The cast of “Sun-Kissed Family” emphasized that the upcoming comedy film defies expectations by straying away from the formula for Korean family flicks.

“Most family films play by the book, but this one destroys the existing format and was very open sexually. It depicts things that would happen in a European country in a fun way,” said Park Hee-soon, who plays the lead role of Jun-ho, during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Monday.
 

Jun-ho and Yu-mi (Jin Kyung) are a couple that have been married 20 years and are madly in love. To their youngest daughter, Jin-hae, who does not yet understand the concept of sex, the creaky noise coming from their bedroom is a sign that everything is all right.

The noise mysteriously stops when a beautiful female friend of Jun-ho (Hwang Woo-seul-hye) moves in next door, and it is up to Jin-hae (child actor Lee Go-eun) to make the family happy again.

Director Kim Ji-hye said communication is the key point in the plot.

“This is a film that tells a story of adults through the eyes of a child. … I was confident that I could tell a story about communication if (the audience) could see the story of mom and dad through the eyes of Lee Go-eun,” she said.

Jin Kyung said the script was “full of twists,” as was the director and the rest of the cast. “Not one of them was ‘normal,’” she jokingly said, adding that their unique nature made filming more interesting.

She and Park expressed mutual respect, which boosted chemistry between the movie couple.

Playing their older daughter is Yun Bo-ra, better known as Bora of disbanded girl group Sistar, who shed the glamour of K-pop for a more natural and wholesome look.

The film deals with sex between a married couple as perceived by a young child -- a somewhat thorny issue in a country where many parents have difficulty openly discussing the subject with their children.

“The film is about communication. Children receive information about sex, even unhealthy information, faster than we (adults) think, and it could become a problem if they are unable to talk about it with their parents. I think it’s time that they talked openly about it, as if to a friend,” director Kim said.

The film opens in March.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)