Junho, a narrative feature film by David Soek Hoon Boo, will be playing at the New Jersey Film Festival on February 11, 2023, online for 24 hours and in person at 7 pm. The film follows Junho, a Korean actor who flees to San Francisco after his acting troupe is shaken by a sexual assault.

Junho’s pacing, organization, and actors' performances keep the audience hooked; Soek Hoon Boo employs flashbacks and the use of a nonlinear narrative to tell the story of Junho and his acting troupe, teasing the audience with small pieces of information that tell the story of Junho and his friend Jin, the woman who was assaulted by the leader of the troupe. Location is brilliantly used to reveal these pieces of information; one of the first places Junho visits after arriving in the United States is a beach in San Francisco. The audience is then transported to a beach in Korea where his acting troupe is playing soccer. We see more of the cult-like behaviors of the acting troupe, like having to bow before leaders, answering questions in a certain fashion, and blindly obeying orders.

The way David Soek Hoon Boo beautifully develops characters is what makes Junho so memorable. Throughout the film, we see Junho’s journey as a struggling actor in Korea as well as the navigation of his new life in the United States. Junho is a completely humanized, nuanced character; we are able to see his struggle with alcohol, his connection to and criticism of his acting troupe, his inability to control his temper, and his compassion for those he loves, all of which inform us of Junho’s complicated humanity. This is a testament to the brilliance of the film’s pacing, organization, and editing, as we are wonderfully baited with pieces of Junho’s life as we are similarly baited with information about the mal intentions and fallacies of the troupe and its leader. David Soek Hoon Boo lets these pieces of information breathe separately despite their obvious connection, keeping the audience engaged and wanting more. As the story progresses, we see Junho become more involved with the troupe through flashbacks which humanize its members, creating complicated feelings about these actors. Despite their blind allegiance to a toxic institution and the fact that their leader is an assaulter, Junho’s friendship with them makes it difficult to pin down their intentions.

The cinematography in Junho emphasizes the rawness and honesty of the film. Natural, ambient light is used throughout the entirety of the film, grounding the audience and allowing its members to further connect to the setting and characters. The lack of music further grounds the audience and allows the performances to shine. The characters are humanized because of this choice by the filmmaker, and the audience is placed directly in a conversation between characters without other elements of distraction.

The performances are captivating and honest, truly making the film one to remember. One of the final scenes depicts a mental breakdown experienced by Junho; he returns to acting in a public place, wearing white face paint. A confused yet entertained audience of onlookers watch, and Junho basks in the glory. However, this glory is obstructed by his declining mental state. The use of a handheld camera perfectly captures the uncomfortableness yet intimacy the audience experiences while watching. He has become so detached from his past, that he has lost himself. He doesn’t know who he is without the troupe.

Junho director David Soek Hoon Boo will be present at the in person screening to do a Q&A with the audience!

Junho screens at the Spring 2023 New Jersey Film Festival on Saturday, February 11. The film will be Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 7PM in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ. 

To buy tickets go here.

For General Info on the Film Festival go here: https://newjerseyfilmfestivalspring2023.eventive.org/welcome