Actor Kim Hye-ja is returning to the big screen for the first time in nine years with her new film "Still Brilliant," which is set to open on October 21.

Meeting with the audience at the Busan International Film Festival yesterday (Oct. 8), Kim expressed her hope that the movie would offer comfort to people's hearts.

["Each day crawls by so terribly slow, yet 10 or 20 years fly by in the blink of an eye."]

"Still Brilliant" tells the story of Sun-ok, who reunites with her best friend after 60 years, depicting the radiant days of young girls amidst a heartbreaking history.

During the stage greeting yesterday, Kim, who played the role of Sun-ok, stated that she hopes the film will warmly soothe the weary hearts of the audience.

She reportedly hesitated a lot before joining the project as she does not star in films very often. Director Song Il-gon, who helmed the movie, confessed that she was the most difficult casting choice in his life.

After persuading her six times by writing letters and visiting her home, Kim eventually accepted the offer, saying she hoped the profound resonance of the film would reach the audience.

The director shared that through this film, he wanted to show the process of living on without forgetting the longing and love for a specific person.

(Photo courtesy of Plus M Entertainment)