Searching for Happiness – 2018

Short film, 07:25, 16mm, Super8, Hi8, and digital.

Stars: Jiwoo Shin, Joe Robertson
Music composed by Amber Fenton
Directed by Sae Yong Lee
 
Photos: screenshots from the film

What is happiness? According to Zen Buddhism, it is one of the seven emotional experiences the human mind generates. These experiences are easily influenced by social, physical, and sensory interactions, making them comparable to a flag that waves in the direction of the blowing winds.* This short film captures the susceptible nature of our minds through dramatic storytelling. Its protagonist suffers from delusional bugs gnawing at his stomach, a surreal condition that disrupts his romantic relationship. The hatching flies symbolize the shifting winds that affect the lovers' connection. The editing tempo captures their descent into madness, shifting from long takes to rapid cuts as the story progresses. The film is shot on 16mm, super8, and Hi8 videotapes to display a dreamlike videoscape of the human mind.

* In Huineng's "Platform Sutra," the 57 Cases document the teachings of the Sixth Patriarch in Zen. One of these parables, Case 29, describes a debate between two monks standing in front of a flag. One monk argues that the flag is moving, while the other insists that it is the wind causing the movement. Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, clarifies that it is neither the flag nor the wind that is moving; it is their minds that are in motion.

Huineng, 638-713. The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Translated by Philip B. Yampolsky. Columbia University Press,           1978.

Screening History:
- Jury Special Mention Award, Film-ed: International Short Film Festival, Dubai, UAE, 2019.
- Official Selection, Carcosa International Film Festival, 2020.
- Official Selection, Video Sound Archive S7, 2022. (Link)