Girl, Vase, Flower
My inspiration comes from the North Korean documentary "Under the Sun," directed by a Russian filmmaker. It follows the perspective of Zin-Mi, a seemingly ordinary (though carefully selected) girl from Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, as she gazes through the lens into the cold and desolate world of "public life."
During the filming, it faced scrutiny and interference from the North Korean government, thus presenting a "script" provided by the government. Most of the footage was strictly selected under official restrictions. Eventually, the director chose to publicly screen the parts that were secretly recorded.
On Zin-Mi's face, there is no light. Throughout the entire film, her gaze appears blank, unable to be concealed by the script or staging. The only time the film crew had a private conversation with the girl occurred towards the end of the film. A female voice asked in Korean, "Zin-Mi, what expectations do you have for life after joining the Young Pioneers?" Zin-Mi said that joining the Young Pioneers means growing up, taking responsibility for oneself, and also wanting to do something for the great leader... As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. Unlike tears of excitement and emotion, this little girl for the first time revealed her fear, her fear of the future. Joining the Young Pioneers was something predetermined in her life; it seemed as though her childhood was solely for this purpose. But what comes after? She doesn't know what choices there are, let alone how to make them.
She's like a hamster running on a wheel, only knowing to move forward but not knowing why.
If you have interest, here's the link to the documentary:
