Camellias in Bloom (2017)

Camellias in Bloom 2017 / 동백꽃이 피면 2017 / dongbaegkkochi pimyeon

Much like her name Honghwa, (meaning safflower), an aunt who lived a carefree life dies, and is categorized as without family or friends. Camellias in Bloom is about a father and his daughter who deal with her death in different ways. Between the two, there are two huge gaps: that of generation and that of gender. For the father, the death of his sister-in-law is embarrassing, while to the daughter in menopause, it poses a question about a woman’s life. The short, one-day journey of the film is an in-depth introspection about a life that cannot considered significant from a patriarchal perspective. If the redness of camellias is considered vulgar, it is not because of the flower but because of the views of the society. The film is a lament for a life that cannot be captured by such views, and strives to resist. (Source: JIFF)