By Honorary Reporter Seema Thomas from India

This year's Cannes Film Festival from May 14-25 showcased films of diverse genres from around the world. "Forest of Echoes" was nominated in the event's Cinefondation (La Cinef) section, which focuses on short and mid-length films by student filmmakers. "Forest of Echoes" is about the story of Ok-yeon, who runs into a forbidden forest after being chased by drunken men and encounters a woman who lives next door. 

After seeing the trailer, I reached out to the 22-minute film's director Lim Yoo-ri to interview her about making the work.

The following are excerpts from a written interview between May 24 and June 1 with her.  

What were the most significant aspects of your journey to Cannes?

The most significant experience was completing the stories I wanted to share with the world. After talking with people about how works in the La Cinef section make it to the festival, I discovered that a common sentiment was that none of the 18 works sought to prove something but had their own stories with their unique perspectives. I think originality and contemporaneity were the keywords in this year's section, which made me reconsider the role of film as a medium of record.

What inspired your movie and how did you bring it to life?

The story started from my dream, in which a girl leaves home and heads to the mountains and sea. The image of the weak and helpless girl gathering courage and walking out of the large forest lingered with me even after I woke up. I was compelled to film that scene and share it with the world.

Many difficulties occurred during production, but I kept telling myself that I had to send my protagonist to the sea. This determination kept me going.

Why did you choose the story's era and setting? How did you balance its historical aspects with modern-day relevance?

The girl in my dream wore Hanbok and wandered through an old mountain hamlet. This inspired a film set in Korea 500-600 years ago but is not strictly historically accurate. I aimed for a fantasy and fairytale-like setting to create a new universe, as I enjoy blending fantasy and reality to show how events in fantasy mirror real life.

How did it feel to see your work showcased at the Cannes Film Festival?

I was nervous during the screening, hoping the emotions I conveyed would resonate across diverse cultures. After the screening, inquiries from the audience and directors about the fate of the protagonist Ok-yeon reassured me. Sparking curiosity about her fate and happiness was my goal, and it was comforting to see it resonate widely.

What projects or plans are you working on?

I want to develop "Forest of Echoes" into a longer story, so I'm working on a feature-length screenplay. An upcoming project is a future version of the movie on the secrets of its creation and Ok-yeon's story a few hundred years later in the same place. 

Another project is the post-apocalyptic story "To Eden," which is about people heading to an unknown place dubbed "Eden" after everyone disappears mysteriously. 

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.