Creativity has been hard-won for Korean writer Kim Eun-hee. From Netflix period horror series "Kingdom" to feel-good feature film, "Rebound", Kim talks freely about her struggles before success came her way.

“I’ve walked down many paths that I was told not to take,” Kim said during this year’s 25th edition of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy, in April.

"Rebound", about a group of high school basketballers, was directed by Kim’s creative partner and husband, Jang Hang-jun.

The film, released theatrically in Korea in April and on the festival circuit at FEFF, was voted into second place by the audience at this year’s festival. Box-office returns so far have been a respectable US$5 million.

The 51-year-old Kim started her creative career as a writer for Korea’s ubiquitous variety shows before meeting and marrying Jang and coming onboard as an assistant to the director. Her role included advising on scripts and, soon, contributing her first screenplays. 

Those early scripts, Kim says, hardly set the world on fire.

“Whenever I wrote something, I never heard a single compliment from people around me, and I was curious about what the problem was,” she says. 

“So I asked director Jang and he said he couldn’t pick any single point since everything was a problem. Everyone agreed with that.”

Undaunted, Kim worked on her craft, going through “hell” for a few years.

“Then I stopped thinking about it, and just kept on trying, and at a certain point, people started to recognise me,” she says. 

“So to those who are dreaming, I want to tell them not to give up and just try everything one more time.”

"Rebound" marks a change in direction for Kim, coming straight after spending more than three years creating a world of fantasy with "Kingdom".

She says she was inspired and comforted by Kwon Seong-hui’s original "Rebound" script. 

“I wanted to deliver the same emotions I felt to the audience by maximising them a bit more. I think the young generation is having a hard time these days, so I wanted to talk about youth, and to encourage them.”

The film is based on the rise of an unheralded high school basketball team who defied the odds, and marks a shift from pure fiction for Kim after "Kingdom" and the occult-themed mystery series, "The Devil", on which she is currently working for Korea’s SBS TV. 

Much of her inspiration for the stories she tells comes from the people she meets in real-life situations.

“I get a lot of inspiration from conversations in social meetings, like drinking with friends, where interesting topics and stories come up,” she says. 

“And I draw inspiration from books, articles, films, and other things that I have been interested in over time. I have a supportive group of people around me who give me feedback on my ideas.”

“To turn my ideas into written works, I emphasise the importance of doing extensive research to gather enough information to accurately portray the characters and settings in my stories. 

For example, when working on "Kingdom", I did a lot of research on the history of the period and geography to create a believable world.”

Kim says the challenge of creating stories that are appreciated by audiences at home and abroad drives her career forward. 

“I always ask myself ‘Will people enjoy it? What if they sigh and don’t watch it?’ Those thoughts always come to my mind,” she says. 

“I’m currently interested in historical content that deals with the pain and wounds of different countries. 

“I think that if we can empathise with each other’s experiences, regardless of the country, we can create interesting work that will connect with audiences everywhere.” – by Eunyong Kwak

Eunyong Kwak attended the 25th Far East Film Festival as part of the FEFF Campus initiative for young journalists and critics.

Published in ContentAsia's 29 May - 11 June 2023 eNewsletter