On Saturday, November 29, starting at 4:20 p.m., a screening of “Ashes of Love” was held at NTT CRED Hall, Venue 1.
The story is set in Hiroshima Prefecture, the film begins with a chance encounter between Hyun-soo, a man who has lost his wife, and Yoon-joo, a woman on the verge of divorce. As they visit iconic locations such as the Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima Castle, and Mazda Baseball Stadium, the characters gradually come face to face with their own understanding of love.
Following the screening, a talk show was held featuring director Cho Sunggyu, along with guest actors Baek Sobin and Miram. The session was moderated by freelance personality Kimura Michita, with interpretation provided by Lee Kyung-soo.
Miram, who shared that this was her first time visiting Hiroshima Prefecture for the film’s shoot, was asked about her impressions of the city. Responding in Japanese, she said, “Hiroshima is my favorite,” drawing warm smiles from the audience. When asked about locations that left a strong impression during filming, Baek mentioned the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima, which appears in a key scene in the film. Miram added, “More than the places or spaces, what has stayed with me are the interactions with the people who supported us during the shoot,” expressing her gratitude to the film crew. Speaking about the central theme of the film, Director Cho commented, “I wanted to depict different ways of thinking about love. I believe that life itself is about continuing to ask the question of whether love changes as time passes.”
The talk show also included a Q & A session with the audience. In the film, “Hiroshima mon amour” appears repeatedly, prompting a question about its influence. Director Cho responded, “It’s a film I personally love very much. The way the story unfolds through the characters’ recollections of the past, and the fact that the final scene was shot at a train station, may indeed feel similar.” Reflecting on the acting challenges, So-bin noted, “It wasn’t one specific scene, but rather expressing the subtle emotional transitions of the character that was particularly difficult.”
In closing, Director Cho shared a message with the audience: “My favorite Japanese word is ‘itsuka’ (‘someday’). I hope that someday, this encounter we shared here will become a fond memory, and I will continue to do my best until then.” The talk show concluded amid a hall filled with resounding applause.