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15th DMZ Docs(2023)

I AM DOCU



Possible Faces

LEE Kang-hyun

  • Korea
  • 2017
  • 132min
  • 12 +
  • DCP
  • color

Synopsis

Kisun, an administrative member at a high school, experiences an unexpected surge of curiosity about Jinsoo, a student who is part of the school's soccer club. In the midst of this intrigue, Kisun's former lover Hyejin decides to quit her job as an office worker and take on the demanding task of renovating her mother's modest restaurant. In the midst of these changing dynamics, Hyunsoo, a courier, becomes a notable presence, navigating freely through the lives of these characters. Unbeknownst to them, an observer carefully watches over these interwoven stories, adding an aura of mystery to the unfolding narrative.

Review

 Director Lee Kang-hyun is inherently dedicated to revealing dominant systems, identifying errors within the workings of these systems, and constructing a chain of these errors to cultivate a force directed outward from the system. These three aspects are fundamentally intertwined within all of his works; however, they manifest with subtle differences in his three featured films. While The Description of Bankruptcy highlights the reproduction of the system, The Color of Pain emphasizes errors in its operation, and in Possible Faces the struggle to find ways in which errors can chain together seems central. Characters, when unable to adapt or struggling within the system, often look beyond their immediate surroundings rather than just focusing on the ground ahead, pausing to see distant horizons. This film cinematically captures such moments while aiming to carve paths untouched by the system. The director's unwavering refusal to compromise with hasty expectations and beliefs persists, and a syntax that bestows more hope or meaning upon things that briefly appear and disappear is absent in this film. Nonetheless, the continuous chain of moments that doesn't fade away doesn't depict a future unfolding along a single straight line, yet, in front of the advancing time, the director's final work stands resolutely, reminding us that it's our task to propel the force of this chain forward.

Director

  • LEE Kang-hyun

    Lee made his directorial debut in 2006 with the release of his first feature documentary, The Description of Bankruptcy. The film was screened at various Korean and international film festivals, including the Seoul Independent Film Festival and IDFA. His second work, The Color Of Pain also garnered positive reactions from both Korean and international critics and audiences, showcasing his profound insights. In 2019, Lee ventured into feature fictional filmmaking with Possible Faces, his first foray into this genre.

Credit