JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- Director Robert Budreau said he wanted a fresh angle in “Born to be Blue,” the opening film for this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival.

“We were tired of the cliche musical biopic,” he said Thursday afternoon at the Jeonju Cine Complex. A press screening of the movie took place there ahead of its official screening that evening at the festival's opening ceremony, set to take place at the outdoor theater on Jeonju’s Cinema Street.

“We wanted to focus on the comeback story and love story. By keeping the frame of the narrative limited (to the 1960s) I thought we could make it more universal.

“It’s also a fascinating time in America to look at jazz music, which was dying in America at the time,” said the Canadian director. 

“Born to be Blue,” which opened in the U.S. last year, traces the story of legendary jazz trumpet player Chet Baker, portrayed by Ethan Hawke. It centers on the 1960s, a period when the musician was struggling to make a musical comeback following a jaw injury. The film was lauded for skillfully employing a “film-within-a-film” device to highlight the essence of Baker, who was as famous for his turbulent romantic relationships and addiction-ridden personal life as for his virtuosic performances. 

On casting Hawke, Budreau said: “I thought that he not only looked like Chet Baker in his 40s, but that Ethan has a musical sensibility that felt similar to (Baker).

“Ethan had also 15 years earlier tried to do a film with Richard Linklater on Chet Baker, but it didn’t happen. So he’s very passionate about the musician.”

Budreau said he was drawn to Baker because he finds “his character and music very romantic and mysterious.”

“Cinematically, he is a James Dean figure, a white figure who is looking to aspire to black figures, which provided interesting racial themes.”

David Braid, who recreated some of Chet Baker’s musical renditions for the film, said he tried to compose and perform scores that would reflect the film’s narrative.

“We chose songs that are more universal, that even people unfamiliar with Chet Baker or jazz would recognize. It was important that we connect to as many people as possible.

“When you’re watching, you can find a narrative just within the music itself ... of a musician who is at the top of his game and then collapses. (Budreau) and I talked a lot to let that come through.”

No stand-in actors were used for scenes where Baker performs on the trumpet.

“Ethan studied the trumpet almost one year before the shooting began. It’s a testimony to his integrity as an actor,” said Braid. “I think he really successfully communicated a relationship to the trumpet on screen that was really convincing.”

Hawke also took vocal lessons so that his voice would sound similar to Baker’s which was “soft and boy-like,” said Braid.

The 17th edition of JIFF, Korea’s top independent film festival, will run from April 28-May 7 and spotlight 163 features and 48 shorts from 45 countries. The competition section will be judged by a jury that includes Jean-Francois Rauger, the programming director of Cinematheque Francaise, filmmakers Oh Seung-uk and Korean actor Jung Jae-young.

Jeonju Cinema Project, the film festival’s signature category will feature films “A Stray Goat” by Cho Jae-min, “Great Patrioteers” by Kim Soo-hyun and “The Decent” by Austria’s Lukas Valenta Rinner.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)