Interview with Kim Hye-mi: Looking Back, I Worried More Than I Needed To.”

It's Freudian, it's existential, it's surreal: in Kim Hye-mi's debut feature film “Climbing,” internal conflict takes over the screen. Choi Se-hyeon, a successful rock climber, finds out one day that she is pregnant. Much to her husband's chagrin, she loses the baby in a car accident. That's about as clear as the story gets, however. Consciousness and time flow into each other as we see Se-hyeon sink deeper into an internal battlefield of trauma. The thirst for motherhood and career-driven success mess with our protagonist, as we venture into the blood, guts, and gore of alternative timelines where she could (and could not have) had the baby. 

In recognition of the film's nomination for Annecy's Contrechamps selection, we sit down with director Kim Hye-mi over Zoom. For a film that is so freely violent, she's surprisingly reserved. She selects her words carefully; every now and then we hear her baby cry in the back. Over the next half-hour, we talk about the anxieties of pregnancy and of animation's fantastical capabilities. 

What inspired your film? 

When I was pregnant, I found that a lot of movies portray it as a beautiful or even beneficial experience. They don't really address the side effects. So I wanted to focus on a story about just that – the anxieties that one can experience during pregnancy. 

And the choice of a climbing athlete? 

When I was pregnant, I wanted to imagine myself in a different space. I wanted my main character to have a strong body — and to explore how she would react if she couldn't use her body anymore [because of pregnancy]. So I wanted to use an athlete. 

Climbing is also peculiar since it's a very individual sport. The entire time, the climber must push themselves by themselves – and also choose their own path up [the mountain]. It's like living life. I thought there were a lot of similarities between the connection between the rope and umbilical cord as well. And I guess, my husband used to climb as a hobby. We still have the materials at home. 

How did you research the movement? 

My staff had climbing lessons before. Members of our 3D Team head also climbed as a hobby, so we already had a strong understanding of it. I also watched a lot of Youtube videos. (laughs)

Tell me more about the character design. When I first saw your film, it reminded me of a mix of Tim Burton and “Acid Rain” (Tomek Popakul, 2019). 

Pixar/Disney is a daunting figure in 3D animation. If I tried to emulate them, wouldn't people think that my narrative of animation quality would be similar? I wanted to depart from that. I wanted to make different characters – characters that could show the anxiety, the unsettling feelings that come with pregnancy. I also wanted to show a character that had its own personality, but showed my hand as well. 

Did you always want to shoot in 3D? 

Yes. I've only animated in 2D before. I've always wanted to try my hand at 3D animation; moreover, I wanted to try something new. Practically speaking, the climbing scenes could also be better portrayed with different camera angles.

I want to return to some of the themes then. I could sense a connection between murder — accident — and to a degree, abortion (or miscarriage). Am I on the right track here? 

Different interpretations are definitely possible. When I wrote the film, I intended the story to be this: a climber who wants to succeed in their field faces off her own alternative self, one that wants to be a mother. Her split consciousnesses grapple with each other. There are different accidents, but they each play into her different fantasies. After all, animation is a form of fantasy in and of itself. 

At the end however, the birth scene asks for some repositioning. There are so many anxieties that a pregnant woman faces — like, will my mother-in-law feed me something weird? Will she take my child? Will she want to take over who I am? All of this is a mother's protective instinct, for the sake of her child. 

So this alternative timeline with the mother-in-law… 

Anxiety produces so many prejudices before actually meeting someone. So instead of saying that these events actually happened, they're more about worries. It's prejudice – rather than a real relationship – that only feeds into the anxiety. At the end of the day, it just takes some communication and understanding (especially post-birth!) to avoid anything strange. Instead of assuming a relationship's discomfort, why not just invest in something new? 

And yes, my mother-in-law did see this film. She said she enjoyed it – and she told me I worked hard. (laughs) Animation is a fantasy, so I think she just took the film as is. 

For someone who doesn't have kids, I thought this film was very compelling. 

You know, I did worry a lot [about my career, about my relationships] before I gave birth. Looking back, I worried more than I needed to. Thanks to my family, I was able to focus on a feature film. I think it would have been hard without the support of the people around me. If you just communicate and rely upon the people around you, then anything is possible.

What were some challenges you faced when working on this film? 

Well, this was my first time working with 3D animation. I felt like I wasn't skilled enough a lot of the time. But I learned from my staff. But I think more than that, I think it was difficult to see if I was actually doing well [over the 3 years and 6 months we worked on it]. It was difficult to be confident in the story that I was working on until the end. Now that it's finished, I have no regrets.

How do you feel about your premiere in Annecy now? 

I think it's really cool – and I'm super thankful – that Annecy chose my film. They're our first international festival. This was produced and made for Korean audiences, so I'm interested to see what overseas audiences – like France's – will think about this story on birth. The fact that they're interested is fascinating to me. 

I'm glad! Just one more question: what will your next project look like? Do you think you'll keep the style? 

I first think of the story I want to tell and then the style follows. So I think once I figure out what I want to write, then the artwork will follow. I'm not sure what it will be yet, but 2D or 3D will be good. I'll finish a short film this year, and hopefully I'll finish a script for a feature film next year.