Joon-hee, a fourth-year assistant manager at Hanyang Heavy Industries, gets assigned to the human resources department. As the shipyard suffers from a decline of orders, the creditors instruct the HR to restructure the company. Although reluctant to do so, the team supposes that it is inevitable for keeping the company afloat. The HR proceeds to make the restructuring as smooth and efficient as possible. In an attempt to set the criteria for dismissal in company’s favor, the team first tries to elect employees’ representatives, who will cater for the demands of the management. Some of the so-called blacklisted employees, who are well aware of such conventional procedures, start to put a brake on such actions…

Looking from outside, it appears to be that when a corporate undergoes restructuring, the conflict arises between two parties: workers’ unions and the management. However, the inner perspective tells a different story. The ones that give out such orders only observe from a distance, while workers point their fingers at each other. It ends up in a clash of interests between members, who are only doing their best according to the assigned positions and roles. What’s left after all this, is the shattered bond between workers, and a sense of relief that they have survived for the time being. In this fight, there is only defeat, in the face of the power of capital, followed by anxiety that you might get fired at any time. Most stories dealing with labor issues, have mainly been those of direct victims from restructuring, fighting against the corporate. Then what would it be like, to work in HR as implementers of restructuring, as workers who are just doing their job? I wanted to discuss with the audience, about the nature of labor conditions of our time, through the aspects of various individuals surrounding a restructuring process.

2023 제28회 부산국제영화제 한국영화감독조합플러스엠상, 올해의배우상