The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) this year showcased "En Route To," the poignant directorial debut of South Korean filmmaker Yoo Jae-in. This quietly powerful narrative delves into the complex emotional landscape of two teenage girls grappling with an unplanned pregnancy, the profound decision of abortion, and the unsettling aftermath of an inappropriate relationship with a teacher. Emerging from a graduation project to international festival circuits, Yoo Jae-in’s film offers a nuanced exploration of adolescent vulnerability and the weight of societal expectations.
Genesis of a Graduation Project: From Academy to International Stage
"En Route To" began its life as a graduation assignment at the KFA Academy. Yoo Jae-in, in collaboration with her peers and through a series of intensive workshops, dedicated approximately a year to meticulously shaping the narrative. This period of refinement was crucial in transforming the initial concept into a cohesive and emotionally resonant story. Following the script’s finalization, the production team embarked on a month-long shooting schedule. The post-production phase, dominated by a rigorous six-month editing process, meticulously crafted the film’s pacing and emotional arc. The completed work received its world premiere at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival, marking a significant milestone for Yoo Jae-in as both her inaugural major festival appearance and the launchpad for the film’s international journey. This trajectory from academic exercise to a film resonating with global audiences underscores the growing recognition of emerging South Korean cinematic voices.
The Busan International Film Festival, established in 1996, is one of Asia’s most prominent film festivals, renowned for its commitment to discovering and supporting new cinematic talent from across the continent. Its selection of "En Route To" provided a vital platform for Yoo’s debut, drawing the attention of critics, programmers, and industry professionals alike, which subsequently paved the way for its inclusion in the Hong Kong International Film Festival’s esteemed program. HKIFF, with its long-standing history dating back to 1977, is a cornerstone of the Asian film calendar, offering a vital space for both established and emerging filmmakers to present their work to a diverse international audience.
The Lingering Shadow: Absence as a Narrative Catalyst
The film strategically opens with the conspicuous absence of a teacher. This deliberate narrative choice immediately injects a palpable sense of unease and ambiguity into the classroom setting and among the adolescent characters. Yoo Jae-in articulated her artistic intention, explaining that her focus was less on dissecting the teacher’s psychological motivations and more on illuminating the profound emotional repercussions of his disappearance on the young protagonists. The core of her interest lies in observing how the protagonist, Yun-ji, navigates the disintegration of her first romantic experience and confronts the ensuing consequences. The teacher’s presence is thus artfully conveyed through the void he leaves behind, a palpable but unquantified force rather than through direct on-screen scenes or a meticulously constructed backstory. This approach allows the audience to infer the impact of his actions and absence, centering the narrative firmly on the girls’ subjective experiences and their struggle to cope.
This stylistic choice to foreground the emotional fallout over the perpetrator’s narrative aligns with contemporary trends in filmmaking that prioritize survivor-centric storytelling. By withholding detailed information about the teacher, Yoo Jae-in effectively amplifies the girls’ experiences of trauma and confusion, forcing the audience to engage with their perspectives and understand the systemic issues that may have enabled such a situation. The lingering question of the teacher’s culpability and motives becomes secondary to the immediate and pressing concerns of Yun-ji and her friend.
Navigating the Moral Compass: Abortion, Choice, and Shared Responsibility
"En Route To" confronts the sensitive issue of abortion directly, yet Yoo Jae-in approaches the subject with a deliberate avoidance of simplistic moral judgments. Her creative process for the script coincided with a period of intense public discourse surrounding South Korea’s abortion laws, further amplified by the pervasive influence of the MeToo movement and high-profile sexual abuse scandals dominating social media. These overlapping societal conversations deeply influenced Yoo’s contemplation of teenage vulnerability and the critical responsibility that adults bear in safeguarding young individuals.
Yoo Jae-in champions the perspective that abortion is fundamentally a matter of personal choice, a decision that warrants respect regardless of whether a woman opts for termination or chooses to carry the pregnancy to term. She posits that what might be readily dismissed by some as "irresponsible choices" should instead be understood as the complex outcomes of a societal environment where responsibility is a collective undertaking, shared by the wider community rather than solely burdening an individual girl. This perspective challenges traditional notions of individual blame and calls for a more holistic understanding of the factors that influence adolescent decision-making.
The legal landscape surrounding abortion in South Korea has been a subject of significant debate and legal challenges. Until a landmark Constitutional Court ruling in 2019, the country’s abortion law, enacted in 1953, was one of the strictest in the developed world, permitting abortion only under specific circumstances, such as rape, incest, or risk to the mother’s health. The ruling mandated a revision of the law by the end of 2020, leading to a partial decriminalization that still imposes certain restrictions. Yoo Jae-in’s film, by engaging with these themes during such a critical juncture, offers a timely cinematic reflection on the ongoing societal and ethical discussions surrounding reproductive rights in South Korea.
A Symbiotic Bond: Yun-ji and Kyung-sun’s Differing Survival Strategies
At the emotional core of "En Route To" lies the intricate friendship between Yun-ji and Kyung-sun. Yoo Jae-in observes that both girls originate from similar backgrounds characterized by imperfect nurturing environments. However, they develop markedly different coping mechanisms in response to their circumstances. Yun-ji, prone to self-preservation, tends to withdraw and conceal her true emotions, constructing an emotional barrier even when yearning for genuine connection. In stark contrast, Kyung-sun has cultivated a more outward approach, learning to adeptly influence others to achieve her objectives. She presents herself as outwardly confident and assertive, frequently manipulating situations to her advantage.
Despite these divergent strategies, a profound understanding exists between them. Yun-ji recognizes Kyung-sun’s adeptness at navigating social dynamics and influencing others, while Kyung-sun possesses the intuitive ability to perceive beyond Yun-ji’s silence, deciphering the emotions she rarely articulates. Yoo Jae-in views these contrasting approaches as distinct yet equally valid survival tactics employed by young women facing similar emotional wounds. This dynamic highlights the diverse ways in which adolescents process trauma and navigate the complexities of their social and emotional worlds.
A Journey of Mutual Transformation and Maturation
As the narrative unfolds, the symbiotic relationship between Yun-ji and Kyung-sun evolves into a journey of mutual transformation. Kyung-sun begins to empathize with Yun-ji’s struggles, perceiving them as her own, particularly as she grapples with unresolved anger stemming from her own birth and her mother’s decision to conceive her. Through Yun-ji’s courageous choices and the manner in which she confronts them, Kyung-sun gradually opens herself to the world, her formerly hardened stance towards society and her own existence softening. Yoo Jae-in interprets this progression as an essential facet of adolescence—a period of painful yet vital metamorphosis where young individuals transition from raw resentment or defensive postures towards a more sophisticated understanding of themselves and those around them. This process of emotional maturation, as depicted in the film, underscores the formative nature of peer relationships during adolescence.
A Deliberate Absence of the Male Gaze
A striking characteristic of "En Route To" is the relative paucity of male characters in central roles, despite their undeniable influence on the narrative’s trajectory. Yoo Jae-in candidly admits her deliberate choice to minimize the screen time allocated to the teacher and to male perspectives. While practical considerations of running time played a role, her primary objective was to maintain an unwavering focus on the female experience: the profound dilemma of potential motherhood and the intricate emotional interiority of the girls tasked with navigating such a life-altering decision. The teacher’s feelings and motivations are deliberately left largely unexamined on screen, as Yoo believes the narrative’s strength lies in Yun-ji’s resilience in overcoming her first love and living with its consequences, rather than an investigation into the teacher’s true intentions or the nature of their relationship. This deliberate omission shifts the narrative power and focus squarely onto the female characters, allowing for a more authentic and unadulterated exploration of their internal lives.
Casting the Protagonists: Finding the Right Resonance
The casting process was paramount in effectively conveying the distinct personalities and emotional landscapes of Yun-ji and Kyung-sun. Yoo Jae-in’s initial casting coup was securing Lee Ji-won for the role of Kyung-sun. Having observed Lee’s acting talent since her childhood, Yoo deeply admired her range and compelling screen presence, expressing immense satisfaction when the opportunity to collaborate arose. With Kyung-sun’s character cast, the search intensified for a Yun-ji who would offer a visual and energetic counterpoint. The shared school uniform, hair color, and ethnicity presented a genuine risk of audience confusion between the two protagonists. Yoo sought an actress whose appearance and aura would clearly signal a personality distinct from Kyung-sun’s. Through the agency representing the actress portraying the teacher’s wife, Jang San, Yoo was introduced to Sim Su-bin. A relatively inexperienced performer, this marked Sim’s first leading role in a feature-length production. What ultimately convinced Yoo was Sim’s profound resemblance to her envisioned Yun-ji and the actress’s instinctive grasp of the character’s emotional world. Jang San, who delivers a compelling performance as the teacher’s wife, was an actress Yoo had long admired from previous projects, making her an ideal choice to round out the adult ensemble.
Navigating the Korean Film Industry Landscape
To date, "En Route To" has graced the screens of several prominent film festivals, including Busan and the current Hong Kong International Film Festival, but has yet to secure a release date in South Korean cinemas. Yoo Jae-in expresses hope for a domestic theatrical release either later this year or in the following year. However, she acknowledges the significant challenges facing the national film industry. Yoo observes that large-scale productions continue to struggle with securing adequate investment and achieving financial recovery, even as cinemas endeavor to return to pre-pandemic attendance patterns. Paradoxically, this challenging environment may inadvertently create avenues for smaller, independent projects. These films, she suggests, possess a greater capacity for agile market navigation and can potentially carve out a niche despite prevailing pessimism.
The South Korean film industry, while globally recognized for its artistic output, is subject to the same economic pressures and evolving distribution models as other international markets. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted theatrical attendance, leading to a surge in streaming platform viewership and a reevaluation of distribution strategies for independent films. Yoo’s candid assessment reflects a broader industry trend where independent cinema often relies on festival exposure and a dedicated audience base to achieve commercial viability.
Future Directions: Regional Narratives and Emotional Resonance
Looking ahead, Yoo Jae-in does not yet have a fully concrete new project in development but possesses a clear vision for the thematic territories she wishes to explore. She expresses a desire to move beyond narratives exclusively centered in Seoul, showing a preference for smaller-scale works set in other regions of South Korea and even in international locales. Her focus remains on prioritizing emotional resonance over pure entertainment spectacle. Yoo speaks of stories that incorporate elements of travel, utilizing shifting landscapes and cityscapes as visual metaphors to mirror inner transformation. This approach, she notes, is deeply influenced by her admiration for Hong Kong cinema. Among the cinematic touchstones she cites is the classic "Comrades Almost a Love Story," a film that masterfully blends romance, migration, and a vivid urban atmosphere—elements that she finds profoundly inspiring. In the wake of her directorial debut, Yoo Jae-in appears poised to champion stories that keep teenagers and women at the forefront, meticulously charting their journeys of coming-of-age within societies that are still evolving in their capacity to support individual choices and experiences. Her artistic trajectory suggests a commitment to exploring universal themes of identity, resilience, and societal connection through a distinctly female lens.
