1 of 5 | Ko Ae-sung starred in "Because I Hate Korea", which opened the Busan International Film Festival. Photo courtesy of BIFF
Busan, South Korea, October. 5 (UPI) -- When Gye-na (Ko Ae-sung), a twenty-something office worker in Seoul, is asked why she decided to drop everything and move to New Zealand, her answer is simple: "Because I hate Korea." " It's not hard to see why he feels this way about director Jang Kun-jae's subtle film "Like I Hate Korea," which opened Wednesday night at the Busan International Film Festival.
There was the two-hour commute, the cramped apartment she shared with her working-class parents and sister, the meaningless work, the intense competition, the feeling of looking ahead and seeing nothing. Better in the future.
Your problem is by no means unique. South Korea's birth rate, one of the lowest in the world, clearly shows that many young Koreans in the real world are not optimistic about the future.
"Are we as a society creating an environment for young people to pursue their dreams? That's what I wanted to ask with this film," said Zhang, known for A Midsummer's Fantasia (2014), Sleepless Night (2012) and Eighteen (2009). . ) He said this in a press conference on Wednesday.
Because I Hate Korea , based on Chang Kang-myung's 2015 bestselling novel of the same name, follows Gae-na's adventures in Auckland as she works part-time and meets a new group of locals and expats with a free spirit. . Jae-in (Joo Jung-hyuk).
However, it doesn't take Gye-na long to realize that leaving South Korea isn't a magic solution to all her problems. The old cliché applies: wherever you go, there you are. And in Gye-na's case, this question (who exactly is she) remains unanswered.
The film's open title serves as an outlet, as Jang's approach emphasizes the ambiguity of the story and a structure that bounces between New Zealand and South Korea.
"The title sounds very intense, but what we need to focus on is why Gae-na chose this path, what made her flee Korea," Jang said. "Instead of sending a message, I want the audience to see and observe the younger generation: what changes them, why they choose to live their lives this way."
While Gye-na struggles to find her place outside and at home, the other characters find a clearer destiny. His friend Jae-in thrives in New Zealand, free from the constraints and expectations of Korean society. The wealthy lover she left behind, Ji-myung (Kim Woo-geum), pursues her professional ambitions, while her poor classmates meet a painful end for Gae-na.
For Kim, the actor who plays Ji-myung, simply asking the big question marks a generational shift in a conservative society that has long been built on clear roles and social expectations.
"The younger generation is thinking about what happiness means to them," Kim said at a news conference. "Thinking about the subject is priceless."
Basically, Because I Hate Korea is a character study based on the layered performance of Ko Ae-sung, known for his work in The Host and Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer . He brings depth and believability to a character whose motivations aren't always clear, either to him or to the audience.
The film's subtle indie vibe is appealing, but it's a far cry from the dark humor and sharp satire of global South Korean blockbusters like Parasite or The Squid Game . (It's probably not the kind of film you'd expect to open a major festival.)
Because I Hate Korea begins with an answer, but for Gye-na and many of her generation the remaining questions will linger long after the credits roll.
