JELLY BEAR

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Synopsis

The “Jelly Bear” is a story of five characters searching for more potential, meaningful lives. Each exists at different time and place; all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. A space (H) is overlapped with another space, and there is possible to send and receive through numerous informational lines. They are called ‘white makers’ who exist in the space (H) that is connected between the cyberspace and outside space. Also they act to transform, cut, paste, copy, and move using various information in the space. ‘Old lady’ is knitting in her house. You can see knitting yarn and needles, which is contrary to white makers’ objects such as a digital camera, keyboard and MP3. She is contrary to them in space. Now, a generation gap and digital divide exist in our lives, if that is the case, where is her position in this society. Anyway, she does not stop knitting. ‘Mina(a)’ is in love with her girlfriend, and she is battling the unsafe identity that is exposed to the media and controlled by majority rule. Now, she begins to face her position and power in the society. Mina(a-) represents Mina(a)’s other self which emerges after the collision between Mina(a) and majority rules. Mina(a) tries to relate to Mina(a-), but, Mina(a-) covered her mouth, eyes and ears with white and black lines. She decides to accept this situation by majority rule. She runs away from people and society. ‘American and Korean’ is seen with four dancers through television in the space (H). They are seen – either interested in each other or hostile to each other. Ultimately, their hands are connected to each other, even so, they are bounded on the seesaws. Who starts to cook rice by using an electric rice cooker. The ending is that there is a rice bowl in a puddle of blood. Their stories intertwine and ultimately come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.

 

Comment

Previously, my other films and videos have existed with dialogues between people. Speeches could explain the scene easily. However, sometimes that limits the scene, even in our thinking and in our feeling. This film do not have dialogues between people, although, I attempt to produce other languages, such as body language and also using objects and sounds and so on without speeches in this film. And, the characters represent symbols of individual situations and positions in this society. The matters are combined to each other by various lines. I began to research relationship between object and subject, saying and seeing, space and sound, people and media through various searching processes in this film. Even if, we can not perceive itself of object, because we always perceive a part of that, nor we do not perceive the totality of object or image. The reason is that we just perceive interesting things by our psychological requirement, or our economical concern, and ideological confidence. 

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Characters

 

• Mina(a, a-) : Woman, Asian, 25 years old

• Mina(a, a-)’s girlfriend : Woman

• American : Man

• Korean : Man

• Dancer1 : Woman

• Dancer2 : Woman 

• Dancer3 : Woman

• Dancer4 : Woman

• White Maker1 : Man 

• White Maker2 : Woman

• White Maker3 : Woman

• Old Lady : Woman, 60-70 years old, Knitting, Humming

• Thing in white cloth : Woman (Mina, a-)

• Who : Woman, cooking rice  

 

Representations about the characters

 

1.01- Mina(a)   

Mina(a) is in love with her girlfriend, and she is battling the unsafe identity that is exposed to the media and controlled by majority rule. Now, she begins to face her position and power in society. She decides to accept this situation by majority rule. She runs away from people and society.

 

1.02 – Mina(a-)

Mina(a-) represents Mina(a)’s other self which emerges after the collision between Mina(a) and majority rule. Mina(a) tries to relate to Mina(a-), but, Mina(a-) covered her mouth, eyes and ears with white and black lines. And, just, Mina(a) and Mina(a-) are connected by a thin line.

 

* The lines: These are a connecting-machine between information and people.

 And that also represents forms and frames of morals in society.

 

2.01- Man - Korean, 2.02- Man – American, 

They are seen – either interest in each other or hostile to each other. Perhaps, they want to go to in a dialogue with each other. Now, they might send some information to each other, what we hear are sounds like repeated signals. Ultimately, their hands are connected to each other, even so they are bounded on the seesaws.   

 

* Korean and American: Korea and America have deeply related histories, cultures and economies and so on. In fact, Korea gets many influences of America. However, the situation is that they just do not relate with Korea and America. The characters are symbols of relations between people and countries. And, the characters are trying to communicate with each other.

 

* Do not speak: They do not speak, which means impediment of relationship. When we arrange differences or disputes, we usually talk about that. In fact, we do speak many words to each other. However, sometimes these situations are becoming worse. We can speak, but, sometimes, we cannot speak anything. Perhaps, we may need other representations.   

 

 

* Hand Speakers: A symbol of another language and representation for relationship to each other. 

 

* Seesaws: Masses of various information, 

And, that is represented, having their different positions and distance in the society. 

 

2.03 – Dancers 

They stand in a circle and the circle is moving to the right. They are dancing. Their body language is growing intense during the dance. 

 

* Their movement: Sign language and body language. And, that creates another space of 

images and transformations, and also they control people using masses of power

information.

 

* Sticks: Masses of power information, war-instruments, 

 

3.01 – White Makers  

We cannot know their ages, or anything else.

They wear white gowns and masks. They are holding digital cameras. When they discuss about something or someone, they use keyboards and digital cameras. They live in the cyberspace. Sometimes, balls of red knitting yarns are coming to them. However, they are not interested in them and if they see them, they kick them to out side. Therefore, they do not have problems with their works. 

 

* White gown and mask: When we connect to the internet, we can watch, hear, and write 

without any identification. 

 

* Digital camera, Earphone and Keyboard: Objects of representable languages

 

* Jelly bear, Chopsticks and Soy sauce: When we think about jelly bear, chopsticks and

soy sauce, what do you imagine? Countries? People? Shops? In my case,

when I think about jelly bear or chocolate, I think of western images. When these three 

objects are individually seen, they do not fit to each other. However, disharmony is always 

possible on the internet. 

 

 

* The space: This is a storehouse of various information, which are moving copycat, transformative, cut and paste in there. Also, that is the way everything is connected between the cyberspace and out of space. 

 

* Ball of red knitting yarn: A symbol of different identity to a digital society.

 

3.02 – Thing in white cloth 

* The thing: Pieces of new information, advertisements, and propaganda on the internet. 

The thing is coming into there. And the thing will be analyzed and copied, 

transformed, cut and pasted by white men.

 

4.01 – Old Lady 

She is contrary to white makers in space. It is seen knitting yarn and needles, which is also contrary to their objects such as a digital camera, keyboard and MP3.

Now, a generation gap and digital divide exist in our lives, if that is the case, where is her position in this society?

 

* A small boxes: The sizes of boxes stand for dimensions of our knowledge about each other. 

 

5.01 – Rice Most Korean people eat rice three or two times a day. Even when Koreans meet each other, the second or third question would be : "Did you eat rice?" This can be represented like coffee or tea. In other words, rice is a requisite in our lives. Cooking rice has several reasons: for own, family, lover, job or the dead. For example, when Korean commemorate their ancestors, they usually prepare rice for the dead. The bowl of rice is put on the table with other dishes and ancestors’ photographs. 

I try to connect it with the situation and position of the media in our lives. Nowadays, the media are really requisites in our lives. However, what do we know about this matter? In other words, how are we using the media, or how are we used by the media.

Who starts to cook rice by using an electric rice cooker. The ending is that there is a rice bowl in a puddle of blood.

 

 

Jelly Bear (process)

 

1. INT, cooking rice

 White rice is put in a tub. Water is poured down on the rice.

 And then, who is washing with the rice carefully. The washing sounds are heard nervously.

 

2. INT, white makers

White makers are seen closely – they wear white gowns and masks.

They are communicating about some subject by using digital cameras.

 

3. INT, cooking rice

Who puts the tub into an electric rice cooker, and closes the cover of electric rice cooker, 

then she presses the button.

 

4. INT, Mina (a)

 It is a desolate, gray morning.

Two women are seen on a bed.

Close up: Mina(a) is seen more closely – her face pale, fine, gaunt, black hairs and eyes. 

She is watching at one point.

 

5. INT, Old lady 

Old lady comes in house, and sits on a sofa. 

She takes out a ball of red knitting yarn in her bag, then, 

puts the ball of red knitting yarn in the box. (Dissolve)  

 

6. INT, White makers  

A ball of red knitting yarn is coming through a hole of a box, and it is moving to them.

 

7. INT, Mina (a)

It is quiet in the space. She is still watching at one point. 

Her girlfriend is sleeping on the bed.

 

8. INT, White makers

A maker carries something to other makers.

It is rolled in white cloth. 

The thing is moving gradually on the table, and moving shadows are seen on the thing.

The thing is moving more. 

(Flash) They start to take photographs, and connect a keyboard on the thing. 

They rap on the keyboards.

The thing stops.

At that moment, behind their back, a black television is turned on and is seen closely. (Dissolve)

 

9. EXT, Two men and three dancers (Monitor)

Korean and American, they are looking at each other on seesaws which are separated. 

They are seen closely – their hands look like round speakers. 

They are lying and are bounded on the seesaws and they are looking at each other. 

During the time, we can catch a curious sound such as signals. 

They might send some information to each other. 

 

10. INT, cooking rice 

Timer of the electric rice- cooker is seen closely.

 

11. EXT, Two men and three dancers (Monitor)

Dancers move to their right round near by the seesaws. 

The rhythm of sound is more and more strong. (Dissolve)

 

12. INT, Mina (a)

She starts to wind a line around her own neck.

Her girlfriend is still sleeping.

Her neck is seen more and more closely. (Dissolve) 

 

13. EXT, Mina (a)

At once the image of Mina’s body, face down, on the surface of the water. 

However, Mina(a-) does not stop winding. Mina(a)’s hair is unloosed. (Dissolve)

 

14. EXT, Mina (a) and Mina (a-)

Mina(a) is seen near by mina(a-).  

 

15. INT, cooking rice

The timer is seen.

 

16. INT, Old lady

Another end of the red knitting yarn is connected with a knitting needle.

She starts knitting. (Humming) (Dissolve)

 

17. EXT, Mina (a, a-)

(Humming)

Behind the Mina(a)’s back, Mina(a-) is seen – her face is wound black and white lines. 

Mina(a-) starts to move to Mina(a), and Mina(a-) is going around.  (Dissolve)

 

18. EXT, Two men and dancers

(Humming) 

Two men still look at each other. 

And dancers are seen amongst them.

They are dancing. 

Their body language is growing intense during the dance. 

The sounds are becoming more and more intense. (Dissolve)

 

19. INT, cooking rice

Timer of electric rice- cooker is seen.

 

20. INT, Old Lady

She is still knitting.

 

21. INT, White makers

They are looking for something in things’ head, ears, and mouth. 

They look for something in its mouth using digital cameras, and chopsticks, 

and then take out a pink jelly bear from its mouth by using chopsticks. 

The pink jelly bear is fallen in a cup of soy sauce. 

They keep taking out jelly bears from the things’ mouth and put them into the cup of soy sauce.

The red ball of knitting yarn is rolling towards their feet.

 

22. INT, Old Lady

She is still knitting.

 

23. INT, white makers

The red ball of knitting yarn is coming near to them.

24. INT, cooking rice

The electric rice-cooker sounds ”beep”.

 

25. INT, Mina (a, a-)

(Sound beep)

Mina(a) is seen comfortably. Surroundings are calm. 

Just, Mina(a-) is turning near by Mina(a) more and more quickly. 

 

26. INT, Old Lady

(Humming and beep)

She is still knitting.

 

27. INT, Mina (a, a-)

We can see a line, and we follow the line.

And Mina(a-) is seen more closely. (Sound “beep”)

 

28. EXT, Two men and dancers

Two men are connected with their hands to each other. (Sound “beep“)

 

29. INT, White makers

A maker recognizes the ball, and then, (Stop the sound), 

He is seeing the ball… (Humming)… He just kicks the ball.

The ball is flown toward the box, 

 

30. EXT, Two men and three dancers

The dancers do not move, just look at each other, and two men are seen behind them.(Humming)

 

31. INT, White makers

The ball hits the box. The box falls on the ground. (Stop the sound) (Dissolve)

 

32. INT, cooking rice

Who opens the cover of electric rice-cooker. (Dissolve)

 

33. INT, Mina (a, a-)

A tub is seen.

We can see the line front the tub, and follow the line. (Dissolve)

34. EXT, Two men and three dancers

Just, the seesaws and other things are is seen more and more closely. 

 

35. INT, Mina (a, a-)

The line is cut, and connected into a toilet stool.

 

36. INT, cooking rice

Who puts rice in a small bowl.

 

37. INT, White makers

The box is seen more closely – blood flows out of the box, and there is a rice bowl in the puddle of blood. Behind the box, they are seen.

(Fade)