At the Jerusalem Film Festival, House of Hummingbird, written and directed by alumna Bora Kim ‘11, won the prize for best first feature in the International category. The Jerusalem Film Festival is the leading platform in Israel for presenting the world’s finest contemporary cinematic trends to its local audiences. On May 17, 1984, Le Bal, directed by Ettore Scola, opened the first Jerusalem Film Festival. Over the course of three weeks, about 100 films were screened, including Israeli premieres, alongside the year’s best selection of international films. Now the July Festival spans 11 days, offering a rich and varied program with more than 200 films.
House of Hummingbird follows a young woman coming of age. In 1994 14-year-old Eun-hee is the youngest of three children, sibling to a difficult middle sister and an overachieving but violent older brother. Eun-hee's parents run a small rice cake store and provide little structure for their three children, instead they spend their time quarreling and keeping their business afloat. As Eun-hee deals with the many relationships and pressures around her, summer wears on. Current events including the World Cup, the death of North Korean leader Kim II-sung and the collapse of the Seongsu Bridge leave Eun-hee feeling alone and in flux. Eun-hee dates a local schoolboy and gets up to mischief with her best friend until she meets her new Chinese language teacher, an adult who finally sees her for who she is.
Kim is an interdisciplinary artist and sociologist from Seoul, Korea. Her process is based on cultural research revolving around the spectacle and performance of Asian femininity, particularly in the context of global media. Bora’s work addresses the public gaze and occupies the sphere of popular culture. She previously directed the 2011 short The Recorder Exam.
