::: IndieStory :::

2006, 35mm, color, 106'
Dir: CHUNG Yoon-chul, KIM Hyeon-pil, NOH Dong-seok, KIM Gok, KIM Sun, LEE Mi-yeon, HONG Ki-seon
Keyword: Drama,Youth,Women,Human Rights,Lesbian & Gay,Omnibus

*4th Jecheon Int’l Music & Film Festival (2008, Korea)
*10th Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival (2007, USA)
3rd InD Panda Int’l Shorts Festival (2007, Hong Kong)
Opening Film, Festival Franco-Coreen du Film (2006, France)
Korean Cinema Today, 11th Pusan Int’l Film Festival (2006, Korea)
Korean Cinema on the Move, 7th Jeonju Int’l Film Festival (2006, Korea)

*BomBomBomB!!!” only screened

2nd Chennai Women's Film Festival (2009, India)

*GaP only screened

Episode 1.Muhammad the Hermit King dir_ CHUNG Yoon-chul
An illegal worker of a toxic chemical factory, Muhammad from Thailand is always blamed for not wearing a security mask by the factory manager. One day, regulation authorities come to the factory. Thus, the manager has Muhammad, who should always run away from vans and police, go to a public sauna to that there’s no wage for today. In the bath tub, he finds himself watching a TV show introducing global cultures.
The Hermit King is person from a sea village in Thailand on this show who dives from morning till night. A reporter visits his place to find his true story, but he’s not there. After showing a picture of the King, his mother says that he has gone abroad to make money.

Episode 2. The Girl Bitten by Mosquito dir_KIM Hyoen-phil
A girl who is the head of the family, is sick and tired of sponsoring performances by politicians such as athletic competition for young heads of the family. She’s also tired of charitable events at churches where she can get some Kimchi. Now she begins to like a church boy who can help her. Upon finding this boy, who she opens her mind to, she wants to buy him a video camera no matter how. One day, she happens to follow behind to surprise him, only to realize his truth. A fire breaks out in her room due to burning candle as she hasn’t been able to pay for the electricity bill for months.

Episode 3. GaP dir_LEE Mi-yeon
Ho-jung who quit her job after getting married, wants to restart her previous work. Dae-woo avoids contacting with her, however, by saying that Dae-woo is tired and believes Ho-jung is only being peevish. One day, Dae-woo argues how much a mother means to a child, with exclaiming angrily, “Family members have their own roles!” Do men make money, women stay home? Is this what this husband wants for a role?

Episode 4. A Tough Life dir_NOH Dong-seok
For his birthday party, Kyung-soo’s mother invites his elementary school friends for a wonderful birthday party. Believing he is interested in English, she loves to invite his classmates from English class where a native English speaker teaches. As soon as a foreign girlfriend of Kyung-soo arrives, the exciting party air starts to be broken.
Everyone gets shocked by her dark skin. His friends make fun of her by saying, “Are you from Africa?” and “Go back to your country!” Dragging Kyung-soo into a room, his mom says, “Why do you play with her cheating on your mom?” His moderate mother finally unmasks herself.

Episode 5. BomBomBomB!!! dir_KIM Gok, KIM Sun
Ma-sun, known for being a gay at school, is always insulted by classmate. There are endless rumors at school life his boyfriend wears girl’s underwear. Ma-taik is surprised at Ma-sun’s drumming at an audition for school band. After performing some tunes together, they become close and special friends and practice at the band room until night. One day, their classmates find them playing together and a rumor spreads that they are gay and in love with each other. Ma-taik stands at the crossroads of choosing either to follow their friendship and to be alone at school or to betray this friendship to survive at school. What will he choose to do?

Episode 6. An Ephemeral Life dir_HONG Ki-seon
Mr. DOH drives a forklift at a factory. After receiving an urgent message indicating that his mother is in critical condition, he tries to take some time off. The answer from his boss is “No way” because he is an irregular worker. He gives up taking time off, since it should deduct from his monthly and salary. Upon hearing his sister’s anxious words “Your mother is sick, how could you not… Are you sure you are not going?”, Mr. DOH enters the gate of the factory again. He tries to pray for his mother by taking a bible from library, but the wall of staff library is even higher than the Berlin Wall for him, an irregular worker.

Following the previous projects (2003) and (2005) , is the third omnibus project describing the theme, human rights. The third project is comprised of six short films made by seven directors.
The six shorts included in are as follows: “Muhammad the Hermit King”(directed by CHUNG Yoon-chul) is a story that points out our discriminatory attitude towards foreign workers, “The Girl Bitten by Mosquito”(directed by KIM Hyun-phil) deals with prejudice and objectification, telling a story about a death of a young orphan girl who was forced to sleep by candle light because she was unable to pay her bills, “GaP”(directed by LEE Mi-yeon) is a story that points out the unfair fixated gender roles within the family, “A Tough Life” (directed by NOH Dong-seok) deals with skin color and race discriminations in Korean society as seen through the eyes of children, ”BomBomBomB!!!” (directed by KIM Gok, KIM Sun) shows the prejudice and discrimination that teenage sexual minorities must endure and “An Ephemeral Life” (directed by HONG Ki-seon) is about discrimination against irregular workers.

This film has deepened its theme, and the point of view on the theme approaches deeper to the mental state and life of protagonists without merely remaining at sketching discriminated objects.

CHUNG Yoon-chul

Born in 1971.
Graduated from The School of Film and Theater at Hanyang University.
Selected as a member of MAMPIST and studied Film Editing at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

1997 [Memorial Picture] short film
           Best Film Award, 4th Seoul Short Film Festival (1997, Korea)
1998 [Hibernation] short film
           Competition, 21st Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival (1999, France)
           Best Director Award, Shinyoung Film Festival (1999, Korea)
2005 [MAЯATHON] 35mm, color, 117min.
           Panorama, 27th Durban Int’l Film Festival (2006, South Africa)
           Closing Film, 8th Deauville Asian Film Festival (2006, France)
           6th San Diego Asian Film Festival (2005, USA)
           Focus on World Cinema, 29th Montreal World Film Festival (2005, Canada)
           Public Award for Best Film/Junior Jury Award, 11th Lyon Asian Film Festival (2005, France)
           Best Film Award/New Director Award, 42nd Grand Bell Awards (2005, Korea)
           Wide Angle, 10th Pusan Int’l Film Festival (2005, Korea)
2006 [If You Were Me 3-“Muhammad the Hermit King”] 35mm, color, 16min.
          3rd InD Panda Int’l Shorts Festival (2007, Hong Kong)
          Opening Film, Festival Franco-Coreen du Film (2006, France)
          11th Pusan Int’l Film Festival (2006, Korea)
          7th Jeonju Int’l Film Festival (2006, Korea)

KIM Hyeon-pil

Born in Kimje, Jeonbuk, Korea
Graduated from Graduate School of Korean National University of Arts, School of Film and Multimedia, Dept. of Film Making.

2001 [Frog Child] 16mm, color, 14min.
         [True or Not] 16mm, color, 34min.
2003 [Wonderful Day] 16mm, color, 32min.
          Korean Independent Cinema Section, 14th Brisbane Int’l Film Festival (2005, Australia)
          Int’l Panorama, 9th Rio de Janeiro Int’l Short Film Festival (2003, Brazil)
          Kodak Award (Excellent Award), Seoul Independent Film Festival (2003, Korea)
          Cinefondation, 56th Cannes Film Festival (2003, Korea)
          Busan Asian Short Film Festival (2003, Korea)
          22nd Vancouver Int’l Film Festival (2003, Canada)
          1st Prize, 2nd Mise-en-scene’s Genre Film Festival (2003, Korea)
          Fantastic Short Films, 7th Puchon Int’l Fantastic Film Festival (2003, Korea)
2004 [Just Close Your Eyes and Go Back!] 35mm, color, 25min.
          6th Jeonju Int’l Film Festival (2005, Korea)
          4th Mise-en-scéne's Genre Film Festival (2005, Korea)
          Special Prize, 30th Seoul Independent Film Festival (2004, Korea)
2006  [If You Were Me 3, “The Girl Bitten by Mosquito”] 35mm, color, 22min.
          3rd InD Panda Int’l Shorts Festival (2007, Hong Kong)
          Opening Film, Festival Franco-Coreen du Film (2006, France)
          11th Pusan Int’l Film Festival (2006, Korea)
          7th Jeonju Int’l Film Festival (2006, Korea)