Actor and director Ku Hye-sun delivered a Q&A to commemorate the release of "Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet."
Today (the 10th), Ku Hye-sun's 22nd directorial work "Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet" makes its debut before the public.
"Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet" contains poems and new-age music Ku Hye-sun created based on realizing love while sending off her pet "Gamja," who had shared daily life and journeys with her. Because four long years are woven into the work, audiences can expect to feel her sensibility up close.
In addition, through this directorial work Ku Hye-sun created a new genre called "poem movie (POEMOVIE)." Over a 66-minute running time, she maximized the work's lyricism by layering her own poems and composed new-age music over sensorial images.
Always boldly embracing challenges and change one step ahead, Ku Hye-sun builds her own domain. That enterprising side of hers can be seen again in the release method of "I am your pet." Ku Hye-sun created a QR code that links to where the film can be viewed, reportedly increasing the work's accessibility and portability.
On the occasion of the release of "Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet," a culmination of fresh attempts, Ku Hye-sun shared various stories related to the work through her agency STAGEONE ENTER. The following is a Q&A with Ku Hye-sun.
["Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet" Q&A]
Q. From spring 2020 to winter 2024, you worked for four years on "Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet," which has been released. How do you feel about presenting a work you prepared for so long to audiences?
A. After a very long time I made a film—though calling it a film is autobiographical documentary, and calling it a documentary is a new-age piano concert. Since the 2021 short film "Dark Yellow," it's been five years since I've met audiences, so I'm very excited. Showing video work to audiences is actually the most nerve-wracking time. It's the thing I love most, and I'm even happier because I hope audiences will watch it.
Q. Please give a brief introduction to the work "Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet," which conveys a plain but deep love for the pet "Gamja," and explain the planning and production intentions.
A. This work came to contain an awakening about existence. While making this work I often wondered, 'What category should this be classified as?' During production, when my pet "Gamja" passed away, the overall storytelling changed, and later the film's direction returned to a contemplation of the existence of "I," making me realize "I existed because of you (Gamja)." So I wrote the poems and composed the music inserted into the video with the hope that it would become a lyrical piano concert for audiences who have sent beloved pets like "Gamja" across the rainbow bridge.
Q. In the work you sometimes referred to yourself not as a human or person but as an "animal." Is there a special reason you titled it "Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet"?
A. I have never once thought of myself as the owner of my pet. Because every routine in my life revolved around my pet, I often thought, 'Actually, it's as if I live in the dog's house, not the other way around.' (laughs) And coexisting means being a pet to each other; if you change your perspective a bit, I am also my pet's pet, so I came up with the title "I am your pet."
And in 2019 I published a poetry collection titled "I am your pet." Many people resonated with that title then, so I again made a new-age concert video on the same theme. Thinking about it, I really am my pet's pet.
Q. Emotional storytelling, cinematography, lyrical new-age music and lines of poetry harmoniously came together to create a new genre called "poem movie." Can you tell us the behind-the-scenes story of the genre's birth?
A. I asked myself a lot whether this film truly has meaning as a narrative film. It contains my philosophy about pets, so calling it simply a concert video felt inadequate, and calling it a documentary felt lacking in genre elements. It could be seen as an autobiographical documentary, but it's content that's hard to classify by genre.
These days anyone can make videos or films in this saturated content era. There are many sensational elements. I wanted content that people who do not prefer sensational material could comfortably watch, and I felt like creating a new genre: a film blended with poetry and new-age music. I thought that could be a "poem movie." The M at the end of poem and the M at the start of movie combined to create the genre poem movie (POEMOVIE).
Q. The release method of "Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet" also differed from previous works. The fact that the work can be accessed via QR code felt fresh—was there a reason you chose that method?
A. First, there was the practical difficulty of finding theaters to distribute the film and the worry that even if it premiered in theaters it might not fit the conventional world that audiences expect of a "film." I pondered how to bring this film to audiences. On Feb. 10 I officially launched the hair roller I invented called "Kurol." For purchasers of the roller we included an image card with a QR code, and the idea grew from 'what if we offered a portable, comfortable, restful kind of content at the same time?' I wanted to put my identity as a filmmaker into the hair roller too. Even if trying a new method and platform doesn't guarantee success, I wanted to gift this film to those who buy my hair roller.
Also, I liked being able to distribute the film in my own way. Although inventing the hair roller was meant to solve user inconveniences, on film sets we always use the words "roll" (camera) and "action" (acting). So the roller bore a strong resemblance to the film's roll. Because it moves.
Q. The original new-age pieces you composed for the work conveyed emotion while enhancing immersion in the narrative. What did you focus on when composing?
A. I have composed about 50 new-age pieces so far. I produced the film focusing on the songs I cherish that could be counted among them. My pets were always beside me when I made those pieces.
I don't think there's anything particular I focus on when composing. Music tends to come to me, and then I compose. That happens when joy and sorrow, calm and happiness—all of those things—are contained. Each time that happened my beloved pets were nearby, so I did try to create music that would be comfortable for them to listen to and fall asleep to.
Q. I'm also curious about what messages you wanted to convey in the inserted pieces.
A. I expressed the inserted pieces through the "four seasons" as I define them. For me spring·summer·fall·winter are not my four seasons. My four seasons are summer·fall·winter and spring. Therefore I included reflections like "spring will come to you and me," and "death is an extension of life; it can be hope rather than despair." I wanted to convey the message that through love I realized why I must exist as myself.
Q. It was nice to briefly see director Ku Hye-sun through "Ku Hye-sun's piano new-age concert_ I am your pet." The Jeju trip remembering "Gamja" intercuts with new-age performance scenes—could you explain in more detail the shooting and editing processes as director?
A. For music performance video shoots I have a crew who have shared hardships and joys with me for 10 to 20 years: director of photography, art director, music director, editors, and so on. Shooting with them was very smooth. Because we work so well together, we had a great time. There weren't many difficulties.
After that, "Gamja" passed away, and I went to Jeju with a doll that resembled Gamja with no plan at all. I had no idea what to film or what to write. Starting something without a plan is something I never do, so it was reckless for me. But at that time I wanted to capture exactly the emotions I felt after sending Gamja off. I didn't act. I turned on the camera and wandered. Watching the footage now, my expression looks very empty back then. I felt an emptiness of loneliness. Remembering Gamja and editing Gamja's footage was mentally difficult because those memories were so vivid.
Q. In what way do you think this work will remain significant?
A. This work contains the question "why do I exist as a human," so that alone makes it meaningful. Also, the fact that I tried something new is a big significance. I used to be obsessed with results after making a film, but now I don't have to be, so in that sense the "meaning of the process" makes it a more meaningful work to remember.
Q. Finally, a word for the audience
A. I suffered from insomnia for a long time. But when I saw my pets sleep well while listening to the music I made, I thought, 'My music must be really sleep-inducing,' and I often fell asleep listening to my recorded music. Many people these days have trouble sleeping. I hope you can sleep comfortably while listening to this piano new-age concert and poem movie. Thank you.<
[Photo] STAGEONE ENTER
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