[Limelight] IU's Observation of a Homeless Soccer Team "I Felt Myself Shrinking"

Director Lee Byung-hun's Film 'Dream' Lee So-min Role
Shows a Cool Yet Cheerful Image
Emotional Changes Through Visible Smiles
Displays Self-Reflection and the Will to Change the World

Director Lee Byung-heon's film 'Dream' depicts homeless people wearing the Taegeuk mark participating in the Homeless World Cup. Each shares their story, and through soccer, they come together to point toward a society of coexistence. Actress IU played Lee So-min, who captures these moments. She is a documentary producer who personally selects the players and films their challenging journey.

Although introduced as one of the main characters, her role is functional. She gains depth but becomes marginalized from the middle of the film. The focus shifts to the homeless players, leaving little lasting impression. IU herself said, "There were many times I was in the blind spot in full shots."

Her unique personality and charm are concentrated in the first half. When Yoon Hong-dae (Park Seo-joon), who reluctantly becomes the coach of the homeless team, asks, "What, who are you really?" she bursts out a self-deprecating laugh. "Who am I? Who cares... I'm a person whose life is stalled because of student loans, okay?"

Lee So-min maintains a respectful demeanor about her situation but does not hide the cynicism on her face. Even toward her superiors, if things don't go as planned, she bluntly points it out. "A show? It never ends. I make it happen, cool, right? But then the show falls apart, doesn't it? That's ridiculous. How do you avoid falling? You have to listen to the experts to minimize losses."

IU expresses Lee So-min's cold personality with rapid-fire dialogue, creating a cheerful atmosphere. This comedic expression breathes life into what could easily become a clich?d sports drama. However, due to limited screen time and density, it cannot be sustained for long. IU said, "It's not a story that highlights Lee So-min, so I don't mind."

"As I read the script, my role gradually became smaller. Since the film is about the teamwork of homeless players shining, that's natural. Lee So-min is not completely ignored. There is a definite change while filming the process of gathering and training the homeless. Even if it's not prominent, I thought it was meaningful."

She prioritizes people over achievements. Lee So-min was so thirsty for success that she even thought about documentaries in her dreams. "I had a scary dream. My documentary's ratings were skyrocketing, and I took that soaring graph and slapped the team leader's face. But! I was born with a fate that whenever I have a good dream, something unlucky happens."

Observing the homeless players' struggles, she frees herself from greed and obsession. She realizes the importance of mutual aid, a foundation humanity has long upheld. The film does not explore this in detail. At the turning points where other characters change their minds, it relies entirely on IU's acting.

IU has never experienced such a task before. She was always at the center of the story, given ample opportunity to convincingly portray character changes. In 'Dream,' it is the opposite. She focuses on comedy with a sly face in the first half, making it awkward to suddenly adopt a serious tone. Showing empathy or authenticity toward the documentary subjects may appear unnatural.

IU focuses on subtle changes. For example, she gives a slight difference in the smile shown to Yoon Hong-dae between the first and second halves. The former is a signal of pretense and falsehood, indicating no intention to develop beyond a business relationship. IU said, "I kept the expression the same but only smiled with my mouth."

"In the early part, I didn't smile with my eyes. From the middle, I gradually started moving the eye muscles. By the end, my eyes even welled up. Although the screen time is brief, I believed Lee So-min's feelings could be fully conveyed. There's no expression that suits comedy and shows clear emotional change better than a smile."

The process of discovering her own face is also self-reflection. Lee So-min finds the key in the passion of the homeless players. Although she doesn't run on the field with them, she diligently observes and becomes a witness to the miracle. This is why IU participated in the long journey of 'Dream.' She believes that a bright smile and affectionate interest can change the world.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.