In Flux: Migration and Multiculturalism on Jeju Island
IN FLUX is a short documentary I directed together with Udo Lee. We shot the film on Jeju Island. It looks at migration, movement, and cross-cultural relationships in contemporary Korea. The film grew out of long conversations about what multiculturalism really looks like in everyday life. Rather than explaining the topic, we wanted to observe it.
Migration and Changing Family Structures
One starting point for the film was the rise of international marriages in Korea. Many of these involve Korean men and women who migrated from abroad. In Flux follows a Korean-Chinese couple whose relationship reflects these wider shifts. Their story is simple and grounded. Through daily routines and shared moments, the film shows how people navigate language, identity, and belonging. Nothing is framed as exceptional. It is simply life in motion.
Multiculturalism as a Process
IN FLUX does not treat multiculturalism as a fixed state. We approached it as something fluid and ongoing. People change. Relationships change. Places change. The film takes a poetic approach to this idea. It avoids clear conclusions and instead leaves space for ambiguity. Multiculturalism appears not as a solution, but as a process of constant becoming.
Working with Udo Lee
IN FLUX marks more than five years of collaboration with Udo Lee. During that time, we worked together across commercial and independent projects. This film allowed us to slow down and focus on observation rather than structure. We both live and work in Seoul, and Jeju offered a different rhythm. The landscape played an important role. It gave the film room to breathe.
Exhibition Context and Recognition
The film was originally commissioned for group exhibitions at the Gyeonggi Museum of ModerN ART in Korea and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan. It later received a Vimeo Staff Pick, which helped the film reach a wider audience. The recognition was appreciated, but the core intention stayed the same. We wanted to tell a quiet story with care.
Closing Thoughts
In Flux is a small film about large movements. It looks at migration without drama and at multiculturalism without slogans. For me, it is about paying attention to subtle shifts and shared spaces.The film does not offer answers. It simply stays with the question of how people move, meet, and build lives together in a place that keeps changing.
