Overview

COLD SUMMER TELLS THE STORY OF A YOUNG GIRL WHO LIVES WITH HER STRUGGLING AND OFTEN DISTRACTED MOTHER IN A SMALL ROOM IN THE SLUMS OF SEOUL. THE MOTHER LIVES WITH DEEP DEPRESSION AFTER A TRAGIC INCIDENT IN WHICH HER HUSBAND DIED AND WAS FOUND GUILTY OF HAVING AN AFFAIR. ONE DAY, THE SAME WOMAN FROM THAT AFFAIR APPEARS AND ASKS THE MOTHER TO HELP FREE HER OWN CHILD FROM A VIOLENT HOME.

COLD SUMMER IS A SHORT FILM WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY NAMHUI PARK IN 2013. I WORKED AS THE CINEMATOGRAPHER ON THIS PROJECT IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. MORE THAN TEN YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE MADE THIS FILM, AND DIGITAL TOOLS AVAILABLE TO INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. STILL, LOOKING BACK, THE EXPERIENCE REMAINS IMPORTANT.

THE FILM HAD NO FUNDING AND WAS MADE WITH ALMOST NO BUDGET, BUT NAMHUI RECEIVED GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS. WE SHOT THE ENTIRE FILM ON THE CANON 5D MARK III WITH A SET OF OLD NIKON AI-S PRIME LENSES. FOR TRACKING SHOTS, WE USED A SIMPLE HANDHELD STABILIZER. TO KEEP FOCUS, WE MOSTLY USED WIDE-ANGLE LENSES AND MAINTAINED A CONSTANT DISTANCE TO OUR SUBJECTS.

AS CINEMATOGRAPHERS, WE OFTEN JUDGE OUR EARLY WORK HARSHLY AND FOCUS ON TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS. YES, THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SHADOWS WOULD HOLD BETTER WITH A MODERN CAMERA. YES, THE TRACKING SHOTS WOULD LOOK SMOOTHER WITH A GIMBAL AND WIRELESS FOCUS. HOWEVER, DESPITE ITS SIMPLICITY, I STILL BELIEVE THIS FILM HAS A STRONG VISUAL LANGUAGE AND A NUMBER OF MOOD-DRIVEN MOMENTS THAT CONTINUE TO FEEL POWERFUL TODAY.

CINEMATOGRAPHER

NILS CLAUSS

PRODUCTION

A NAMHUI PARK PRODUCTION