Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
23rd Jeonju film festival kicks off with premiere of Kogonada's sci-fi film
Actors Jang Hyun-sung and Yoo In-na host the opening ceremony of the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival at Jeonju Dome in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
JEONJU, North Jeolla Province ― The 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), an annual celebration of indie films, kicked off on Thursday night as moviegoers flocked to Jeonju Dome for the sold-out premiere of “Pachinko” director Kogonada's new sci-fi film, “After Yang.” The festival will run through May 7.
Under the slogan “Film Goes On,” the festival is being held offline for the first time in three years, screening 217 films from 52 countries. The 21st edition took place entirely online, while last year's event was held in a much scaled-down, hybrid format. This year, 112 out of the 217 films will be made available for online streaming via ONFIFN as well.
The opening ceremony was hosted by actors Jang Hyun-sung and Yoo In-na.
“For the past eight years of serving as the chairman of the festival, I always kept in mind that the essence of cinema lies in expressing free speech. Films have the power to protect the universal values of humankind. We will continue to support experimental and alternative films that raise fundamental questions about humanity,” Jeonju Mayor Kim Seung-su, who also serves as the chairman of the JIFF's organizing committee, said during the opening event.
“We are thrilled to physically welcome back filmgoers and filmmakers. If more than 50 percent of screenings are sold out, that would be considered a success. For the opening ceremony, the entire 400 seats were sold out just three minutes after online ticketing started,” festival director Lee Joon-dong said.
Some judges of this year's festival, including actors Park Ha-seon and Gong Seung-yeon, director Chang and Chung-Ang University Film Department Professor Joo Jin-sook, as well as foreign filmmakers including Clarisa Navas and Andrei Tanasescu, attended the opening ceremony.
Special sections include “Lee Chang-dong: The Truth of the Invisible,” Taehung Pictures retrospective and “J Special: Programmer of the Year” movie talk hosted by director Yeon Sang-ho, known for his hit films “Train to Busan” and “Peninsula.”
A scene from the film "After Yang" / Courtesy of JIFF
After the ceremony, “After Yang,” directed by Korean-American filmmaker Kogonada, was screened as the opening film.
Set in a not-too-distant future, it follows the story of a disconnected family after their humanoid robot Yang (Justin H. Min) unexpectedly breaks down. As they attempt to repair him, Jake (Colin Farrel) reconnects with his wife Kyra (Jodie Turner Smith) and daughter Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja).
“In the process of grieving (loss of Yang), the family becomes connected in the end. It is timely that the movie is being shared around this time during COVID-19. The pandemic reminded us to slow down and look at small moments of life that we simply pass by,” Min said during a post-screening press conference on Thursday.
The actor, who portrays the robot with Chinese roots, explained that the film explores themes around diversity and race.
“Difference is a really important theme of the movie. Most families in America are looking more and more diverse. It was important that Colin is white and Jodie is black. There is something about Asian Americans that need to explain their existence to people who don't understand who they are and where they come from,” Min said.
“The film explores race in both direct and subtle ways. Race is such a nuanced, complex issue. This movie brings those questions to light not in a cynical way, but through the lens of love or hope. It does it through this family,” he added.
In the same way as Yang struggles, Min said he struggles with the same identity crisis all the time.
“In the movie, there is a scene where Yang says, 'I wish tea meant something more to me. I wish I had memories of tea.' I look Korean, know a lot of Korean and eat Korean food, but sometimes I don't feel like it is real, because I don't have memories of being Korean,” he said.