5 Questions with Ester Song Kim
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
I studied literature and creative writing in college. I looked into the entertainment industry because I thought, where in the world can I make money as a writer? Hollywood! People have big bucks there! (Lol.) When I got here, everyone kept asking me if I had watched Indiana Jones or Princess Bride, and I thought, maybe I’m not meant for this industry. When it came to literature and poetry, I was interested in weird, dark, painful or wry stuff, and the aforementioned movies and the like didn't feel like it was it for me. So when I met a group of people that introduced me to a bunch of movies that blew my mind and were making and writing such funny and witty things, I knew that I had to get started on my 10,000 hours ASAP. I started making movies (really horrible ones) with my friends, and here I am today.
2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
The initial idea came from a friend who would force her friends to meditate with her or do tarot cards with her. But she would do them however she wanted to without following the “rules” - she would actually roll around the floor while meditating, or give herself five tarot card readings in a row. I remember judging her and thinking, doesn’t all of this defeat the purpose of what you’re doing? Why are you making me do this? All while totally following along, and maybe finding it kind of fun? I was interested in exploring that - there are things you might grumble about and roll your eyes at, but maybe there’s a small part of you that’s having fun. Then after watching Persona and Three Women as references, I thought a step further. That maybe these two women are the same person. They represent those two sides of us. The side of us that wants to fold our arms and judge, and the other side of us that enjoys participating, regardless of any rules or norms. That’s something I struggle with often myself. I’d like to live more freely and carefree. And I think as women, we're told to carry ourselves in a certain way. And if we see another female doing otherwise, we're upset about it. Maybe it's because we don't allow ourselves to come outside of the boundaries we or others have set for ourselves. I think understanding this frees ourselves and makes female friendships a lot easier to navigate.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?
The biggest challenge in making this film is probably that there was no money. But you’re asking these incredibly talented people to spend their time trusting you and figuring out your vision with you. I struggle with social anxiety, so when writing/directing/producing my own film, I have to get over that self consciousness and step into a leadership, problem solving role all while making sure that everyone is happy and participating in a way that they want to and where they feel proud of their work. The easiest part was that everyone involved is such an expert at their craft that they made the movie for me, honestly. They are my friends who understand and have patience with my personality and they are so darn good at what they do. I'm so grateful for them.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
Oh, man. Something I rewatched during lockdown that made me really happy this time around is Wings of Desire. Maybe it's because I needed something light and playful that deals with such a heavy and complicated subject such as mortality because I needed to find light in everything that's going on around us. That movie is so fun because you see that he's really just doing his thing and having fun with it. It feels like such a meditative film. What made me even happier is the deleted scenes on Criterion. Did you know that the initial ending was supposed to be a cake fight between the three? Like, what?
5) What’s next for you?
I'm working on a feature film about a Korean community that lives in Mexicali during the early 2000s because of all of the Korean factories that were over there like Samsung, LG, Kia, etc. I want to keep exploring nooks that muddle the lines between races and nationalities. I come from a mixed family and they've dealt with a lot of grief for being mixed. There's a lot of sadness in straddling categories -- a lot of people don't really accept you if they're confused about what you are. I'm a couple of rewrites in, so hopefully I can do the concept justice.
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IG: @estersongkim
FB: https://www.facebook.com/estersongkim/
