By Pierce Conran
Making films is hard anywhere, but in Korea, where so many youths dream of entering what is a successful yet relatively small industry, it's a particularly tricky proposition. Thus it comes as little surprise that so many debut features focus on the hardships of making films. Korean film festivals have provided a platform to many of these works over the years, including Lee Byoung-heon's
Cheer Up, Mr. Lee, Park Joon-bum's
Director's Cut and Baek Jae-ho's
We Will Be OK. Jeonju featured another one this year, but
Graduation, from the 23-year-old Hui Ji-ye, offers a unique and refreshing view on the subject, despising hewing to many similar themes.