Documentary
One model for my filmmaking in terms of both attitude and technique is Jean Rouch, founder of the “Cinéma vérité.” In his book Cine-ethnography, Rouch writes that “it is the ethnographer alone, to my mind, who really knows when, where, and how to film, in other words, to direct.” Just as Rouch took advantage of the portable sync-sound camera to make his work, I employ a one-person production style with minimal video equipment to make my stories
The Brick House in the Wind
Documentary, 10 min U.S.A. 2021
My wife and I came to the United States from South Korea 6 years ago. She and I were the only family members at that time but we have three children now. It is a short personal documentary about my family's life with three children as immigrants.
Screening
Big Muddy Film Festival, 2021
Short.Sweet.Film Fest, 2021
Documentary, 10 min U.S.A. 2021
My wife and I came to the United States from South Korea 6 years ago. She and I were the only family members at that time but we have three children now. It is a short personal documentary about my family's life with three children as immigrants.
Screening
Big Muddy Film Festival, 2021
Short.Sweet.Film Fest, 2021
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Becoming Taylor
Documentary, 8min U.S.A. 2019 Taylor is a visually impaired girl who loves to practice basketball and to 'listen' to the game in a basketball court. Screening Bluenose Ability Arts & Film Festival, 2020 BEA Festival of Media Arts, 2020 - Award of Excellence (Faculty Micro Documentary Competition) Columbus International Film and Animation Festival, 2020 People with Disabilities Film Festivals (South Korea), 2020 |
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Written in Stone
Documentary, 18 min, South Korea, U.S.A. 2018 Rod Pictures Present Kumar and Uma are the child workers, who live at a stone quarry village in India. Both of them have unrealistic dream to escape from the quarry someday. The parent of both children doesn’t want to inherit any financial difficulties, but they need to hold their children’s hand to lead them to a quarry. Screening American Documentary Film Festival, 2019 - Academy Award Qualifying Category Athens International Film and Video Festival, 2019 Austin Asian American Film Festival, 2019 - Special Mention for Documentary Short Canton Film Festival, 2019 - Finalist: Short Documentary Rochester International Film Festival, 2019 - Movies on a Shoestring Trophy Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, 2019 |
Talk to My Son
Documentary, 14 minutes, South Korea, U.S.A. 2017 Kyung-hee, a barista in South Korea, is a North Korean defector and she left her son in China 13 years ago. With the help of a filmmaker, she records her voice for her son to explain the story of his birth and why she had to leave him. In this situation, the filmmaker (Sangsun) tries to build a unique relationship with Kyung-hee and her son by making a film about their lives. Screening Athens International Film and Video Festival, 2018 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, 2018 - 10 finalists in the Best Mini Documentary competition - Academy Award Qualifying Category Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts, 2018 - Best of Competition Award RiverRun International Film Festival 2018 - Academy Award Qualifying Category Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 2018 ETHNOCINECA - International Documentary Film Festival Vienna, 2018 - Nominated for the International Shorts Award (ISA) Society for Visual Anthropology Film Festival, 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival, 2018 |
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Unfinished Legacy
Documentary, 18 min U.S.A. 2014 Brema, a 17-year old African street artist living in Milwaukee asks Sangsun, a 30-year old Korean stranger, “Who has it worse in the United States, an African male or an Asian male?” Even though Sangsun, the documentary’s director, doesn’t know the exact answer, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Brema. Screening NYC Independent Film Festival, 2015 Wisconsin Film Festival, 2015 Society for Visual Anthropology Film Festival, 2015 - Honorable Mention for JEAN ROUCH Award Korea Broadcasting System, 2015 |
Snow Bird
Experimental Film, 6 minutes, U.S.A. 2016 This dance film is a fairy tale about a snow bird which is born in Winter. The bird has lost her way in the forest so due to her confusion and loneliness, she would like to return to the egg, however, the egg is already broken. There is no way for her to get out of the forest and she doesn't know where to go. What she can do is just dance while waiting for something invisible to guide her. Screening Greensboro Dance Film Festival, 2016 Milwaukee Short Film Festival, 2016 |