A new independent movie, "Maehwa Gwangju," will focus not on the dark past of Gwangju but on the city's beauty with the 2015 Summer Universiad to be held there as its theme.

The production staff for the movie held a press conference to announce their production plan at the Holiday Inn in Gwangju with the participation of director Kim In-shik, leading man Choi Woo-je and leading lady Ye Ji-won on the afternoon of Nov. 15.

This movie, titled for the ume flower, is part of a special series, "Talking about Cities in Korea," that Arirang TV produces annually. The production of this movie is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Gwangju Universiad Organizing Committee.

The movie tells the story of a woman who once loved two brothers coming back to Gwangju with her son, a fencer at the University of Montreal in Canada, 20 years later. The son will compete in the 2015 Summer Universiad in Gwangju.

Filming began on Nov. 1 in Gwangju. The movie will be shot at famous sites across the city such as the old house of Lee Jang-woo in Yangnim-dong; Nam-gu of Gwangju; Gwangju World Cup Stadium, the main venue for the Universiad; Mudeung Mountain Drive; and the May 18 Democratic Cemetery.

In particular, Park Tae-hu, famous for his sparrow paintings, and craftsman Park Yu-bok and Da-eum, a performance artist, are taking part in the project, making the movie more meaningful.

Park paints his work at Jukseolheon, his workshop in Naju. He shows how to make ceramics in his workshops in Hwasun and Gwangju.

Performance artist Da-eum reenacts the process of making an ume flower out of natural beeswax during the Joseon Dynasty 400 years ago and performs Bara dance.

Kim, the director, wrote the screenplay. "Although many works dealt with the sad past of the city such as the May 18 Democratization Movement, I want to metaphorically express the beauty of Gwangju," Kim said. "Excluding political meanings, I will show a brilliant and beautiful Gwangju."

"The hero and heroine of the movie are not us, but the three local artists," said lead actress Ye Ji-won while unveiling an ume flower painting by Park. "While working with the artists, I learned about the true dedication of a master craftsman. I learned a lot from their lives in which they devote themselves only to one thing."

"Even though I have experienced many things, I thought that the realities and traces shown on film are different. I felt that videos are able to show realities beautifully," Park Yu-bok said.

"Maehwa Gwangju" will undergo editing and post-production throughout the first half of next year and air in 188 countries via Arirang TV.

From Yonhap News