º»¹® ¹Ù·Î°¡±â ¸Þ´º ¹Ù·Î°¡±â

15th DMZ Docs(2023)

I AM DOCU



HWANG Namim, PARK Baeil

  • Korea
  • 2023
  • 64min
  • 12 +
  • DCP
  • color

World Premiere

Synopsis

On September 24, 2022, Namim and Baeil get married. However, their wedding doesn't follow the conventional norms of a Korean ¡®wedding hall¡¯ decorated with flowers and lights. Instead, they choose a movie theater. Far from an extravagant wedding, Namim and Baeil create a movie full of their personal stories. In the midst of this uniquely unusual wedding, the theater's lights dim, marking the beginning of the first film from Nahana Film, founded by Namim and Baeil. But the road to love and marriage isn't all rosy, as the couple faces challenges to keep their heads above water. 

Review

 Eopu Eopu is a diary film that records the marriage and daily life of film director Park Baeil and his lover and elementary school teacher, Hwang Namim, and the film shows a branch of personal documentary. Eopu Eopu starts with a couple getting married at a theater and screening their collaborative film. The film sets the director himself as the narrator and freely captures the records and observations of his own life. The stories of two people take the form of an autobiographical film production method that grants privilege to ordinary days and emphasizes the narrator¡¯s subjectivity in the format of film inside film. This way, the film frankly exposes the characteristics of attachment between yearning and dispute, the values of dating and marriage, and the tension between reality and creation. The film goes beyond the simple records of ordinary illustrations and offers an opportunity for deeper contemplation on time. The narrator¡¯s voice, presence, and stream of consciousness show the power of film that anyone can film his or her private life and disclose it openly. Eopu Eopu  is more about the artist¡¯s story rather than the story of life. The film uses the story of life journey and self-reflexivity to celebrate the couple¡¯s determination to walk own path by reflecting on the relationship between film, ordinary life, and love. 

Director

  • HWANG Namim

    Since 2014, Hwang has been dedicated to teaching students. Hwang has been createing documentaries and employing texts and images to contemplate past experiences. Hwang has directed a short film titled Moving School (2016) and the debut feature, Eopu Eopu.

  • PARK Baeil

    Park ventured into documentary filmmaking following the completion of Just Their Christmas (2006), a film that offers insight into the life of an elderly woman living next door. Currently affiliated with the Busan-based group Ozifilm, Park's primary thematic interests revolve around topics such as individuals with disabilities, laborers, women, and cultural matters. Particularly noteworthy is Park's recognition with the BIFF Mecenat Award for both Sea of Butterfly (2011) and Soseong-ri (2017). Additionally, his film Miryang Arirang (2014) earned him the Special Jury Award at the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival.

Credit