Actor Lee Joon-ki has been cast in the Korea-Japan joint production "Virgin Snow" directed by Han Sang-hee, who earned a reputation for producing music videos by working with famous singers including Rain and Ivy.
The Japanese Sponichi Shimbun reported Wednesday that Lee had participated in the movie's first shoot in Kyoto on Monday, with rising Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki playing opposite his character.
Lee plays a Korean university student who moves to Japan when his father gets a job there as an exchange professor. He has a brief but romantic fling with a high school girl (Miyazaki) with a complicated and difficult family background.
The film is co-sponsored by CJ Entertainment and Kadokawa Herald Pictures and produced by Guardtec, which also produced Lee's recent film "Fly, Daddy, Fly".
The two stars expressed their hopes in shooting the film. "I hope this film helps improve friendly relations between the two nations", Lee said. Miyazaki, who is appearing in a foreign film for the first time, said, "I will study Korean hard so that I can speak it naturally and act naturally".
The 21-year-old actress rose to stardom through her role in "Nana", which became a big hit in Japan last year. Despite her short career, she has been recognized for her performances several times. She received the best actress award at the Festival des 3Continents in 2002 and the young actress award at the Nikkan Sports Film Award.
"First Snow" will end shooting by the end of the year and be released concurrently in Korea and Japan next spring.
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