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The Song 그 노래
Korea/USA 2014
Joon Sung, Director
Korean with English Subtitles
(29 min.)
   
     
   
     
Written and Directed by
JOON SUNG 성준기
     
Camera/Cinematographer
JUNE KYU PARK 박준규
     
Synchronous sound recording
SANG JIN BYUN 변상진
     
Composer of Original Score
NEAL WILLIAMS 닐 윌리암스
     
Assistant Writer
INGRID CARTWRIGHT 인그리드 카트롸이트
    ALAYNA MITCHELL 엘레이나 미첼
     
Editing
JOON SUNG 성준기
     
Subtitles
HEE SOOK KIM 김희숙
    INGRID CARTWRIGHT 인그리드 카트롸이트
    DANNY AUSTIN 데니 오스틴
Production Design

     
Technical Advisor
  IN YOUNG HER 허인영
    WOOK STEVEN HEO 허욱
JOSH MARBLE 쟈시 마블
     
Music Performers
  YI JAE SONG 송이재
    DUK SOO CHOI 최덕수
    SUN KYUNG SUNG 성선경
    GUI YOUNG KIM 김귀영
    YOUN OK LEE 이연옥
    TAE JO LEE 이태조
    NAM GUK PAIK 백남극
     
Cast
  JONG BOK KIM 김종복
    CHA SOON SUH 서차순
    JAE MOON YANG 양재문
    CHI YONG YANG 양치용
    HO SANG JUNG 정호상
    JAE YOUNG SIM 심재영
    SUNG SOO CHO 조성수
    WON YOUNG MA 마원영
    JIN HONG KIM 김진홍
    SI HYUN PARK박시현
    RAE IL KANG 강래일
    HOON KIM 김훈
     
Special Thanks
  WOO JIN SONG 송우진
    YOUNG GU SUH 서영구
    JONG HAE AHN 안종해
    SOO WHAN KIM 김수환
    SE KYUNG SUNG 성세경
    JAE DO SUNG 성재도
    SAM DO SUNG 성삼도
    JUNG GYUN 정견
    MBC CHANG WON MBC 창원
    KIMHAE KOREAN TRAD MUSIC TRAINING INST 김해국악연수원
    BISABUL KOREAN TRAD MUSIC TRAINING INST 비사벌국악원
    JINHAE CITY MUSEUM 진해시립박물관
    YONG IN UNIVERSITY 용인대학교
    JAEDONG CONSTRUCTION 재동건설 (주)
    OFFICE OF SPONSORED PROGRAM WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
     
   
     
[Synopsis]

A film about the song that is sung by a professional singer at one's funeral in Korea. This is my artistic pursuit to capture a nation's cultural heritage, which is fast disappearing. The intention of this film is to interpret Sangyeo-Sori as a universal language and to dig into the margins of reality for the song in present-day Korea which is barely practiced.

 
     
[Director's Statement]

I feel like it's a little too late to film this subject, but I still have some hope to witness a traditional funeral in which Sangyeo-Sori is performed. It was nearly four decades ago when I first heard the song and I yearn to hear it again. I also hope to see a funeral march once more.

Before the trip, I had asked many older people who might know about Sangyeo-Sori in Korea, if I could possibly find a person who had sung or currently is singing Sangyeo-Sori. But most answers I received from them were more or less the same: "I doubt it", or "you may not find anyone in these days because people don't tend to do traditional funeral anymore due to high cost and time consuming aspects, so they usually carry on funerals in the Western style at a hospital."
"Even if you are lucky and find one, he can no longer sing the Song because he is ill, too old to perform or already died" and they told me "you may find some old pictures and video footage instead".

A number of different versions of 'Sangyeo-Sori' were sung throughout the nation. But the specific Sangyeo-Sori that I remember is one that had been sung around the region of Chang Neoung. I have no intention to go in depth about Sangyeo-Sori, nor do I intend to look for all the different Sangyeo-Sori throughout Korea. The Sangyeo-Sori that I want to hear is the one I heard when I was small.

 
 


     
 
[Locations]
ChangNyung/KimHae/JinHae, Korea

Chang Neoung is a typical farming region located in south-central Korea. It is a place with over 1,000 years of history. Chang Neoung proudly has over 136 rich cultural treasures, including temples, Buddha statues, and pagodas.

There are also tourist sites like a swamp, a hot spring, and a state parks. I lived and attended an elementary school at Chang Neoung until we moved to Seoul in the late 1970s.

 
 

 

     
   
[Final thoughts]
 
     
     
   
[Filmmaker Bio]

Joon Sung is originally from Korea, currently based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a multi-media artist with traditional art background and Associate Professor of Western Kentucky University.

Ever since he joined the graduate program at Syracuse University, Joon Sung has actively produced a number of time-based works, such as computer animations, videos and films.

Joon Sung’s work has been included in many exhibitions and festivals in the U.S. as well as Netherlands, Switzerland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, Finland, and Germany.

 
 

 

     
     
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  Office of Sponsored Program, Western Kentucky University