너와 나의 5분404 Still Remain

DIRECTING INTENTION

2001 officially marked the beginning of the 21st century. At the time, South Korea seemed to be entering an open-minded era, with the appearance of Harisu on public broadcasting and the growing acceptance towards Japanese culture.
But was it truly an open era? In reality, discourse surrounding the queer community remained limited, evidenced in the expulsion of Hong Seok-cheon. Meanwhile, political tensions between South Korea and Japan, such as Dokdo referring to it as a Japanese island in textbooks, and shrine visits, meant that fans of Japanese culture were subtly ostracized.
In 2001, the year seems like progressive on the surface, turns out to be a close minded year, in Daegu symbolized as the most conservative city in Korea, the director wanted to address the story about the joys and sorrows of non-mainstream people (who loves Japanese culture and LGBTQ+) from the perspective of Gyeonghwan who has an unrequited love for Jaemin.
In the context of this period, the director wanted to convey a message to marginalized individuals struggling at the turn of the 21st century: Though the realities of 2024 may not have changed much, as Gyeonghwan discovers by the film’s end, perhaps the 21st century we are now facing is not entirely hopeless.