HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD (2018)
Film Review
Drama movies have the ability to hook people up emotionally and keep them on the edge of their seat when things become tense between the characters in the movie. As a filmmaker, I believe one of the elements that contributes to this trick is the directing of actors. What impressed me the most in Kim Bora's film, House of Hummingbird, which I have watched during the Fantasia International Film Festival, is her successful directing of actress Ji-hu Park, who played as the main character, the 14-year old lonely girl, Eun-hee. The story involves her looking for someone in her surroundings who truly understands her due to going through, for example, constant screaming from her family at her apartment.
To begin, I believe the actors in this film were able to successfully show on-screen what needed to be shown to help depict the film’s genre. For example, in the scene after Eun-hee and her friend, Ji-suk, were asked to leave after being caught shoplifting, miss Bora greatly directed what the two actresses were supposed to show on-screen in the circumstances their characters were in: Eun-hee is angry at Ji-suk for revealing where Eun-hee’s father works so the shop worker can call him and tell him what her daughter did. The person who’s company Eun-hee enjoys suddenly violates her trust. Understandably, Eun-hee is angry and she greatly shows the heartbroken state she’s in by yelling at Ji-suk and shaking her, when Jisuk does not apologize, in the next scene before Ji-suk runs off. To me, this is an examplar scene where a viewer’s attention can get hooked from what is being discussed, a personal problem, and how it is being discussed, with yelling. Since this is also a drama movie, an observation I have on drama movies is that it is typical to focus on personal problems people are going through, how they react to them, and see the actual drama it is all causing like, arguing, negative emotions, complaining, etc.
In an interview I had with miss Bora, I asked her how she directed her actors in this film especially on how she got them to feel the emotions they show on-screen. She told me that “[she] just tried [her] best to talk to them and understand them as human being.” She then elaborated on how she tried her best with her main actress, Ji-hu Park, “to spend time together and getting to know each other.” In addition to, “[first, talking] about the script a lot” with her, miss Bora also “[asked] many questions about her life” followed by “[having] random casual conversation about everything.” In the process, they were able to develop a “strong bond and trust” with each other when they were on set, which successfully helped. Miss Bora said they did not “have to talk too much” due to “already [having] had enough conversation before the set.” All miss Bora needed to “try” “on the set” was ask Park questions such as, “what was the last scene” along with “how did you feel about the last thing right before the scene?” According to miss Bora, knowing and answering the above-mentioned questions and being aware of the purpose of the scene that is currently being worked on “really helps” Park to act.
Kim Bora demonstrated with this film that by knowing what works for a person, collaborating with him/her becomes easier and, to me, getting the actors to act right is especially necessary for a drama film because they involve stories where we observe how characters deal with personal problems. This film has indeed the ability to leave you thinking and emotional for the characters after watching them act their best to show emotions for the screen.
Review by Dean Attari
Producer Vei Chong