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16th DMZ Docs(2024)

I AM DOCU



On the Wings of a Butterfly

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HYUN Jinsik

  • Korea
  • 2024
  • 88min
  • G
  • DCP
  • color/black and white

World Premiere

Synopsis

KO Ahra, a deaf dancer, navigates a world where hearing aids offer only a partial connection to sound. The nuances of speech remain beyond her grasp, and the music that fuels her dancing feels frustratingly distant. Despite these obstacles, KO Ahra embarks on a profound journey: motherhood. Haunted by childhood taunts in music class, she hasn't sung in twenty years. Yet, the birth of her child awakens a long-dormant desire. For the first time in two decades, Go Ara sings a lullaby. This simple act reignites her love for music, prompting her to explore new artistic territories and craft a soundscape that is uniquely her own.

Review

On the Wings of a Butterfly challenges conventional notions of music and hearing. Following KO Ahra, a hearing-impaired dancer and a mother of newborn who uses a hearing aid, the film explores profound questions about the nature of sound and music perception. The documentary gracefully interweaves KO Ahra's daily life—her worries, joys, and reflections—with her expressive stage movements. As she creates a new kind of music for herself, KO Ahra's hearing impairment becomes not a limitation, but a unique condition shaping her distinctive artistic world. In this realm, traditional distinctions between normal and abnormal, disabled and non-disabled, dissolve. There is only one dancer's movements, some music for her, and the new realm of sensations it delivers. A powerful scene captures KO Ahra wandering through everyday spaces and nature, wearing headphones and sharing sounds captured by her handheld microphone. As she dances to these sounds, the film creates a bridge between the artist's sensory experience and the audience's perception. This moment exemplifies art's fundamental value in connecting ¡®self¡¯ and ¡®other,¡¯ demonstrating deep understanding, respect, and an unwavering belief in artistic expression's power.

Director

  • HYUN Jinsik

    A documentary filmmaker and musician, the director's journey into documentary filmmaking began through editing. His deep interest in disability and the arts naturally led him to create works featuring disabled artists, exploring the intersection of these themes. The director is committed to crafting cinematic documentaries that offer viewers a rich, immersive experience. Uniquely, he possesses comprehensive technical expertise, overseeing the entire production process from directing to cinematography, editing, sound mixing, and color grading. Notable works in his portfolio include Windy Coffee Road(2016) and Free My Soul, Free My Song(2019).

Credit

  • ProducerKIM Sia
  • Cast KO Ahra, LEE Wonwoo
  • Cinematography HYUN Jinsik, LIM Sangil, MIN Dahong
  • Editor HYUN Jinsik
  • Music YOU Jongho
  • Sound HYUN Jinsik