Bikini Words Receives a Vimeo Staff Pick

BIKINI WORDS was recently selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. I’m grateful for the recognition and for the people who helped shape the project along the way. The film looks at language that emerged during Korea’s industrial expansion in the 1970s and 80s. It focuses on how factory workers described their daily reality through words that still carry weight today.

Looking at Industrial Memory in Geumcheon

I developed the project in collaboration with Geumcheon District Office. The starting point came through conversations with Hongsung Kim of Design Studio Kerb and Jinbok Wee of Urban Intensity Architects. Bikini Words became part of a larger exhibition tracing the transformation of the Geumcheon area from the 1960s to the mid-1990s. Rather than covering the full history, I stayed close to individual experience.

The G-Index and Factory Language

At the center of the film is the G-Index. It is a collection of 99 words created by factory workers in G-Valley during the 70s and 80s. Many of these terms mix Korean and Konglish and reflect exhaustion, humor, fear, and adaptation. Together with producer Kuiock Park, I selected eight words from the index. Each one became a short scene. The title Bikini Words comes from one of these expressions and reflects the film’s focus on language rather than explanation.

Recreating Spaces and Finding Voices

We rebuilt parts of factory living spaces inside the Guro Industrial Complex Labor House. At the same time, we searched for people who had actually worked in the factories during that period. It took time to gain trust. When former workers agreed to participate, their presence changed the tone of the project. Their memories brought honesty and, at moments, unexpected humor.

Visual Approach and Technique

The film moves between the reconstructed exhibition space and real locations around Geumcheon that are slowly disappearing. I shot the project on a Sony FS7 using a Ronin gimbal, allowing the camera to drift through spaces rather than describe them. This floating movement was intentional. It creates distance and lets the audience connect fragments on their own.

Why This Project Matters to Me

I’ve been drawn to architecture and space-related stories since the early 2000s. Bikini Words continues that line of work, but through language rather than buildings. I’m thankful to everyone who supported the project and trusted the process. The Staff Pick is appreciated, but the real value lies in preserving voices that might otherwise fade.