South Korean omnibus film “Citizen Pane” (subtitled “Seoul Independent Film Festival 2022 Omnibus Challenge”) has been planned and produced by Seoul Independent Film Festival following precise guidelines. 6 episodes of about 10 min, each one only filmed at one place for a half-day, featuring only one dialogue between two characters. A prologue made by director Yoon Seong-ho is followed by “Haribo” by Kim So-hyoung, “Where You Live Becomes You?” by Park Dong-hoon, “Sincerity Practice” by Choi Ha-na-I, “Hands in Hands” by Song Hyeon-ju, and “A New Mind” by Han In-mi. However, the formal structure is not the only thing these short films have in common, as they share a pungent satirical critique of widespread mannerism in human interactions, and despite the frequent local, South Korean references, many of us are bound to find them painfully familiar.
Citizen Pane is screening at Women Direct. Korean Indies! Korean Women Independent Film Series
In the Yoon Seong-ho's prologue, two businessmen's fast and absurd conversation introduces immediately the kind of awkward comedy that the whole omnibus will deliver. One is an employee of some big corporation (Kim Kyung-il) and the other the owner of a small company that the same corporation has outsourced (Yang Hyun-min). While having a coffee, they brag about the way they fool their under-employees and share tips on insidious reasoning to persuade them to stay away from the unions. Basically, underdogs fooling under-underdogs, and in fact, the film explores several nuances of this foolish but rather common mechanism.
In the second episode, “Haribo” by Kim So-hyoung, Bohyeon (Kim Woo-kyum) arrives to the house he's been sharing with his girlfriend (writer/director Kim So-hyoung) with the sole purpose of packing his staff as the two are in the process of separating and leaving the flat. However, a problem arises when they try to decide who will take care of their lovely snow-white cat named Haribo. They both love her but they both have good reasons (or excuses?) not to take her with them. A witty battle of words follows, enriched by comedic twists and turns and a hefty dose of passive aggressive reasoning, until they decide to make Haribo choose between the two.
Check also this interview
In the third part, titled “Where You Live Becomes You” and directed by Park Dong-hoon, a father (Jung Seung-kil) goes to visit his pregnant daughter Yunseo (Jo Yoon-seo) in her stylish middle-class apartment. Her husband works for a car company, and they are about to relocate in Gwangju (incidentally, the father's hometown) because of his work assignment. The conversation is quickly led by the father to the elephant in the room; he thinks being born in Gwangju will not benefit the baby's future life. Promptly the daughter reminds him of all the prejudices against Gwangju he had been fighting all his life and she doesn't seem concerned about the matter. However, a final twist will show her true colours.
“Sincerity Practice” is the apt title of the fourth episode, directed by by Choi Ha-na-I, in which a very concerned employee of a pet food company (Oh Kyung-hwa) and her assistant are frantically attempting to cope with an almost impossible task. One of their colleagues has in fact been accused to have used some poorly disguised misandry in a statement, during a company promotion and now it's their call to issue an online public apology. The two are soon stuck with the realization that in this delicate situation, anything they come out with is bound to offend someone. The conversation turns surreal and rather funny when they try to analyze the incriminated words, a silly transcription of dog's barking, under the scrutiny of a much more equilibrated canine friend.
In “Hands in Hands”, directed by Song Hyeon-ju, under the bored eyes of an attendant of a party-room-to-rent decorated like for a kids' birthday party, a clumsy young man Jun (Seo Byuk-joon) proposes to his girlfriend Ram (Yoon Gai). He probably expects a positive answer, but his request sparks a whole lot of issues he would have never anticipated and a hilarious back-and-forward of reasonings for “yes” and for “no” follows up. At the end, while the attendant clears up the room, the booking machine erupts an endless lists of people, probably waiting to face a similar challenge.
And finally, the last part, “A New Mind” by Han In-mi, deals with sexism in workplace environment, a matter that is destined to reach many. A male manager (Kim Jun-seok) talks to one of his female employees (Lee Tae-kyoung) about his new year's resolutions of more sincerity and fairness, but his sweet talking soon reveals a very different and hard-to-shake-off attitude. It is the “same-old-same-old” story but the author's use of witty dialogue and eccentric action manages to make a real fool of the bewildered man who believes to be the victim of the situation.
The 6 episodes work very well as an ensemble for a number of reasons. The shared backbone of them is the idea that all our actions take place within intersecting social hierarchies, with some groups at the top and others at the bottom, but it is right there, at the bottom of it, that the little people fight ruthlessly to stay on top of each other. This concept is articulated and applied to different circumstances, from sexism to political correctness to parochialism and so on, and they are all very relatable. So much so, that it can be an uncomfortable and cringe-inducing watch at times. However, the inevitable satirical aspect of these social mechanisms is cleverly highlighted by the excellent dialogues – all written by the directors – and makes a light fun of some human obsessions and compulsions. Moreover, the technical aspects certainly contribute to the consistency of this collection, as the episodes are all curated by the same team of professionals; Lee Jinkeun for the cinematography, Ahn Kyounghoon for the lighting, and Kang Minkook and Lee Ji-soo for the music.
Funny, wise and though-provoking, despite the localism of the contexts, “Citizen Pane” is bound to resonate universally.
