CIRCLE Heads to the 74th Berlinale’s Berlinale Shorts

 Director Joung Yumi

"Strangers accompany each other for a while and become united by fate." is the jury's commentary on Joung Yumi's new film Circle, which was selected for the Berlinale Shorts at the Berlin International Film Festival. From the 2010 Math Test​ to Circle, Joung Yumi has been invited to the Berlinale four times, establishing herself as one of Berlin's favorite directors. Circle is a fable about what happens when people gather in a circle drawn by a young girl. Just before the festival, KOBIZ conducted a lengthy interview with Director Joung Yumi, discussing her new film Circle and her worldview.

 Circle

-You have been invited to various international film festivals, such as Cannes Film Festival, Animafest Zagreb, and more. Why is your work recognized worldwide?

=There are only a handful of directors who consistently produce short animations. Additionally, my work doesn’t have any narration or dialog, which means that it is a work without language. I believe the absence of language in the film is substituted by a universal message that resonates with people from all walks of life, making it suitable for showcasing at international film festivals.

-You have released a new film for three consecutive years. Was there a specific moment that inspired you to start actively working?

=After Love Games, I had a project that I couldn't tie up. I couldn't finish it, so I stopped working on it for five years. I was concerned about my ability to continue working on it in the future. In the end, I realized I was determined to work diligently, even if it was challenging, and that's how I made <House of Existence>. The style of my films has changed over the five years I've spent away from my work. In my early works, I used close-ups and Point of View (POV) to effectively depict the character's circumstances, resulting in a solid structure that allowed viewers to immerse in the character’s emotions. Of course, there were many scenes and cuts, which made it burdensome. Nowadays, I employ a one-scene-one-take approach which maintains the distance between the characters and viewer. By simplifying the scenes and cuts, I can quickly incorporate ideas into my work as soon as they come to mind, resulting in a more streamlined final product. Now I try to achieve a balance between lighter and more demanding tasks to enhance my productivity.

Circle

-How did the idea for Circle come about, and where do you usually find inspiration?

=I usually use my current questions and concerns as the subject of my work. When creating House of Existence, I read The Untethered Soul to clarify what I wanted to say. Circle started with a small thought that I had unconsciously taken for granted. At some point, I realized that everyone, including myself, was making similar choices, creating a pattern where life seemed to be repeating itself in dilemmas. I was curious about where we would go if we freed ourselves from numerous unconscious stereotypes.

-The film has not yet been released in Korea. How would you summarize Circle for the audience?

Circle  is about how various individuals with their destinations can become ensnared by unconscious stereotypes. Our lives become narrower and narrower if we don't question them. I wanted you to have a chance to think about the stereotypes that are holding you back, like the little circle in the movie before the room for doubt narrows.

-A girl or child who was an important symbol in earlier works such as DUST KID appears as a decisive character in Circle

=The meaning of the child in Circle is different from the early works. In the early works, the girl represents the inner child. In psychology, the term 'inner child' refers to a self within the human unconscious that is formed as a result of childhood pain and wounds. The child in Circle, on the other hand, has nothing to do with the inner child. Children do not view the world using a dichotomous perspective. They are free to enjoy what they want. Therefore, if there were a being that could freely create and erase ideas, it would have to take the form of a child. Without thinking, the girl simply saw a branch on the ground and drew a circle, then erased it.

Circle

-Love Games, House of Existence, PADO, and Circle always end with a blank space where all characters have left. You seem to be equally interested in boundaries and emptiness.

=My work always starts with a problem. When I'm in trouble, I’m unable to see beyond it and I feel trapped, so I consistently strive to break free from these boundaries. Once you recognize that the idea is imprisoning yourself, boundaries become meaningless. In PADO, I especially wanted to emphasize this context. The waves rise and fall, ebb and flow. People on the beach are busy repeating their action as well. But in the end, after the arrival of the big wave, all the people disappear, leaving only the repetitive cycle of the wave.

-You use a pencil drawing technique for your film. The unique texture is considered the seal of approval for your work. Why do you prefer pencils despite living in the digital age?

=A pencil is a comforting material. It has been my go-to tool since I was a kid, and it is the easiest to handle. I hated watercolor, which I learned in art class because once you mess up, it's hard to recover. Pencils, on the other hand, can be less intimidating since they can be erased with an eraser. Unlike many artists these days, drawing characters on paper is still the quickest and easiest way for me. I work by sketching the original source in pencil and then digitizing it on the tablet. I didn't feel the need to use coloring in my film. I still love the minimal and surreal vibe that only black and white images provide. I don't like the fact that coloring also contributes to the length of the process. (laughs)

-You also extensively work on picture books and graphic novels. How do you approach the different mediums considering the significant difference between books and animation?

=I have loved picture books since I was a child. When I graduated from college, I published a small picture book resembling an essay. While I was making DUST KID, I realized that I could create a picture book once more. Since DUST KID was not intended for a picture book, the story had to include action to maintain its charm. A movie can depict the passage of time through sound and editing, whereas a picture book relies on cuts to express everything. So I ended up making a very bizarre picture book with numerous cuts, similar to a graphic novel.

-Do you have any plans for the next project?

=I have completed another film and am about to submit it to a film festival. It's very different from my previous work. As I mentioned earlier, I animated a diary-like essay I wrote after graduation, but this one consists of colored images and strongly emphasized motion. In addition, I attempted to put narration for the first time. Until up now I have only used minimal sound in my film, but with narration as a basis, I actively utilized music and challenged myself in emotional work. I hope to have the opportunity to release it this year.

If I were to define my artistic world in one sentence?

My artistic world is the process of hatching out of an egg. I work with the hope of breaking free from the confines of conventional thoughts and becoming a little freer.

Written by Choi Hyun Su