Film festivals, festivals in general— may be times for resting and replenishing for directors. Meeting and socializing, drinking and chatting, and reuniting with old friends. As they encounter different worldviews and styles through the films on offer, they may feel humble, or they may feel their spirits lifted. To see the movie you took part in being screened at a film festival may be a tremendously exciting experience and a source of pride. Part of this is due to the peculiar tension that arises from the purest communication with viewers. Part of it comes from an opportunity to be supported and rewarded for all the suffering that went into making the film.

For me, the JEONJU IFF is a special setting in many respects. All four films I have made so far have been shown there, and the groundwork for one was laid with a production investment that I received. This wasn't lip service; I was guaranteed maximum independence and autonomy. The JEONJU IFF provided me with rest and replenishment and helped me flesh out a new form of exploration. The programmers and staff at the time included Kim Young-Jin, Lee Sangyong, and Jang Byungwon. I still haven't had the chance to share how grateful I am to the three of them. We've been too busy drinking and talking or working hard to bring about today's JEONJU IFF. So, how are you guys doing? KIM Soohyun

So Cute (2004), Life is peachy (2010), Burn, Release, Explode, the Invincible (2012)

Faces of Hate
Beaten Black and Blue first appeared before audiences in 2016. At the time, the online forum Ilbe Storehouse had become one of the most controversial issues in Korean society. In the roughly five years since its emergence in the early 2010s, Ilbe members had claimed that the Gwangju Democratization Struggle was a rebellion orchestrated by the North Korean military. They'd staged a food-gorging performance in front of family members of the victims in the Sewol ferry sinking, and they'd set off a homemade bomb at a unification-themed talk show. Hatred—directed at women, migrant workers, residents of the Jeolla region, LGBTQ+ people, and various minority groups in society—was treated as a kind of sport. During this time, this trend spilled over from Ilbe and various male chauvinist communities to spread like a fungus across other corners of the internet.

At a time when some language was needed to explain these rotten eggs, many researchers, journalists, and politicians located the reasons for Ilbe's emergence in the frustrations and anxieties experienced by a younger generation at the tail end of neoliberalism. This was a meaningful endeavor because they were looking to see where Korean society had fundamentally failed them rather than simply pointing their fingers at individual young people. But within this discourse, the universal face of the young generation was imagined to be that of a fully non-disabled, heterosexual Korean male. As much as women and minorities were excluded among young people, the differences among younger males were also obliterated.

Focusing on the encounter between Kyohwan (Koo Kyohwan), who is active with the group named We Are the Best, and Jeongsu, a leader of the Parents' Detachment, Beaten Black and Blue does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere in Korean at a time when the online right and asphalt right* were emerging both online and offline during the early to mid-2010s. However, the film more accurately testifies to the nature of the young and old generation discourses led by male commentators in their 30s and male elites in their 40s and 50s with vested interests at the time. In that sense, the film is also an ethnographic document in its own right, presenting a portrait of life in the 2010s. If the work is chaotic at times, that may be because of the chaotic nature of ideas and feelings among the people taking a critical look at Ilbe and the Korea Parent Federation at the time. SOHN Hee-jeong
* Asphalt right refers to right-wing groups that have actively adopted street demonstrations and rallies as a format.

Production Bongdunanbal Pictures, Indieplug (tax@indieplug.net)
Distribution Indieplug (tax@indieplug.net)

2017 Busan Film Critics Association Awards Special Jury Prize (Winner)

2017 Chunsa Film Art Award Best New Actor (Winner)

2017 Wildflower Film Awards korea Best Narrative Director (Winner)

2017 Buil Film Awards Best Director (Nominee)