다음 소희 - Next Sohee
<Next Sohee>, directed by JUNG, Ju-ri and starring KIM, Si-eun and BAE, Doona, is a thought-provoking film that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with a surprising yet not unexpected ending.
I had the opportunity to watch this film during the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal last summer. The film won the Cheval Noir award on the closing night for Best Director, and it was followed by a brief award ceremony and Q&A session. I found out during the end speech that the film had only been showcased at the Cannes Film Festival in France earlier in 2022 before making its way to Montreal. It had yet to receive approval to be shown in Korea at that time, however, on February 8, 2023, it was finally released in Korea.
Image taken from hancinema.net
I still remember the awkward silence at the end due to the heavy plot and emotional scenes that captivated everyone in the audience for almost 3 hours. That silence was quickly filled with roaring applause and a standing ovation as the director won the biggest award of the festival.
The story centers around a high school girl that is sent to a call center to gain experience for future employment. The plot itself is based on a real-life incident that occurred in Korea in 2016 and it highlights inequalities in the labor market regarding harassment, working hours and treatment of workers by management, as well as the role of certain school systems that associate with these companies to send students for training.
Due to the sensitive nature of the content, Director JUNG mentioned she had to change the real names of the companies in question. Two amazing actresses brought to life these characters in hopes of shedding light on the reality of certain aspects of the labor market for the lower income class in Korea.
Overall, without giving much away, the story itself is very poignant and raw, yet it’s something that happens in many places in the world. By creating a visual out of stories written or told by those who experienced this, we can become more aware of how we can be better as a society, whether it happens in Korea or here in Canada.
If you get the chance to watch this, please do; however, keep in mind that this film will be a tearjerker so prepare for a journey that will stay with you for a while.
Thank you for reading.
#nextsohee #다음소희 #한국영화 #koreanfilm #koreanculture #koreanculturalcentrecanada
All event photos are taken by Corina Sferdenschi
