market looks free. He goes around the market, chatting with sellers, and even making silly jokes. As an artist, it is more than a space for drawing, it is a space for communication and growth with the world. Eunhye described her time at the market as “happy”. “I was happy while painting. They make money too.” Jang defined “Munho-ri River Market as a utopia for Eun-hye.” He said, “Eun-hye has been negatively viewed by others because of her appearance with Down Syndrome, but she has an open mind because most of the market sellers are artists. He looked at Grace as she was,” he said. “I felt that Eun-hye was equal in her relationships with other sellers, and these relationships fueled her power. For Eun-hye, it was more than just earning money, it was a moment when her heart was healed.” On days when there were no customers, Eunhye drank makgeolli with market sellers, danced and sang. It is one of the unforgettable scenes for Jang. “Mr. Eun-hye is now at an age where she can’t stand the love of her family alone. Young Eun Hye needs social relationships. The market was the place to make that happen.”
Photo = Reporter Ha Sang-yoon
In the movie, Eun-hye looks tired when there are a lot of customers. However, it is impressive how she sighs and grunts, but her hands do not stop. She said, “There was never a time when she wanted to stop drawing. “I don’t give up,” she said. “I hope people like (pictures).” Jang said, “Even if I quit, no one said anything, but I kept drawing even though it was difficult. It was like showing me, ‘Am I not a useful human being?'” and “The market scene was cold and not easy enough to be called ‘hard’, but my husband and I were moved as we put up with such things while painting.”
In ‘Our Blues’, there is a scene where a non-disabled person is embarrassed because he doesn’t know how to treat Eun-hye for the first time. Not a few people feel confused when they meet an actual person with a disability. Jang said, “What would you like to do if someone met you? Do you think I should help you?” she asked, after thinking about Eunhye for a moment, and then she answered. “no. It’s good to understand.” “People with developmental disabilities only have different speeds of communication,” said Jang. If you speak slowly and short, you can communicate.” “There are times when I am a little moved by what people who meet Eunhye say these days. People who have seen the drama seem to have come to realize that people with developmental disabilities aren’t scary, we just need to slow down the pace we used to do. I think that small ripples like that can make a difference.”
The film is filled with the image of Eun-hye from beginning to end. In the original 3 hour and 30 minute provisional edition, Jang and Eun Hye had similar lengths, but Director Seo suggested to Jang, “Let’s get rid of you.” Jang said, “Without myself, I could see the beauty of grace.” He said, “In the past, I only saw Eun-hye as a ‘disabled’ daughter. But if you change your gaze, you can see the dignity of existence. It is the expansion of the relationship,” he said. She heard that Eun-hye wanted more people to see her films, she heard. “I want to see it all over the country,” she said.
When I asked Eun-hye about her dream, the answer came immediately. “I think it’s all done.” Jang said, “She asks Hye-eun a lot of questions about her dreams, but Eun-hye always lives in reality. Rather than thinking about how far I should go in the future, I am doing the happiest job right now.” He said, “I want to learn too.” When asked what Eunhye meant to Jang, she replied, “A person like a teacher.” Jang said, “Eun-hye is like a great teacher who lifted me up and made me think, ‘That’s not all. After hearing Mr. Jang’s words, Eunhye-san said, “Shit!” and frowned.
Photo = Reporter Ha Sang-yoon
“Did I meet you well?”
“Well, nice to meet you! Today’s lunch was also paid with your card!”
When asked what kind of person her mother is, Eunhye slowly but carefully brought out her various emotions. “It was hard for me, but… . A sweet, grateful heart. When I see her mother… happy people.” Jang’s eyes reddened as he looked at her. “I’m happy to have you too.”
But this emotional atmosphere was short-lived. Following Jang’s words, the interview scene quickly became a sea of laughter.
“But don’t be annoyed.”
“When did I?”
“You get annoyed when I ask you to wake up in the morning!”
Eunhye, who had been arguing, once again showed a ‘sympathetic’ and said, “Ugh, are you living because of me? Long live!” he shouted, and Jang also said, “You too live long!” It was a conversation between a ‘real mother and daughter’ that seemed indifferent, but filled with sincerity.