Interview: "Fly By Night" with Son Tae-gyum

Continuing our spotlight on the directors whose films make up this year's International Short Film Showcase, we turn our focus to Son Tae-gyum's award-winning Fly By Night.

Fly By Night tells the story of a teenage boy who lives a poor life with his older brother. With the uncertainty of his future, he develops a sexual relationship with an older man for money, and begins to question his sexuality and direction in life. The film will screen as part of the PANORAMA section of the short film showcase this year.

Direct from Cannes Film Festival this year, Fly By Night was awarded the 3rd prize in the coveted Cinefondation section. The film has also been internationally recognised at a several GLBT festivals, including the 27th Torino LGBT Film Festival and the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival for its themes on sexuality. 

Read on for a short interview with director Son Tae-gyum and his film Fly By Night.

How did you get into the film industry?

I wanted to make films since I was in school and started doing so when I got to study filmmaking at university. My graduation film was fortunately shown at film festivals and found distribution shortly after, which gave me the opportunity to keep making more movies.

What or who inspires you as an artist?

I like various directors who deal with traditional dramaturgy, such as Gus Van Sant, Pedro Almodovar, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Lars Von Trier and so on. They have very experimental techniques and I feel inspired by them. Directors who approach genre, tone and manner differently and in new ways while making fun work are icons to me.

Can you tell us more about Fly By Night?

It is a story of a boy who sells himself to a middle-aged man. It might sound funny, but I want to explore ideas of poverty, confusion and the uncertainty of this boy's future. These sort of ideas are what I like to make my films of.

Are you excited to have an Australian Premiere at KOFFIA?

I have never been to Australia, but my film is - which makes me feel a little strange as I really want to go myself. I'm also curious about how an Australian audience might respond to my film.

What's next for you? 

I'm currently attending the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). I plan to make one more short film in the course of this year and hope to have a chance at making a feature length film too. I want to keep making films that will slowly reveal myself, little by little.

Watch the trailer for Fly By Night

Visit the film's official website here

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