Korean filmmaker Yoon Dan-bi’s new coming-of-age film, “The World Before,” focuses on the transition from innocence to desire, and the physicality of first love. The film, starring Jin and Du-jae, is set on a remote Korean island and utilizes a dynamic camera style to portray the characters’ inner turmoil.
Seven years after “Moving On,” Yoon returns with a story following 17-year-old Jin and her reunion with childhood friend Du-jae, who returns to the island for his grandmother’s funeral. Yoon explained she aims to create films about complex themes. “I want to make films about things that can’t be described in one sentence,” she said. “In my previous movie I wanted to capture nostalgia, here I wanted to capture the restlessness, that fever you experience when innocence turns into desire.”
To achieve this, Yoon shifted her filmmaking approach. While “Moving On” employed a stationary, observational style resembling a documentary, “The World Before” features a more mobile camera. “The camera moves around a lot as if it had its own soul,” Yoon stated. “I wanted to move it unexpectedly to create a rhythm.” She specifically cited a beach scene utilizing natural light, resisting post-production effects despite crew suggestions.
Filming presented logistical challenges. The production took place across two islands in Wando County, South Korea, with equipment transported without vehicles due to the lack of a bridge to the mainland. Despite hoping for rain, the summer remained dry. The island of Soan-do, where much of the filming occurred, is described by Yoon as representative of traditional Korean countryside life, with residents primarily engaged in abalone and seaweed fishing and offering support to the film crew and actors.
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