INTERVIEW with jaeik oh
Oh Jae-ik is a Seoul-based film director. Following his work in short films and musical theater, he makes his feature film directorial debut with Huing(dizzy).
How long have you been doing movies? How did you decide to start making movies?
I've been working in film for about 10 years now. Looking back, it started even earlier than that — I always loved breaking stories apart and piecing them back together, and I was curious about how other people, different from myself, lived their days, so I would imagine their lives freely, in my own way. That curiosity eventually led me to filmmaking.
Why did you do this project?
Honestly, I didn't write it with any real plan. One day I just started writing at 10 a.m. without thinking much, and I kept going, without any blocks, until 6 p.m. — then I just collapsed. Looking back, I think I was unconsciously absorbed in it. I wasn't thinking about entertainment value or cinematic worth at all; I just followed the story wherever it went. Afterward, I showed it to people around me, and they told me it was interesting — that's when I decided I had to turn it into a film. It was only recently that I realized that day was exactly February 20, 2020.
(If you can say) How much budget did you have to do this project?
The production cost was around 50 million KRW, and the expenses have continued to grow as I go through the festival submission process. Since I'm still in the early stages, I expect there will be more costs ahead.
Was it self-funded or did you get budget/producers/investors?
It was entirely self-funded. I made it with money I earned from various jobs, and I'm still funding it that way.
How long did it take from the initial idea to being able to release?
I wrote the screenplay in 2020. It overlapped with a difficult period because of COVID, but I chose to make it myself, in my own way, because I wanted to protect this story as it was. It took a long time, but after a six-year journey, I finally completed the film in 2026.
Are you happy with the result?
Yes, I'm satisfied. The actors and crew who worked with me trusted me, waited for me, and cheered me on. Whenever things got really hard, there were always people I could rely on, and I learned a lot from that process. To me, that was itself a very valuable and meaningful experience.
What phase is this project in right now?
I'm still in the very early stage of festival submissions. I'm waiting on the results. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to promote my work.
How has your experience been with the festivals so far? Where do you think they should improve?
I'm still in the early stages of submitting, waiting on results. That said, Costa Brava Film Fest, which gave me this opportunity to promote my work, is something I won't forget. As for what could be improved, I don't have anything to say yet, since I don't have other experiences to compare it to.
Could you tell us which platforms you use to submit your entries to festivals?
I mainly submit through FilmFreeway, and I share the screener via Vimeo. For some festivals, I also use their own direct submission systems.
Were you inspired by any director or film? If so, tell us your references.
I've been influenced by so many films along the way. Among them are Spanish films — I referenced the character dynamics in Bigas Luna's Jamón Jamón and Pedro Almodóvar's Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown).
Your favorite movie?
It's hard to pick just one because there are too many I love, but if I had to choose, it would be the animated film Coco. I cried so much during the final song scene.
Favorite series?
I really like the American sitcom Lucky Louie. It naturally captured American slang and swearing, but also touched on racism and social issues. I do like the glamorous America we often see, but this show felt like listening to the real, everyday lives of ordinary — even marginalized — American citizens, and that's what I loved about it.
Do you see yourself making movies in 5 years?
Yes, regardless of investment or conditions, I will be making what I want to make — even if I have to do it alone.
Do you have any other project in mind?
It's a project set on a dog farm, dealing with both social and tragic themes. I'm planning a Korean-style melodrama, something like Romeo and Juliet, but given the nature of the subject, I don't think it will be easy to secure investment in Korea — so I'm still working through it.
What do you ask for the future? (cinematographically speaking)
I want to grow. I want to learn from diverse comments and perspectives, and I feel ready for that. Like a line from Demian, I feel ready to break out of my shell and move forward.
Your best experience in a movie theater?
It was in 2017, at the Busan Cinematheque, watching Manoel de Oliveira's O Estranho Caso de Angélica (The Strange Case of Angelica). I think I was the only person in the theater, and at some point during the film, I briefly dozed off. It might be hard to understand, but that moment has stayed with me incredibly vividly — to this day, I'm still not sure whether I watched a film or dreamed it.