Senior women find new lease of life through photography club, filmmaking

From left are Little Garden Sisters members Kim Sook-ryeon, Kim Hee-ja, Jung Ok-ja, Moon Chun-hee, Choi Soon-nam, Park Jung-rye and Kim Hye-sook. Courtesy of Cinema Dal

By Kwak Yeon-soo

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province ― Myeongju-dong is an old downtown area in Gangneung, Gangwon Province with cute little alleys, cultural spaces and trendy cafes. The past and present seem to coexist as colonial-era Japanese buildings and “hanok,” or traditional Korean-style houses, still remain in the small neighborhood. Its relaxed atmosphere comes from the communal garden, where local residents keep plants and flowers in the alleyway.

Those who take care of the garden are known as Little Garden Sisters ― women with an average age of 75 who have been living in the neighborhood for over 50 years. They embrace their golden years with enthusiasm, taking up hobbies such as gardening and singing.

Wanting to learn how to take better photos using their smartphones, eight seniors took photography classes from 2016 to 2018. After building confidence, they moved on to learning about how to record videos. Their passion led to making a short film “My Neighborhood Postman,” which was invited to Seoul International Senior Film Festival (SISFF) and won the SISFFRIEND award.

Their journey of learning photography, videography and filmmaking was recorded in a documentary film called “Little Garden.” Director Lee Mario followed them around for three years from 2019 to 2021 and included some of the self-recorded videos of eight members in the documentary.

“We were dumbfounded because we didn't think we were making a movie. We are who we are and we just tried to keep everything natural ― living our lives, learning to take photos and record videos with our smartphones,” Moon Chun-hee said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Gangneung, Wednesday.

A scene from the documentary film, “Little Garden” / Courtesy of Cinema Dal

Photography club members gather once a week to record themselves on video and share their work. Each of them was given a selfie stick and a smartphone to use by themselves. To complete their weekly homework, they even stay up late to process their work.

“It's sort of a social activity when I go out with my friends and share my self-taken videos with them,” Jung Ok-ja said.

At first, it wasn't easy to accept themselves inside the frame. However, they soon realized this could be a way of leaving their mark on the world. “There are pains and aches that come with aging, but I forget about them momentarily when I talk about our movie. Also, I consider it as a way of expressing my love toward my children because this documentary will last forever,” Kim Sook-ryeon said.

As the film goes along, the audience gets to know some of the women on a more personal level. Kim Hee-ja talks about the patriarchal society she lived in and the societal preference for having sons over daughters, which left her emotionally scarred.

“I was made to feel ashamed for having four daughters and no son. My husband was clearly upset and he even asked if I'd be willing to raise a son if he fathers a son with another woman. When I heard that, I told him I want a divorce,” she said. “Nowadays, men prepare their own food and do the dishes. But husbands in our time would never do such a thing.”

However, Kim Hee-ja confessed that she has no hard feelings toward her husband, who passed away earlier this year. “I feel guilty about shaming my husband in the documentary. I cried asking the director to cut my section out from the movie, but my daughter told me it's okay to be perfectly honest. I have changed a lot after taking up photography as a hobby. I became more expressive. Many people tell me that my personal story adds depth to the film,” she said.

Little Garden Sisters members are seen on the set of “My Neighborhood Postman” in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in 2019. Courtesy of Cinema Dal

“Little Garden” is a tribute to the older people in society. The film's appeal lies in the dialogue and interactions between the eight women. Their chemistry makes it fun to watch. Besides enjoying hobbies, these friendly and adorable ladies sell noodles at a flea market or take Polaroid pictures for tourists.

“I was the last person to join the club because I had to take care of my sick husband for a while. But the existing members were so welcoming and keen on learning that made me step out of my comfort zone and stay socially active,” Choi Soon-nam said.

An aging society is an unavoidable reality. Korea had more than 9.01 million people aged 65 or above at the end of 2022, accounting for 17.5 percent of the total population at the time, according to Statistics Korea. It is estimated that the country's elderly will occupy about one-third of the population by 2037.

To those who are afraid of aging, Little Garden Sisters say that life after 70 is amazing.

Kim Hye-sook said she is having the best time of her life. “I'm the happiest I've ever been. When I was young, I was busy raising my kids and working. Now my kids are living a life of their own and all I need to do is take good care of myself. I spend quality time with my best friends, neighbors and enjoy my hobbies. What more do I need?” she said.

“I always think to myself that I have a good life. I just hope my family and friends stay healthy. I ㅈwant to have my friends by my side forever,” Moon said.

Moon shared their ambition of making another film. “We haven't decided on the theme or the subject matter yet, but we would love to make another film. Until then, we will continue to learn videography and filmmaking,” she said.

“Little Garden” hits local theaters on July 12.