43th edition of ANIMA screening 4 Korean movies to reflect

February 23rd until March 3rd,  2024 @Flagey @ Marni

The Korean Cultural Center is very pleased to collaborate again in the 43rd edition of ANIMA that will take place from February 23rd until March 3rd in Flagey and Marni. This year the festival is presenting four Korean Movies nominated to three different categories.  As the Korean Cultural Center being a a window to open Korean culture in Belgium,  is a very big pleasure to cooperate with one of the most important festivals in Europe as it is this one, and it’s a bigger satisfaction having four Korean nominees representing in the Belgian festival: Architect A by Jonghoon LEE, The waves by Joung Yumi, Battery Mommy by Seung-Bae JEON and Treasure by Jeong-In HEO. 

Anima is divided into different categories adapted to all audiences: Kids, Feature-Films, Short Film, Specials, Focus Sci-Fi, Futur-Anima, Extras, also Adults…and in each category there’s a subdivision: national and international. ANIMA collaborates with the Oscars, and all the films that win the contest, are being sent straight away to Oscar’s Awards to get nominated.

Two of the four Korean movies are nominated in Short Film- International Competition, these two animations are Architect A and The waves, published in 2023 and 2022 consecutively. 

Architect A is an animated  work from Jonghoon LEE and talks about the story of an old lady that resorts to the “magical architect” because she wants to build a house. The construction journey is interesting, he builds a house that resembles the way that person has lived by collecting materials from the client's life. If we try to find a “meaning” behind the short film, we could understand that all the houses that the Architect builds are made for covering all dreams, fears or concerns that his clients have. 

Whereas this film has color and dialogue, the other nominated to the same award is in black and white and silent. 

In The waves by Joung Yumi, there’re lots of symbols represented: the sea, as the biggest element that we know and we have in our planet, the boat and the old lady, that could be a simile with Ancient Greece's Caronte taking the souls to hell, and people not minding in the others business and focusing on their activities, that they are doing on their own. Maybe Joung Yumi wants to criticize the actual society that is always trying to get involved in other’s actions and activities by judging them or interrupting them. There’s no right interpretation, each person sees different things and connects the film in different ways. 

In the International Category of short films Competition for children we find Battery Mommy, a 2023 film that represents all mothers of the world as heroines. The directors wanted to pay homage to  the mothers always fighting for their kids and trying to reach everything. Battery Mommy works in lots of places in the nursery, she smells burn and she is within reach to save everyone. Mothers are always taking care of everyone before taking care of themselves, and they are constantly looking after everyone. Battery mommy is a stop-motion film made of muppets. Is the second part of the first work of Seung-Bae JEON, called Battery Daddy. 

The last movie, Treasure (2023) is in the category International Selection - Watch & Dance, could be considered as a “music video”. The song talks about a dream that came true: a girl's love story happening in real life, her favorite monster falling in love with her, and they both having some sort of relationship. The trailer combines animation and real life characters, which helps the storyline feel a bit more realistic. 

All of these four movies that will be screened in Anima, we can see how they pay tribute to four different ways to talk about life: being present with our emotions with architect A, feeling in love with Treasure, focusing on ourselves watching The Waves and reflecting with its meaning, and being more conscious about the mother’s tasks, so we can empathize better. 

ANIMA Brussels has earned its reputation as one of the premier animation festivals globally, attracting filmmakers, artists, and enthusiasts from every corner of the world. With a focus on both short and feature-length animations, the festival provides a platform for established artists and emerging talents alike, fostering a community where creativity knows no borders, that is why is a very good opportunity to go, watch movies, discover new ones, connect more with animation films and reflect about those meanings screened.