Park Jeong-ja (center) performs a funeral scene for the film "Between Cheongmyeong and Gogu" at Sunpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sunday. (Yonhap)
Park Jeong-ja (center) performs a funeral scene for the film "Between Cheongmyeong and Gogu" at Sunpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sunday. (Yonhap)

On Sunday, on the windswept shores of Sunpo Beach in Gangneung, 83-year-old actor Park Jeong-ja broke into a shoulder-shimmying dance. She wore a green floral dress that fluttered in the sea breeze and a pair of red shoes.

But this was no ordinary festival -- it was a scene from her upcoming film, "Between Cheongmyeong and Gogu" (tentative), directed by actor-director Yoo Jun-sang.

The scene being filmed was a funeral -- specifically, that of the character “She,” played by Park. But in a rare and deeply personal twist, the mourners weren’t just anybodys. Park had invited 150 of her actual friends and colleagues to be the bereaved. It was like a rehearsal -- a trial run for her own funeral.

Actor-director Yoo Jun-sang (second from right) and actor Park Jeong-ja (first from right) is seen here at a set for the film "Between Cheongmyeong and Gogu" at Sunpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sunday. (Yonhap)
Actor-director Yoo Jun-sang (second from right) and actor Park Jeong-ja (first from right) is seen here at a set for the film "Between Cheongmyeong and Gogu" at Sunpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sunday. (Yonhap)

Yoo’s fifth directorial work follows the final days of an aging actress grappling with memory loss. Yoo wrote the screenplay himself, basing the story on Park’s own life and career.

Rather than a somber, solemn mood, the set reflected a request Park had sent to her invited guests a month earlier. The message, titled “Obituary: Park Jeong-ja’s Last Curtain Call,” outlined the date and location of her “funeral” and included a poetic invitation:

"I invite you to my funeral. Who decided funerals must be solemn? It will be different today. Instead of tears, bring laughter. Flowers are not needed, bring memories instead. Bring old stories and light jokes, and the moments we laughed together."

Filming of the movie "Between Cheongmyeong and Gogu" is underway Sunday afternoon at Sunpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)
Filming of the movie "Between Cheongmyeong and Gogu" is underway Sunday afternoon at Sunpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)

Those who answered the call included some of Korea’s named cultural figures: former Busan International Film Festival director Kim Dong-ho; actors Kang Bu-ja, Nam Myung-ryul, Yang Hee-kyung, Park Ji-il, Gil Hae-yeon and Jung Kyung-soon; musical actor Kim Ho-young; singer Jang Sa-ik; Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture President Song Hyeong-jong; and Sejong Center CEO Ahn Ho-sang, among others.

The attendees carried small banners that reads the titles of Park’s many productions.

Her message concluded with a final note that hinted her philosophy on life, death and performance: "This is not farewell, but pause. Not an end, but an intermission. My stage is not yet over, even if I am no longer seen."


hwangdh@heraldcorp.com