The Reunion

About <The Reunion>

The material I've chosen for this film is Jaesa, a Korean traditional memorial rite. Jaesa is a ceremony of offering food to the dead, usually done on the anniversary of death. While preparing several Jaesatsang(a meal for Jaesa) each year for the deceased family members, I have found something eerie about this ritual. It includes overly well-plated food for the ghosts and a door left open for spirits to enter. And of course, you can't leave out three sharp chopstick sounds signaling the start of the ritual and a dark atmosphere created by candles and a traditional folding screen. Using these creepy elements from Jaesa, I intended to make a very Korean horror film. In particular, I focused on the disturbing image of a stranger who greedily eats the meal someone prepares for their dead daughter and severely insults the important cultural ceremony in spite of herself.

Also, this film is dedicated to those who are repressed and otherized. I was continually drawn to psychoanalytic theory while double majoring in psychology, which inspired me to write the scenario for this short film. According to Sigmund Freud, people are frightened when the otherness they seek to subdue returns to them. In this Film, Eunhee is a representation of suppressed instinct and otherness. She is Gaon's alter ego and relentlessly expresses the deepest desire that Gaon and society wish to keep hidden. Gaon tries to suffocate her in such a cruel way and move on with her life. However, finally, Eunhee comes back as a horrible rotten monster and haunts her. This ending symbolizes the return and the victory of the oppressed. Through this uncanny story, I wanted to convey a message about suppressing otherness and denying one's true self to the audience.

<The Reunion> is a small project with a budget of only $1,000 USD and a crew made up of fellow students. Despite some technical shortcomings, this film holds a special place in my heart, not just because it's the first film I solely directed and wrote, but also because it embodies my passions for horror, Korean tradition, and the oppressed and otherized.

Thank you for taking the time to watch my film. I hope you enjoy it.

Kyungmin Cho

*The original title <일식구반지경(一食九飯之頃)> is a process of Jaesa ritual. In this step, everybody turns around for 1~2 minutes for the spirit to come in and eat the meal.