|
The world of non-commercial film and A-V |
Events Diary | Search | ||
| The Film and Video Institute | 
Join us on Facebook
| ||||
To BIAFF 2011 results | To Full Making Of Index
What is my True Self?
by Yoo Young Uee
We have come to know some of the South Korean film makers through UNICA (the film festival where nations compete). Friendship is easily conveyed but more precise information is harder to gain. It is even difficult to agree on the Western version of Korean names. There is a standard for writing Korean using Western characters - Hangeul - but it is far from exact. Korean's write in phoneme (sound) blocks with each "character" representing a syllable. When we asked the film maker to write about this film we received four sentences in English. Since the film is likely to attract discussion we tentatively offer our thoughts about it alongside those four sentences. - Jan & Dave Watterson The Plot - based on a real life story |
||
|
|
|
| The plot is simplistic, but the way it is acted and presented
makes the film more powerful than the summary suggests. The first comment
from the film maker is:
This film is based on a real life story. |
|
| South Korean schools have not had much trouble with slacker-kids
and trouble-makers. Education is very highly valued and there is enormous
pressure on youngsters to do well. The system is mainly based on teachers
lecturing students, with little encouragement for creative thinking by pupils.
Teachers are usually treated with great respect since there is in Korean
culture a respect for elders which is common to religion and state. There
are gangsters, druggies and drop-outs but apparently fewer of them than in the West.
The notion that a troubled young woman might be led from bad to good by a teacher is not so strange to Koreans as it is to us. |
 |
 |
Location - a Buddhist temple in Korea.
According to the CIA World Fact Book just over 23% of South Koreans are Buddhists but its influence - and that of the earlier Confucianism - is deeply embedded in the culture. Temples abound and monks (male and female) are greeted with a special bow . This form of moral tale that is used for teaching is engrained in the society. |
 |
 |
Jima is introduced as shiftless and bored, expelled from
school and reform school, condemned by her mother and the authorities. As
well as realistic scenes there is a symbolic scene where teachers and mother
confront her.
Her bag reveals gas canister, tubes of glue and a knife as well as the "evil" cartoon. |
 |
 |
Reluctantly she and other disaffected youngsters arrive at the temple. Jima heads for a life class. None is keen to attend. The teacher appears hopelessly naive ... but soon explains that she too was once considered bad. Jima is obviously the most hostile so the teacher works with her from the start. Gradually Jima and the other students start to take an interest in the revelation of Jima's life. |  |
 |
 |
|
| The actors are acquaintances and for most of them,
this is their first film experience.
Gradually the teacher draws out Jima's story and prompts her to recall good deeds as well as bad ones. (For example she recalls helping her mother clean the washroom.) The lesson is that we all have the potential in us to turn our abilities and ideas to either good or evil. At the end of the day the students are asked to write down what they personally have gained from the class. |
 |
 |
|
|
| Jima has to be coaxed into writing ... | but her essay is chosen to be read out |
... and she wins the best student prize. |
We used Korean backgrounds and settings, but tried to give universal messages. Stylistically the film is mainly realistic and makes the most of the beautiful temple location and the talented youngsters. Scenes with adults tend to be more symbolic and the post-script reveals ... |
||
 |
|
|
Montages where Jima realises that she can |
Many deities and distinguished people |
Her final dream of success is to be a film star |
Share your passions.
Share your stories.
