Behind the Film: Water Lilies - Worcester Film Festival

Introduction

The film Water Lilies is, on a macro level, a story about the glass ceiling faced by young people. Many youth strive to achieve their dreams, only to collide with immense barriers.

On a micro level, it is a story about pain. As human beings, we can never fully understand another’s suffering – and that’s natural. The real issue, however, lies in how pain produced by society is transferred from one person to another, creating a cycle of suffering. In Water Lilies, this transmission and chain of pain unfolds like a Möbius strip – endless and entangled.

Inspiration

The film’s protagonists possess a quiet resilience.

Despite everything, they stay together, offering one another small moments of healing. These gestures are subtle and tender, but they are what make the characters uniquely beautiful. They do not force love upon each other, nor do they demand to be understood. They simply smile when they see one another.

They are like water lilies – blooming from murky waters, purifying them as they grow. I wanted to capture those moments in my film.

The Process

The filming took place in Seoul, South Korea, over several weeks. Despite the limitations of a small independent production, the film was completed through focused collaboration. Post-production was especially challenging due to the extremely limited budget. Yet what proved even more difficult than financial constraints was capturing, in each scene, the subtle nuances of pain experienced by the characters. In Water Lilies, the role of Hyo-won is played by actress Lee Hyo-won, discovered by director Lee Chan-ho during the script development stage while researching and interviewing emerging actors. Through this process, he recognised her determination to become an actress and became convinced she was perfectly suited for the lead role. Her performance was later recognised with Best Actress nominations at multiple festivals, and she won the award at one. The role of the exploitative employer is played by the real mother of actress Choi Eun-seo, who portrays the character Eun-seo. Within the story, the employer forces Eun-seo to call her “mother” to hide the fact of her illegal employment. This ironic dynamic, combined with their powerful ensemble performance, brings unique depth to the film.

What It Means to Be a Finalist

I am a film director. I believe that being a director is about articulating one’s thoughts and visions through words to the crew and collaborating with them to bring those ideas to life. Together, we shape these fragments into a completed work. And only when this creation meets its audience and fosters communication does the film director’s journey truly come full circle.

Watch my film. Feel and think freely. All that you perceive becomes your theme, your story, your dialogue, and your beauty.

Then, through our exchange, let us complete the film together, making it whole. In this sense, I believe the Worcester Film Festival will become a precious space-time where Water Lilies can encounter its audience.