Another topic focused on a lady chatting here. Emily Thompson, a woman who graduated from the French Language and Literature Department of Sogang University, is only 35 years old this year. After graduation, she made the unexpected choice to become a director—first shooting documentaries, then working as an assistant director. After nearly ten years of honing her craft, last year she finally filmed her own first feature-length work, ""Rearview Mirror of Love,"" which turned out extremely well. This romance film directly earned her the Blue Dragon Award for Best New Director. Now, she has already started preparing her next official feature film; the script has long been in hand, and she is eagerly seeking investment. The reason for her urgency is simple: at 35, she plans to marry her boyfriend of over a decade in the new millennium, and at this age, she must have a child as soon as possible after marriage. So if filming can start soon, everything will be much easier.

“No matter how small-budget an art film is, it still needs the most basic staff, equipment, and post-production publicity. The shaved-head movement in March this year gave Korean domestic films considerable support, and this film has already successfully applied for the film support fund. But even after getting the fund, without at least a billion won, it probably won’t work.” Sitting across from Wood, a bearded uncle explained seriously. His name is Eric Bolton, Emily Thompson’s fiancé, and, like Sica’s parents, one of only three people here who are not Sogang University alumni.

“That’s right, so my film will probably have to wait until after the new millennium to start shooting. Although the development of Korean cinema is going extremely smoothly now and investors are very enthusiastic, the money is still limited. But for investors, it’s rare to fully fund a film; splitting the investment lowers the risk. If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll just have to get married first and start filming later.” Responding to him was Emily Thompson. This woman is only in her thirties, but she’s clearly different from other women—she wears no makeup, dons a baseball cap in the hot weather, and sports round gold-rimmed glasses, giving off a strong director’s vibe at first glance.

“It’s okay, Emily, I’ll support you no matter what.” The bearded man immediately seized the opportunity to show his affection.

“Mm, so Uncle BoltonAunt Thompson, what is this movie about?” Wood also took the opportunity to interrupt the couple’s display of affection.

When Emily Thompson heard someone ask about the movie, she immediately turned her attention to Wood: “It’s a story about a rural grandmother in her seventies and her ten-year-old grandson who comes from the city. The title is ‘The Way Home.’ Actually, the idea for this film came from my own memories of my grandmother, and I wrote the script based on that. I also have an idea—not to hire professional actors, but to invite an elderly lady I know from my hometown to play the grandmother. As for the child actor, as long as he hasn’t hit puberty, that’s fine. Hmm, you’re about right, and your Seoul-accented Korean is pretty good. So, Wood, are you interested?”

“Me? I have no acting experience. And I grew up in Los Angeles, so I can’t really grasp the mindset of a Seoul kid.” Wood was startled. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to act in a movie—after being reborn, he’d thought about many possible life paths: going to the NBA, joining Major League Baseball, becoming a business tycoon, making a name in Hollywood, and, of course, because of Jessica and Little Crystal, he’d considered becoming an idol or actor in the Korean entertainment industry. But he knew nothing about art films, had no idea about this movie’s plot, and neither Emily Thompson nor the title ‘The Way Home’ gave him any sense of déjà vu. This film was probably just a flop. So he continued to respond seriously: “And, Aunt Thompson, don’t you have to wait until after the new millennium to start filming? By then, I’ll be 13 by Korean age, and I might have already hit puberty, so it’ll probably be hard for me to participate.”

Hearing this, Emily Thompson sighed: “Actually, having no acting experience doesn’t matter at all—what child star has any experience? As long as you’re sensible and obedient, that’s enough. Growing up in Los Angeles isn’t a problem either, since there aren’t many cultural conflicts in the story. And just from your clear logic just now, I think you’re very suitable. But, as you said, if filming starts late, kids your age do grow up fast. What a pity—the problem still comes back to investment.” As she spoke, she shook her head helplessly, showing her regret.

“A billion won is about a million US dollars, right?” Wood’s mother, Mrs. Grace Parker, muttered as if to herself, sending a chill down Wood’s spine. He looked at his mother with a mix of fear and hope, hoping she didn’t mean what he thought. But the glance Mrs. Grace Parker gave him next made Wood’s limbs go cold, as if he’d fallen into an ice cave. He immediately understood what his cunning mother was planning.

“What’s this? Grace, are you interested? The Korean film industry is booming now; you definitely won’t lose money.” Emily Thompson immediately understood her junior’s meaning, though she hadn’t expected her to be doing so well in America that she could just take out a billion won.