Baseball Girl (Korean: 야구소녀; RR: Yaguseonyeo) is a 2019 South Korean drama sports film written and directed by Choi Yoon-tae, starring Lee Joo-young, Lee Joon-hyuk, Yeom Hye-ran, Song Young-kyu and Kwak Dong-yeon. It was released in theaters on June 18, 2020.[1][2]
| Baseball Girl | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
| |
| Hangul | 야구소녀 |
| Revised Romanization | Yaguseonyeo |
| Directed by | Choi Yoon-tae |
| Written by | Choi Yoon-tae |
| Produced by | On Jung-joon |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Hwang Seung-yoon |
| Edited by | Choi Yoon-tae |
| Music by | Peterpen Complex |
Production | Korean Academy of Film Arts |
| Distributed by | M-Line Distribution |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
The film had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on October 4, 2019, in the "Korean Cinema Today - Panorama" category.[3]
The story of Joo Soo-in who is determined to become the first female baseball player to join a professional team.
Choi Yoon-tae was inspired to write this film in 2017 after he watched the interview of a female baseball player. He added that "when [he] told [his] wife that there is no current rule banning women from playing on a professional baseball team, she seemed surprised; so [he] thought it would be interesting to write a story on an aspiring female baseball player."[4]
On November 16, 2018, Lee Joo-young was cast as the protagonist of Baseball Girl.[5] On November 20, Lee Joon-hyuk's agency confirmed that the actor would be starring in the film, playing a high school baseball coach who helps Joo Soo-in achieve her dream.[6] On November 28, Yeom Hye-ran joined the main cast in the role of Soo-in's mother.[7] Kwak Dong-yeon was confirmed on January 4, 2019, for the role of a high school baseball player,[8] followed by Lee Chae-eun on January 15 for the role of Soo-in's Japanese teacher.[9]
Principal photography began in January 2019 and filming ended in February, a period during which baseball players usually cannot train due to the cold weather, which made filming more difficult in addition to the small budget.[3]
Baseball Girl premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on October 4, 2019, in the presence of director Choi Yoon-tae and actors Lee Joo-young, Lee Joon-hyuk and Yeom Hye-ran.[10] GV screenings took place on October 4 and 5 at Lotte Cinema Centum City and a general screening was held on October 9 at Lotte Cinema Daeyoung. Tickets were sold out soon after they went on sale for both screenings.[11]
The film hit theaters on June 18, 2020.[12]
At the Busan International Film Festival, the media, critics and audience praised Lee Joo-young's acting as well as Soo-in's passion, her determination to keep running towards her dream and not giving up despite prejudice against her gender.[13]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 45th Seoul Independent Film Festival | Independent Star Award | Lee Joo-young | Won | [14] |
| 2020 | 29th Buil Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [15] | |
| 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actress | Nominated | [16] |
