Based in New York City and also working in Seoul, Jeonghui An holds degrees in Industrial Design and Public Administration. Her diverse background, coupled with over a decade of experience in the game industry, enriches her filmmaking with a unique perspective. “Negative Space” is her debut.
Negative Space is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia
The film begins with a black screen implying a transaction of sorts, before a close up to a woman's eyes interspersed with one of a painting takes over. It is revealed, however, that the image is actually one portrayed in Korean currency. A message on the mobile phone of the protagonist, Ji-won, about a potential interview, breaks the dreamy intro and brings the narrative to reality. An expired milk she tries to consume seems like a metaphor for her overall status, while the medicine she then takes, showcases that her health is not exactly great either.
In the next scene, she attends the job interview, with her nervousness being quite evident as she is getting inside the bathroom to rehearse what she has to say and calm herself. A smart cut brings her from the bathroom to the interview room, repeating the same phrases. The interview, however, does not seem to be going particularly well, with the questions about her age and lack of experience weighing heavily. Several discussions with her mother on the phone, highlight Ji-won circumstances even more.
An Jeong-hui directs a film that revolves around the concept of job finding and how stressful the whole procedure can be, particularly when failure comes time and time again. Ji-won can really feel the clock ticking the older she gets, with her job in the convenience store looking more permanent by the minute, and the hope for professional progress, a long shot. The fact that the protagonist's nerves are shot throughout the short adds to this message, by also connecting it with the psychological status of the people in similar situations.
The purpose of the short, as indicated by the words in the finale, is to encourage people in similar situations, not by presenting an optimistic message, but by showing that there are others like them also. This approach is both pragmatic and dramatic, with the slight ‘twist' about the mother adding to the second aspect in rather smart fashion.
Gorgeous Lim Eun-ji gives a captivating performance, highlighting all the intense emotions Ji-won feels in laconic but quite eloquent fashion. The cinematography by Song Hye-reyong is also excellent, with the close-ups working rather well, also due to Lim's acting, and the almost dystopian presentation of the interview locations adding to the psychological status of the protagonist, mirroring her perception of the whole deal. An's own editing results in a fitting, relatively fast pace, with the succession of the different scenes (interviews, convenience story, apartment) being ideally presented.
“Negative Space” is a well-shot, well-acted and well-directed short that eloquently presents a message regarding an issue that troubles people globally.
