Three Korean actors of ‘Drive My Car’ attend 94th Academy Awards

Three Korean actors — Park Yu-rim, Jin Dae-yeon and Ahn Hwi-tae — attended the 94th Academy Awards ceremony Monday and celebrated the Japanese film “Drive My Car” directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi winning the best international feature film award.

During Hamaguchi’s acceptance speech, the director expressed his gratitude toward the actors, including the three Korean actors.

“I also would like to thank the actors here. Nishijima Hidetoshi, Okada Masaki, Kirishima Reika, Park Yu-rim, Jin Dae-yeon, Ahn Hwi-tae, Sonia Yuan, thank you,” the director said in Japanese.

Based on the short story collection “Men Without Women” written by renowned Japanese author Haruki Murakami, the film introduces Yusuke Kafuku, a middle-aged stage performer and director. He has been living in regret since his wife died partially because he tried to avoid having a conversation with her. One day he gets to direct a multilingual adaption of Chekhov’s play “Uncle Vanya” with many non-Japanese actors at a festival held in Hiroshima. While working as the director, he meets a woman driver, Miura Toko.

Park played Lee Yoon-na, a deaf Korean actress, and Ahn played Korean actor Ryu Jeong-eui playing a role in the multilingual adaption of Chekhov’s play. Jin played Gong Yoon-soo, one of the members of the play’s production team who closely assists Yusuke. Yoon-soo is also the husband of the deaf actress Yoon-na in the movie.

Meanwhile, “Drive My Car” was also nominated for three other categories at the Oscars — best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay, but failed to win those categories.