Good Rain Knows When to Come
By admin on 2014-12-29

Romance film Good Rain Knows When to Come, which premiered in China Friday, marks South Korean director Jin-ho Hur's first attempt in the ever-expanding Chinese film industry. Hur attended the premiere event in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, where the film was shot.

"It is an optimistic and warm film, with an eternal love theme shared by humankind," Hur said at the opening. "I hope audiences can be encouraged by the film."

Hur explained that unlike his previous works, which have a predominantly melancholy theme, his latest production has an open ending.

The Sino-Korean joint-invested project is set against the background of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

According to the film's producer Chen Weiming, the film is all about delivering the message that hope can prevail in a city struck by tragedy.

Good Rain Knows When to Come tells a love story one year after the earthquake. Wu Yue (played by Gao Yuanyuan), an English tour guide who lost her husband during the quake, accidentally meets her college boyfriend Dong He (played by Woo-sung Jung), a South Korean engineer who is in Chengdu to help with reconstruction efforts. The chance encounter rekindles the pair's college relationship and the film follows their subsequent journey.

Hur said that the two months he spent shooting the film in Chengdu last year were "memorable" and that he enjoyed the city's environment and cuisine.

"The place is like my second hometown now," Hur added, explaining that he wanted his work to reflect the happy-go-lucky attitude toward life, held by the people of Chengdu that he met when working and living there. He said that he also enjoyed returning to the city during post-production and film promotion.

Good Rain Knows When to Come was screened in South Korea late last year and received mostly positive feedback from critics and cinemagoers. A total of 802 people who saw the film gave it an average 7.23 out of 10 on the country's largest portal website and search engine naver.com. According to Hur, the film aroused a "Chengdu fever" among South Korean audiences.

He explained that most South Koreans had little knowledge of Chengdu, except for its long history and after the film was screened, many became extremely interested in the city.

"Many of my friends told me they wanted to visit Chengdu right after watching the film, which is very flattering to me and I'm pleased to have introduced the city to my country."

Good Rain Knows When to Come is now screening at cinemas across the country.