Grace Lee has bounced back with excitement.
The Korea-born Philippine media personality had many plans when she formed Glimmer, a movie production and distribution company, in 2019. "We invested in efforts and money for a year to fulfill projects in 2020," she told media members.
And then the pandemic struck. "It was a difficult time for me personally and also professionally as a career woman," she added.
Now she's rolling — with projects featuring Korean movies, among others
"In January we were flooded with inquiries. That's why in February and March, Glimmer was already working with 200-plus staff despite the lockdown," she said.
Last June, Glimmer screened the action-comedy flick The Roundup starring Ma Dong-seok (Train to Busan, Eternals) as a detective going after a vicious fugitive in Vietnam.
And then there's Hunt, which opened on 31 August in Philippine cinemas, with Emmy-nominated actor Lee Jung-jae (The Squid Game) debuting as director.
In Hunt, Lee himself co-stars with Jung Woo-sung as rival agents of the National Security Agency chasing a North Korean spy in South Korea.
Hunt was invited to Midnight Screenings at the Cannes Film Festival last May.
"I hope it will do just as well in the Philippines as it did in Korea and the world," said Lee, who moved to the Philippines at age 10 with her family led by her expatriate father.
"Actually, the movie opened in 124 countries. It took Jung-jae five years to make it," Lee said, adding she plans to bring Korean actors to the Philippines to help promote Glimmer projects.
Lee attended second grade to fourth year high school at St. Paul College in Pasig, graduated with a Communication Arts degree at the Ateneo de Manila University, and worked as a DJ and TV host.
Apart from heading Glimmer, she runs three restaurants — Eum Ma Ne, Kko Kko and Shanghai Saloon.