"Screenlife" Genre Story Follows a Couple's Long-Distance Relationship in the Digital World

Courtesy of 12 Journey

SEOUL — "Long D," a new Korean film, is breaking boundaries with its unique storytelling method. The movie is the first Screenlife film made in Korea, telling a story exclusively through the screens of various devices. The film is set to hit local theaters on May 10.

For most of its runtime, the film depicts Jang Dong-yoon staring at a computer screen. Jang plays Do-ha, who attempts to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend Tae-in (Park You-na) after a breakup. The couple's long-distance relationship starts to fall apart when Do-ha attends a Halloween party, blacks out and ditches his girlfriend at their fifth-anniversary dinner. Tae-in thinks Do-ha cheated on her, so he tries to restore her trust by proving his innocence.
 

▲ Courtesy of 12 Journey
The "Screenlife" genre stories are told primarily through the screens of different devices to create a narrative based on the characters' interactions within the digital world. All of the stories play out on Do-ha's monitor, with the camera following his cursor's every move. Timur Bekmambetov, who produced the American Screenlife mystery thriller "Searching" (2018), co-produced "Long D."

Jang said "Long D" was unlike any other acting he had ever done because he shot most of the scenes alone. "I was told the story will be told via screen actions on phones and computers. That part really scared me. It was definitely a challenge, but I tried to keep an open mind," he said during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Tuesday.

Park, who plays the role of a struggling musician, said she had no hesitation in choosing "Long D" because it is the first screenlife film made in Korea. "I often had to perform alone, but thankfully, Dong-yoon had already filmed the scenes, and I just had to react to him. Since I have never been in a long-distance relationship, I was worried if the audience would be able to connect to the story," she said.

In her first singing role, Park revealed that she was an idol trainee for two years. "My original dream was to be a singer, and I was an idol trainee for two years. So singing in the film was like a dream come true moment for me," she said.

Although the film doesn't have any shocking twists, it feels authentic because it captures the dynamics of relationships through realistic dialogue. Do-ha uses apps and websites to search for evidence that he did not cheat on Tae-in and find out about Tae-in's secrets.

The actor elaborated that they filmed using Go Pros. "When I was sitting in front of a computer, there was a little camera facing me where the webcam would be. In almost every scene, including the part where I walk to other people on FaceTime, I acted alone," he said.

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