Monday, July 9, 2012

Interview: "A Brand New Journey" with Kim Hee-jin

Director Kim Hee-jin's award-winning short film A Brand New Journey tells a story of Byung-hwa, a middle school boy, who wants to go on a school trip but doesn't have the money to afford it. Having already screened at 6 film festivals, including the likes of the Jeonju International Film Festival, Seoul Independent Film Festival and Asiana International Short Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize, Best Short Film prize and Best Korean Short Film prize respectively, A Brand New Journey is an enlightening story of a young man who simply longs to be an ordinary school boy.


A Brand New Journey will screen in the SCHOOL DAYS section of KOFFIA's new shorts program, the International Short Film Showcase, which will feature a variety of short films from up and coming Korean directors from around the world. For more information, see our official website.

Read on for a short interview with director Kim Hee-jin and her new short A Brand New Journey.

How did you get into the film industry?
I grew up in Busan and I think I encountered a lot of great movies in my youth from the Busan International Film Festival. Naturally, I had an idea that I wanted to make movies, and I guess I decided to do that when I got into the film studies at the university.


What or who inspires you as an artist?
When I was young, I enjoyed watching movies with simple plots that give you a warm feeling. Films like Christmas in August and Where Is The Friend's Home? are good examples of this. Ever since I studied film at university, I think I was influenced by films of realism, or those that looked closely at what is often invisible in society.

Can you tell us about A Brand New Journey?
A principle I had when I preparing A Brand New Journey, which was my graduation film, was that I wanted to make something that I knew about well. The film is about a boy who wants to take part in a school excursion, but can’t because he doesn’t have the money to afford it. I hope to give the audience a feeling of being able to take a look deep inside the mind of the lead character after seeing the film.

How do you feel about having an Australian Premiere for your film at KOFFIA?
There haven’t been many opportunities to show the film overseas, so I’m really pleased to finally have this chance at KOFFIA.

What's next for you? 
I’m currently studying at the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) and am planning to shoot a mid-length film which will be 30 minutes long, in the autumn of this year.

Visit A Brand New Journey's Official Website

Stay up-to-date for more interviews and features on the films and directors featuring in this year's KOFFIA International Short Film Showcase!

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