Female and male filmmakers from Korea and their films in the #MeToo era

I had the privilege to meet and interview three South Korean filmmakers - female director Hyun-Young CHOI ("Memories of a Dead End"), female producer Lee Eun-kyung ("Memories of a Dead End") and male director Deok-jae JEONGHUH ("The Pension"). Their films were shown in Chicago as part of the Asian Pop Up Cinema. This was my first time talking to Korean filmmakers and I learned a lot from my conversation with them and also seeing their films. I learned about their culture, love, patience and what it is like to be a filmmaker in Korea during the #MeToo movement.

The first film I saw was based of a Japanese novel "Memories of a Dead End" by Banana Yoshimoto. It was a beautiful and elegant co-production between Korea and Japan and it featured a female director, a female producer and a female lead actress - all South Korean. The film was about a South Korean woman whose fiance falls in love with a Japanese woman and how the break up leads her journey to self-love, discovery and healing as she meets a great Japanese friend in Nagoya.



What shook me about the story is that the painful betrayal portrayed didn't feature any violence, alcohol or drug use, or even confrontation - it was like nothing I have ever seen before - a painful journey of the main character in her own healing process without the extra stuff we usually see on TV characters resort to. It taught me that pain and break up can be a beautiful and elegant experience that leads to self-transformation rather than self-distraction and that you can move on from the people that hurt you without resorting to violence but simply walking away and starting over. As I was stunned by this story and how beautifully it was done I spoke with the female director and producer about it.

From left to right: female director Hyun-Young CHOI and female producer Lee Eun-kyung
Photo credit: APUC Festival photographer Dan Hannula

Tell me about your personal break up experience that you used in the film? 

Director CHOI- Male or female everyone has experienced some sort of a break up. When I went through a break up I got a lot of help and love from a lot of people. When I was making this film I purposely did not use alcohol and smoking as a way of dealing with break up because that was my experience. I didn't have to resort to it. I wanted to make a movie where people resort to other things and without these things. 

Why such an elegant break up with no violence or confrontation? Is this part of the Asian culture? 

Director CHOI - We had a lot of discussion with directors and staff members how you deal with a break up. Personally, I would not have been so civil. I would have screamed. I don't believe it is the culture. It is a personal feeling. This couple has been together for four years. The main character had to deal with the pain without resorting to strong action. After discussing with the actress we decided to use this kind of reaction over some other. 

Producer Lee - In the original novel there is no violence or strong behavior. In the original novel the main character is a Japanese woman and we switched the main character to a Korean woman. We wanted to keep a reserved woman who expresses her real feelings in a reserved way as we wanted to preserve the tone of the original novel. 

Korean actress Sooyoung CHOI in the role of Yumi 

Why did you decide to make her Korean? It is an interesting relationship between Japan and Korea - what is the message with that relationship? 

Director CHOI -  This movie has been planned as a Japanese and Korean collaboration from the beginning. We decided to hire Korean actors and a Korean director and producer. The relationship between Korea and Japan is common. A lot of Koreans go to Japan to study the language and a lot of Japanese go to Korea to study Korean. This type of films are not very common and this story is not easy to find and we think it is very meaningful. 

Producer Lee - The original novelist is very popular in Spain. Her novels are shared all over the world. We intended to make a Korean movie out of it and we naturally picked a Korean actress. At the end it became a Japanese and Korean collaboration. I wanted to interpret the novel from a Korean perspective. 

Tell me about the cast? How difficult was to find a Korean actress who speaks Japanese? 

Producer Lee- We had a deadline to complete the film. If the actress didn't speak Japanese it would have been hard to communicate with the actor. I was thinking who can speak Japanese and be in their late 20s and is good at acting. The director thought of the same actress and dreamed of her. She can speak Japanese and is well-known in Japan. The male lead also has a lot of fan base in Nagoya. He used to be a boy band member. He is the type that Korean women like. There are two types of Japanese actors - one type Japanese like but not popular in Korea and vice versa. Tanaka is a type that Korean women like. When the Japanese team recommended him I approved him.  A lot of Japanese pop artists wear colorful outfits and could be viewed as cheap to Koreans but are popular in Japan. Korean  prefer natural looking actors. In Japan women like skinny men but Tanaka is the opposite of that. Also the Miso sandwich is not in the original novel but we thought about what product to sell and Nagoya is famous for miso so we created the miso sandwich. 

From left to right: Sooyoung CHOI and Shunsuke TANAKA

Tell me about what is it like being female filmmakers in Korea? 

Director CHOI - There are a lot of challenges for female filmmakers in Korea. For this project I was chosen because I was a female. I wonder would I have had this type of opportunity again... As a female director this was very important for me. As a female director in Korea the environment is challenging and not a lot of opportunities are given. These days female directors started making variety of genres. In the midst of the #MeToo movement I feel proud to be a female director. 

You will never get this opportunity again...what do you mean by that? 

I shouldn't’ say never but this will be a difficult chance as a female director because this Korean project was not a usual contract. This was a very special event in the film industry. We will see... 

Producer LEE- The situation is even worse in Japan. There has been a lot of Korean filmmakers - female directors and especially female producers in Korea. But the people who are at the top are mostly male and the people who make the decisions are mostly male. We have to focus on what female directors can be good at. We shouldn't care what the male filmmakers require such as be good at drinking. We need to focus on what we are strong at. 

Do you want to crossover and make a film in America or stay and work in Korea? 

Director CHOI- One of the reasons why I kept studying English is because you are catering to Korean public but nowadays the film media has to cater to the whole world. You shouldn't focus on one country as an audience. I want to make a film that expresses a personal emotion, especially with this film. I experienced the American audience and I enjoyed it. I want to take the film to other countries. I want to keep work on cultural exchanges through other countries with film. 

What would you like to say to Korean immigrants in America? 

Director CHOI-  Through history I think Korean culture and society are more and more exposed to America and it is an important bridge - easy to communicate with Americans. 

Producer Lee - As a filmmaker I believe that it will be hard to understand the story if you don't have the cultural knowledge and background and can be very superficial and the film can be pointless. The film naturally connected two cultures and I really enjoyed and believe the audiences did too. I came to Chicago and met with Korean-American people. I can see that their perspective and thinking is different and if I made a Korean-American character who lives in Chicago as a main character I can express it but since I don't live here I can make a misunderstanding. It is very important to experience various culture and exchanges. 

***

I also spoke with "The Pension"s male director Deok-jae JEONGHUH as I wanted to hear his side of the story as a male filmmaker in Korea. He has a long history of making films in Korea and he directed the fourth film in "The Pension," which features four stories: parents coping with their daughter's death, a husband a wife hoping to rekindle their marriage, a woman who insists on staying in a particular room and the substitute manager of the Pension inviting his girlfriend over for the evening. 

Director Deok-jae JEONGHUH

What is it like being a male filmmaker in Korea? 

Director DEOK- Simple answer: I never had to think about what is it like to work as a male director in Korea. I have all the benefits of being a male director because I never have to think about it. I always approach it and see it as work. I never think about it because I am a male director.

Is it easier to find opportunities because you don't have to think about it? 

Generally, I don't have to think about it but if there is an opportunity to make a film like "Memories of a Dead End" I will be excluded. Generally, I don't think about it. 

Tell me about "The Pension" and the four different themes in it? 

Each of the four parts are written by four different directors. "The Pension" is my film and is the last film. 

 

Tell me about the casting process? 

Each of us brought the story together and it has criminal elements. I started with the space when I wrote it. I was imagining a story that is not mundane but unique and I was thinking about a stranger who came to the Pension and the story developed into a criminal act. I wanted it to be lighthearted. It is short 30 min movie. I wanted to write a lighthearted touch even though the story is serious. Among the list of actors I was able to find the right fit and that's how we started. 

A scene from "The Pension"

What are some of the influences that you have had from American or Korean filmmakers? 

Long time ago I looked up to people but as I have been working as a film director for a long time I don't look up to or follow certain filmmaker and directors. I try to be independent but I am influenced just a little bit. When I finished the screenplay, I realized there are similar elements from "The Usual Suspects" and I borrowed the lead from "The Usual Suspects." 

Do you want to cross over to America or stay in Korea? 

In the film industry Hollywood is the biggest market in the world. Every filmmaker's dream is to work in Hollywood. As of now this is not my immediate goal. If I have to make a collaboration between Korea and Japan it has to be different. At this point I want to build my base in Korea first. In the future opportunities might come more naturally. 

How does "The Pension" show a side of Korea? 

If you go to a Korean pension you usually visit with friends and family. A lot of people drink and play card games. In the four stories "The Pension" excluded the drinking part and I put some criminal elements. In the movie we try to exclude what you would see in a Korean pension. That's why we use criminal elements, something new and unique. In the fourth movie there is a couple who came back to look for a wedding ring. When I worked in a pension before this happened to me and a couple came back looking for their wedding ring. I used the real experiences in that sense. 

A scene from "The Pension"

What have you learned as a filmmaker? What does the Korean audience enjoy the most? 

There has been some changes in the trend. Recently comedy has been a big hit. Before that it was fantasy. If I look back before fantasies and comedies never made it big. There has been a change in the Korean audience. What is fortunate for me is that I like to write different genres and I don't stick to one type. 

Would you create something the Korean audience wants or what you want to show? 

There was one director who directed "The Pension" and he used to say he agonized over the story he wants to tell and the difference between that story and the story the audience wants to hear. For me the story I want to tell hasn't been too different from what they want to hear. 

What other movies are you working on? 

There are several screenplays I have been working on. My goal is to finish those screenplays and make them into movies.

For more on Asian Pop Up Cinema, visit: https://www.asianpopupcinema.org. 

Claudia Romo Edelman - We Are All Human - the Hispanic Pledge

This week I had the pleasure of talking to Claudia Romo Edelman, CEO and founder of We Are All Human foundation. I was impressed by her vision, ambition and experience and would like to share what I learned about her and her organization.

Claudia has over 25 years of marketing experience in social issues and is a Mexican diplomat. She has worked for organizations such as the United Nations and UNICEF. It is through her experience that she learned what she needed to do to unite Hispanics around the world and why her organization We Are All Human was born.

"Hispanics are powerful in paper but they think small. We created We Are All Human to advance diversity, equation and equality emphasizing inclusion. Our goal is to move the world from tolerance to acceptance," said Claudia.

Claudia and I at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Chicago

Claudia came to America four years ago after extensive work in Europe where she spent 25 years of her life. In addition, she is also the editor at large for Thrive Global and Thrive Global Hispanic. She is originally from Mexico and her passion is uniting Hispanics around the world. "We will talk only about only what unites us. We already know about our differences," said Claudia in regards to Hispanics and her Chicago summit.

In order to achieve the goal of inclusion We Are All Human hosted its first Chicago Hispanic Summit on April 26 where 45 companies signed the Hispanic pledge. Among the companies who signed are Microsoft, Unilever, Nielsen, Edelman, KIND, EY and Mars, Incorporated. The commitment of the pledge is "to make a commitment to create inclusive workplace environments and to take positive actions to hire, promote, retain, and celebrate Hispanics as employees, customers and citizens." This is the role that corporate America can play in elevating the Hispanic community. More summits will take place in Dallas and California as well as internationally.

The Hispanic Promise was launched three months ago at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in the first ever Hispanics event in Davos aimed to bring attention to global leaders about the potential of the Hispanic community as a growth engine and an essential business opportunity.

"I believe that content helps create awareness. It starts with unifying Hispanics," said Claudia.

Claudia shares an incredible story of survival. Born with a little chance of making it past 3-years-old, Claudia proved to everyone that she has a mission and a reason why she survived. Despite of being told that she is a co-pilot by her father and everyone else she proved to herself and her children that she can be and is a leader. "It took me two and a half years. It is hard to step up and speak up and take off your mask and expose yourself but we need to all do it. I need to be a pilot. It is stepping forward. It is more comfortable to be in the quiet but we have to move."

Claudia grew up with two different households as her parents divorced but she learned how to see people as human and not for their title or role they play because of the people she was around - her engineer father and actress mother. "Growing up and seeing presidents and CEOs and then dancers it made me have to be adaptable as a kid and to be comfortable everywhere. That made me see people for people," she said.

"We Are all Human is a noise maker machine. We create content. We did a research and an insight we found are that 77 percent of Hispanics have no idea of contribution to their country. It is a disaster and we need to do better," said Claudia who also shared that most Hispanics see the American dream differently and changed. "61 percent of Hispanics think that the American Dream has changed. We need to bring their voices together and bring back the American Dream."

For more on We Are All Human and how you can get involve din uniting the Hispanic community, visit: www.WeAreAllHuman.org.

"Alien" 40th Anniversary Shorts

If you are a big fan of the "Alien" franchise films you don't want to miss the six shorts that were chosen to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the sci-fi horror film. The six films were chosen out of 550 pitches after Twentieth Century Fox Film partnered with global creative community Tongal to offer die-hard fans an opportunity to develop and produce wholly original shorts. 

I had the chance to see all six of them and I was impressed by the "Alien" theme throughout all of them. I was excited to see the two shorts directed by women where the women are the heroes who attempt to save the day! 

The shorts will start March 29th at 12 pm/ 9 am PST on IGN and on May 3rd they will be available on the official @AlienAnthology social channels and AlienUniverse.com. 

ALIEN: 40^th Anniversary Shorts Synopses:

March 29th: ALIEN: Containment -Four survivors find themselves stranded aboard a small escape pod in deep space. Trying to piece together the details around the outbreak that led to their ship’s destruction, they find themselves unsure to trust whether or not one of them might be infected. Written and Directed by Chris Reading

April 5th: ALIEN: Specimen - It’s the night shift in a colony greenhouse, and Julie, a botanist, does her best to contain suspicious soil samples that have triggered her sensitive lab dog. Despite her best efforts the lab unexpectedly goes into full shutdown and she is trapped inside. Little does she know, an alien specimen has escaped the mysterious cargo, and a game of cat and mouse ensues as the creature searches for a host. Directed by Kelsey Taylor

April 12th: ALIEN: Night Shift -When a missing space trucker is discovered hungover and disoriented, his co-worker suggests a nightcap as a remedy. Near closing time, they are reluctantly allowed inside the colony supply depot where the trucker’s condition worsens, leaving a young supply worker alone to take matters into her own hands.  Written and Directed by Aidan Brezonick 

April 19th: ALIEN: Ore - As a hard-working miner of a planet mining colony, Lorraine longs to make a better life for her daughter and grandchildren. When her shift uncovers the death of a fellow miner under mysterious circumstances, Lorraine is forced to choose between escape or defying management orders and facing her fears to fight for the safety of her family. Written and Directed by the Spear Sisters

April 26th: ALIEN: Harvest - The surviving crew of a damaged deep-space harvester have minutes to reach the emergency evacuation shuttle. A motion sensor is their only navigation tool leading them to safety while a creature in the shadows terrorizes the crew. However, the greatest threat might have been hiding in plain sight all along. Directed by Benjamin Howdeshell 

April 26th: ALIEN: Alone - Hope, an abandoned crew member aboard the derelict chemical hauler Otranto, has spent a year trying to keep her ship and herself alive as both slowly fall apart. After discovering hidden cargo, she risks it all to power up the broken ship in search of human life. Written and Directed by Noah Miller

In addition to the shorts series, Fox has launched several other exciting initiatives around the 40^th Anniversary of the premiere of the original ALIEN film. The USC School of Cinematic Arts is currently hosting a special exhibit of elements from all six films in the ALIEN franchise, including concept art by Academy Award winner H.R. Giger, plus costumes, props, memorabilia, and fan art.  Everything ALIEN will culminate in a 24-hour, worldwide celebration on ALIEN DAY, Friday, April 26th. 

Join the conversation and follow @AlienAnthology on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, and dive deeper into the terrifying world of ALIEN on AlienUniverse.com.