"My Movie Is a Korean Film": Why We Expect So Much from Director Jin Mi-song, Who Captivated Cannes [Cannes★Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean director Jin Mi-song was honored with the second-place award at the Cannes International Film Festival for her film 'Silent Voices' in the La Cinéfondation section. Although Director Jin Mi-song received the award for her graduation project at an American university, she stated, "My movie is a Korean film."

At the 79th Cannes International Film Festival La Cinéfondation awards ceremony held at the Buñuel Theater in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, at 6 p.m. on the 21st (local time), Director Jin Mi-song's 'Silent Voices' won the second-place award. At the ceremony, Korean-French actor Park Ji-min presented the award to Director Jin Mi-song. A representative from La Cinéfondation stated, "This work is a Korean production, but it was submitted by Columbia University in the United States."

'Silent Voices' is a short film depicting the stories of Korean immigrants living in the United States. The film follows four family members, offering a glimpse into their private lives as they navigate survival and disconnection in places where they feel alienated due to their appearance, culture, and distance from their homeland.

In an interview with StarNews, Director Jin Mi-song shared the significance of her film's selection and various other stories. Director Jin said, "When I was in the U.S., I received an email from Cannes at 3 a.m. I was on edge when I got the call, and the invitation left me unable to sleep. They told me they had seen my film well and said that films like this are needed." She added, "I believe La Cinéfondation at Cannes is a place that offers young filmmakers and students a genuine opportunity to make films. I am glad to have been able to be part of such a venue."

Director Jin explained, "There are many stories about Asian immigrant families in the U.S., but I wanted to tell them in my own way. I tried to remove all sentimental elements. There are many short films that express Asian culture in an Americanized way, but I wanted to create something that quietly depicts everyday life rather than that." She continued, "While attending Columbia, I had to make a graduation film. I felt skeptical about the conventional film production structure that creates a clear beginning, middle, and end for characters. So, for my graduation project, I wanted to reverse that and create a film that follows the viewer's gaze and uses cross-cutting."

'Silent Voices' is a film made by Korean director Jin Mi-song but was submitted as a Columbia University graduation project. Typically, a film's nationality is determined by its production budget. When asked about the nationality of this film, Director Jin stated confidently, "Half of the production budget came from the U.S., and the other half came from my personal funds. Therefore, I consider more than half of this film to be a Korean film. Most of the crew involved were also Korean. So, in my mind, this film is a 'Korean film'."

Director Jin said, "This varies by school, but Columbia University recognizes students' rights. Some schools retain copyright, but Columbia recognizes that the film belongs to the director, which makes this film even more of a Korean film." She added, "As a Korean person, I want to tell Korean stories even as I continue to make films. I am currently writing my first feature film bit by bit."

Director Jin shared her thoughts on her next project: "I am from the Gangnam 8th-grade school district in Korea. Looking around me, I noticed that people who grew up without worry, studied abroad, and lived as part of the privileged class often struggle to find direction in life as they age. The compulsion to find a job and earn money also comes from family and society. I want to tell stories about how solid this privilege is in Korea and what psychological impact it has. While there are many stories about social classes in Korea, I want to quietly address the privileged class as well and depict complex narratives."

Director Jin Mi-song, who studied English literature and film directing at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea, is currently enrolled in the MFA film program at Columbia University. She was invited to the La Cinéfondation section of the Cannes International Film Festival with her graduation film 'Silent Voices' and has now experienced the joy of winning an award.

Shortly after the award, Director Jin Mi-song stated, "I had no expectation at all, but I am so grateful for receiving the second-place award. I will strive to make even better works through this opportunity." Director Jin also said, "At first, I was unsure, but I knew I had won when they announced the title at the end." When asked what she wanted to do after the award, Director Jin smiled broadly and replied, "I want to have a glass of soju."

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*This content was translated by AI.