The issues women have been facing in Korea has been one of the most prevalent topics in the indie movie industry of the country, with the feminist notes being quite prevalent in that regard. Kim Hye-jin presents another film in the ‘canon' dealing with a number of the aforementioned topics.
Luna screened at Busan International Short Film Festival
The short begins with a music-video style sequence, including electronic music, rapid cuts that mirror its tempo, and red colors that dominate the images. Gradually the camera focuses more and a young woman dancing is revealed, before the next cut brings us to a scene where Luna is babysitting a little girl, Jia, and is asked by the girl's mother to stay a little longer. Eventually, she returns to her apartment exhausted and checks herself in the mirror, before the next cut brings us at another location, at her university, where a friend of hers comments on the fact that she fell asleep during class. The girls then start talking about their periods being late, with the signs about what is happening to the protagonist becoming clearer. The next scene, in Luna's apartment, confirms the obvious, with her despair being evident.
A visit to the doctor highlights the options she has for abortion, with pharmaceuticals and surgery suggested to her by a doctor, with Luna choosing the latter. The doctor suggests she should have someone with her for the procedure. A meeting between her and her employer makes a comment about single mothers and the issues they face.
Check also this interview
The comments Kim Hye-jin wanted to make are quite evident. The issue with unwanted pregnancy and the issues women who want to have an abortion face is the central one, with the doctor sequence showcasing both them and the solutions. At the same time, Kim seems to state that one has to be calm in order to face these situations, and having a way out, in the case of Luna through music, definitely helps. Having a good friend and someone to talk to also helps, with her colleague and her employer taking up the roles respectively. The latter also embodies another comment, about single motherhood and the problems trying to raise a kid and having to work presents, cementing the overall context here.
The feminist approach is evident throughout, also due to the complete lack of men in the short, but where the whole thing truly thrives, is its visuals. The initial and the final scene are the ones that stand out, but the same applies to the one by the river, which also adds a slight surrealistic note to the film, which definitely adds to the entertainment it offers. In that regard, Nils Bouvyer, who is both DP and editor here, does a great job in both, with the music video aesthetics working quite well throughout, and the cuts being part of the narrative in a rather smart way.
On the other hand, one could say that the aforementioned approach does get a bit too intense in terms of frequency, as it covers a rather large portion of the 24-minutes short, but considering the audiovisual quality of these sequences, one can move beyond the issue. Lastly, the way the final scene shows how Luna has changed results in another comment, this time about how people can change through their own experiences.
Kim Song-eum as Luna gives a very realist performance, retaining her sense of measure in a way that mirrors the overall aesthetics of the movie, thus anchoring the whole thing in the best way.
Truth is that we have seen some remarkable shorts from Korea that last few years, and “Luna” seems to fall a bit short from that quality, mostly because the focus on dancing seems a bit excessive. On the other hand, it is a well-shot, well-acted short that presents its comments eloquently, and thus definitely deserves a watch.
