Lee Song Hee-il (이송희일)

Lee Song Hee-il is Korea’s most prominent queer filmmaker. Openly gay in a country where homosexuality is still considered taboo, director Lee Song is credited with making gay issues more mainstream through his debut, the independent film No Regret (후회하지 않아), in 2006. The drama was very well-received upon release, and was one of most successful indie films in Korean cinema history.

Director Lee Song has often delved into the realm of short films since the start of his career, with his work often appearing in omnibus collections including Four-Letter Words (사자성어) in 2002, La Traviata (해후) in Camellia Project (동백꽃) in 2005, and the Jeonju International Film Festival’s annual Short! Short! Short! program in 2009 with Anxiety (불안).

In 2012 Lee Song Hee-il released his own short film trilogy comprising of Going South (남쪽으로 간다), Suddenly, Last Summer (지난여름, 갑자기), and White Night (백야), although the length of the latter meant it was often screened as a feature. The films were critically praised, particularly White Night which was praised for tackling the real life story of a homophobic attack in Seoul, as well as for its cinematography. The film appeared at several international film festivals including Berlin.

To read a Q&A held with director Lee Song to celebrate his trilogy, please click here for part 1 and here for part 2.

Director Lee Song’s latest film, Night Flight (야간비행), was also invited to Berlin.

Filmography

(please click on the image to be taken to the review)