The Grace Lee Project/In Between Days film reviews & my one-thousandth post
I failed with comment replies this week (they will come, promise) [mostly caught up now, yay!] but I have film reviews and a celebration of sorts. This is post number One Thousand! It only took me a little over two years to get here. *grin* In honor of this "momentous" occasion, I thought about what I could do to commemorate it, but in the end, life and a serious lack of time intervened so all you get are new layout colors, a new header and a couple film reviews.
Wednesday I went to see two films at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Both films were part of the Korean Film Festival I mentioned here.
The Grace Lee Project
I absolutely adored this film! It was exactly the kind of film I would love, of course, not only because it explored perhaps my all-time favorite theme: identity, but also because it was thoroughly charming and very funny. The film-maker, Grace Lee, grew up as part of a Korean-American family in Missouri, and she was the only Grace Lee that she knew. When she left Missouri, she discovered the ubiquitousness of her name - everyone seemed to know a Grace Lee, and as she learned more, most of these Grace Lees seem to fit into a certain type: smart, quiet, multi-talented, overachiever, etc. Our filmmaker felt like she was the odd one out, so she decided to take on this project - to find as many Grace Lees as she could and learn something about their experience. Along the way, she met a multitude of people who helped shape her concept of "Grace Lee" and she was lucky enough to meet some Grace Lees who stood out from the rest in some pretty remarkable ways. Here is the website of the Grace Lee Project. which contains much more information - check it out! I'm definitely buying the DVD. :D
In Between Days
This film follows a young Korean immigrant teenager who is struggling to navigate budding romance and sexual awakening while coping with all the newness of her wintry new country. It's a very minimalistic film with almost no music, and the camera often lingers for long moments on the characters' faces, particularly the main character, Aimie, who is beautifully portrayed by Jiseon Kim. This film was a lot harder to like, because it was so lonely and melancholy, and so realistic it was almost painful to watch Aimie awkwardly trying to express her affection for her best friend, a young man who is in some ways just as awkward as Aimie although far less sensitive. The filmaker, So Yong Kim, included the following statement that was read before the film aired:STATEMENT FROM WRITER/ DIRECTOR SO YONG KIM
The inspiration for IN BETWEEN DAYS came from my teenage years of growing up in a
suburb of Los Angeles. While being raised by a single Korean mother, there was never
a discussion of ‘love’ or ‘sex’ in our household. In my circle of Korean immigrant
teenage friends there was a persistent tension when it came to the topics of sex and
love. Although sex and love were often on our minds, we were too afraid to talk openly
or even jokingly about them. When I began writing IN BETWEEN DAYS, I used that
experience as the basis to build a backdrop for the characters. The feelings behind
Aimie and the choices she makes stem from the frustration of not being able to express
her feelings because she is afraid.
My intention in making IN BETWEEN DAYS is to share an immigrant story that is personal and
honest. With that in mind, I tried to create an intimate character study of a young girl who is
coming of age while adapting to life in a new country. Although Aimie's experience is unique to
her situation, her desire to fall in love and to be loved is universal.
Here is the film website with more information.
Both Grace Lee and So Yong have newer films: Lee's American Zombie and So Yong's Treeless Mountain should be appearing at other festivals throughout the next year.
Wednesday I went to see two films at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Both films were part of the Korean Film Festival I mentioned here.
The Grace Lee Project
I absolutely adored this film! It was exactly the kind of film I would love, of course, not only because it explored perhaps my all-time favorite theme: identity, but also because it was thoroughly charming and very funny. The film-maker, Grace Lee, grew up as part of a Korean-American family in Missouri, and she was the only Grace Lee that she knew. When she left Missouri, she discovered the ubiquitousness of her name - everyone seemed to know a Grace Lee, and as she learned more, most of these Grace Lees seem to fit into a certain type: smart, quiet, multi-talented, overachiever, etc. Our filmmaker felt like she was the odd one out, so she decided to take on this project - to find as many Grace Lees as she could and learn something about their experience. Along the way, she met a multitude of people who helped shape her concept of "Grace Lee" and she was lucky enough to meet some Grace Lees who stood out from the rest in some pretty remarkable ways. Here is the website of the Grace Lee Project. which contains much more information - check it out! I'm definitely buying the DVD. :D
In Between Days
This film follows a young Korean immigrant teenager who is struggling to navigate budding romance and sexual awakening while coping with all the newness of her wintry new country. It's a very minimalistic film with almost no music, and the camera often lingers for long moments on the characters' faces, particularly the main character, Aimie, who is beautifully portrayed by Jiseon Kim. This film was a lot harder to like, because it was so lonely and melancholy, and so realistic it was almost painful to watch Aimie awkwardly trying to express her affection for her best friend, a young man who is in some ways just as awkward as Aimie although far less sensitive. The filmaker, So Yong Kim, included the following statement that was read before the film aired:STATEMENT FROM WRITER/ DIRECTOR SO YONG KIM
The inspiration for IN BETWEEN DAYS came from my teenage years of growing up in a
suburb of Los Angeles. While being raised by a single Korean mother, there was never
a discussion of ‘love’ or ‘sex’ in our household. In my circle of Korean immigrant
teenage friends there was a persistent tension when it came to the topics of sex and
love. Although sex and love were often on our minds, we were too afraid to talk openly
or even jokingly about them. When I began writing IN BETWEEN DAYS, I used that
experience as the basis to build a backdrop for the characters. The feelings behind
Aimie and the choices she makes stem from the frustration of not being able to express
her feelings because she is afraid.
My intention in making IN BETWEEN DAYS is to share an immigrant story that is personal and
honest. With that in mind, I tried to create an intimate character study of a young girl who is
coming of age while adapting to life in a new country. Although Aimie's experience is unique to
her situation, her desire to fall in love and to be loved is universal.
Here is the film website with more information.
Both Grace Lee and So Yong have newer films: Lee's American Zombie and So Yong's Treeless Mountain should be appearing at other festivals throughout the next year.