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| A scene from the documentary film "The FUSION: Being Physically Spiritual, Spiritually Physical" / Courtesy of Yang So-young |
By Yun Suh-young
"Spirituality" may seem to be an ambiguous and intangible concept. Director Yang So-young, however, challenges that notion in her debut film, "The FUSION: Being Physically Spiritual, Spiritually Physical."
The 84-minute feature documentary film, which was previewed to The Korea Times before its official distribution, is a collection of 22 interviews of ordinary people living in big cities. Through each interviewee, the director tries to discover spirituality in a contemporary urban dweller's everyday life.
"I wanted to show that spirituality was actually present in our daily lives and that everyone could find it," said Yang. "I wanted to express how the physical life as it is has a spiritual quality in itself. So I purposely tried to find people living in metropolitan areas and traveled to big cities, such as Berlin, Tokyo, Seoul, New York and San Diego."
Yang, originally a video artist, put the film together as if it is a piece of visual artwork in a freestyle format, with letters and photos as materials for expression. The use of vibrant colors is also notable.
The documentary is divided into sections with headings such as "fear" or "intuition," where the interviewees' thoughts on a particular theme are discussed. Among those interviewed are an artist, a consultant, a neuroscientist, a spiritual teacher, an izakaya owner, an entrepreneur, a graphic designer, a dancer, a journalist and a professor. The 22 interviewees come from 11 countries. The interviewees share their thoughts on spirituality and what spirituality means to them in their daily lives. Surprisingly, their answers are as spiritual as any spiritual guru might have offered.
"There is no such thing as mistakes," says one of the subjects. "There are no such things as wrong choices because there's no right or wrong. Everything is just a new experiment. Failure became the best teacher for me to learn and grow."
Walking, to another interviewee, is a spiritual activity. "It leads to a healthier body and healthier mind," he says. "I'm spiritual because I'm living."
A psychology professor backs the idea, saying: "The body and mind are one. Emotions and consciousness all reflect changes in our body."
A neuroscientist's view of spirituality is that it is "an unknown part of science and there's no full explanation for it," whereas a "spiritual teacher" says: "The highest of spiritual states can be in everyday life. Physicality has value."
Combining similar ideas about spirituality by themes, the director sends a message to the viewers that in all emotions, all types of activities, regardless of a person's profession or location or nationality, spirituality can be found.
"We seem to have created the idea that 'spirituality' is something lofty and separated from reality," said Yang. "But it could be as simple as individuals being content with themselves ― something that makes us less stressed and more productive.
"I wanted us to look inwardly and find ourselves within. How do we deal with fear? What do we do with our feelings and emotions? The film looks at the strength of human beings."
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