MOVIE
Director Yoon Ga-eun Explores Teenage Sexuality and Trauma in New Film 'The World of Love'
On the 20th, at a café in Palpan-dong, Seoul, director Yoon Ga-eun discussed her new film 'The World of Love'.
The film follows the story of 18-year-old high school student Lee Joo-in, played by Seo Soo-bin, who stands alone in refusing to participate in a school-wide petition against the release of a child sex offender.
Returning with a new film after six years since 'The House of Us' (2019), Yoon expressed her mixed emotions, saying, "I was nervous. It's been a while since I made a film. Although it was screened at international film festivals, I'm most anxious and excited about the reactions from Korean audiences. I'm still nervous. I pondered how to deliver both cinematic fun and emotion simultaneously. I'm curious about how it will be received."
Through this film, Yoon addresses the themes of teenage sexuality, love, and trauma. She revealed that she has been contemplating these themes for over a decade.
Yoon explained, "I tend to prioritize plausibility and quality, so I wondered how I could capture realistic experiences and genuine moments. Naturally, I thought of the violent situations one might experience related to sexuality, and it came to me while writing." She continued, "I struggled with how to drive the story forward, which led to a long period of pushing it away. However, I believed that to discuss sexuality and love, they must coexist. I also thought it was necessary to address the violence stemming from them." She added, "When I was at a loss, re-reading Lee Geum-yi's novel 'Yujin and Yujin(유진과 유진)' was a revelation. It felt like discovering a powerful beacon. It became the most significant influence on this work. After that, I had a clearer guide on how to proceed with the story."
Previously, director Yoon has tackled social issues like school violence and child neglect from children's perspectives in films like 'The World of Us' and 'The House of Us'. While maintaining a warm perspective, her films often portray reality with a stark honesty rather than a 'happy ending'. This new film expands to include the stories of surrounding characters and presents multiple viewpoints, with the protagonist's age being slightly older at 18.
Regarding her departure from her usual filmmaking style, Yoon stated, "I felt a sense of stagnation in my previous methods. I wanted to convey the story in a new way, but I also felt I knew too little about filmmaking, which was daunting." She added, "Most of my films have been from a first-person perspective, but as I explored this theme, I questioned if that was appropriate. Studying this theme made me wonder, 'Is this a personal tragedy?' News often portrays it as a catastrophe for an individual. However, upon closer inspection, there's a 'long history of violence', yet it's rarely exposed. Society's view of survivors is crucial. It's not an individual's problem, but the burden of pain falls entirely on them, which I found tragic. Therefore, I thought it was important to include the perception of individuals within this 'world'."
The film does not directly depict the traumatic experiences related to sexual trauma. Yoon explained, "Even for a moment, making victims recall those memories is hell. The characters in the film likely feel the same way. I believe they do." She continued, "I didn't know how to handle the weight of that pain. Also, I thought depicting it could become a 'typical reproduction'. I wasn't confident enough to do it."
'The World of Love' is set to release on the 22nd.
By Ji-won Kim, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr
