Plastic Girls Receives a Vimeo Staff Pick
PLASTIC GIRLS has been selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. It is my sixth Staff Pick over the past six years. I’m grateful for Vimeo’s continued support and for the wider community of filmmakers who keep sharing and pushing thoughtful work.
How Plastic Girls Began
The project started in 2015 when designer Hyun Cho invited me to take part in the Seoul Welcomes You book project. This was part of the 4th International Typography Biennale, Typojanchi 2015. While working on it, I kept noticing mannequins placed throughout the city. That observation slowly developed into PLASTIC GIRLS.
Why I Made the Film
PLASTIC GIRLS is the final film in my Korea trilogy. Unlike the earlier films, this one focuses directly on gender. Together with composer Udo Lee, I looked at beauty standards and how public space reflects the male gaze. Using mannequins allowed me to approach these questions with distance and clarity.
Scripted Voices and Characters
For the first time in this trilogy, I worked with scripted interviews. This helped shape the mannequins as characters rather than objects. Saemi, Rora, Sunny, and Mina reflect different versions of contemporary beauty ideals in Korea. Their voices echo expectations placed on women in everyday life.
The Role of Music
Music plays an important role in all my films. For Plastic Girls, Udo Lee composed original music that supports the film’s slightly uneasy tone. The sound gives the mannequins a strange presence and helps guide the viewer without explaining too much.
Visual Approach and Space
Like my earlier work, Plastic Girls stays closely connected to space and architecture. I used a gimbal-mounted camera to move smoothly through public areas. This approach places the viewer inside the environment and keeps the focus on those who usually remain unnoticed.
Challenges During Production
One challenge was finding the original mannequins again. Seoul changes fast, and many locations had already disappeared. Those changes became part of the film’s meaning. They reflect how quickly bodies, spaces, and stories can be replaced.
Looking Ahead
While Plastic Girls closes one chapter, new projects are already in progress. I’m currently working on the opening film for the UIA World Architects Congress. I’m also involved in a project about the lives of North Koreans living in South Korea. Through CONTENTED, I continue to explore social topics through visual storytelling. Plastic Girls remains a personal project for me. I’m thankful it continues to find an audience and start conversations.
