Released in 2018,House of Hummingbirdwas the directorial debut of South Korean director andwriter Kim Bora. When the movie first came out, it received awide plethora of awardsfrom international film festivals, including the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best at the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Best International Narrative Feature Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Park Ji-hu, who can be seen in the popular Korean dramasAll of Us Are DeadandLittle Women, starsin the leading role of Eun-hee. A 14-year-old girl from Seoul, South Korea, she must navigate her coming-of-age in a time of drastic change.
House of Hummingbirdis set in the year 1994, when Korea has just moved out of years of dictatorship, and rapid modernization will soon set in after the Asian Financial Crisis. Eun-hee, who is getting her first boyfriend and relationship, is also struggling with her home life and juggling socializing homework, and personal issues. The script was inspired by Kim Bora’s own experiences growing up in South Korea, which adds a deeply authentic and personal touch to the events unfolding on the screen. This film is touching, a universal example of girlhood and the power of narrative to make even the quietest stories shine in a movie.
Being a Teenager is Difficult
At the beginning ofHouse of Hummingbird, several key facts are established about the protagonist, Eun-hee. She is the kind of girl in an awkward stage of life, choosing to stay silent even when it would be beneficial to stand up for herself and say what is happening to her is not okay. Her first boyfriend, whom she shyly kisses in stairwells, seems to like her as much as she likes him, but she has to secretly date him. At the same time, her parents neglect her in favor of her older brother, who casually says and does horrible things to Eun-hee. Her parents turn a blind eye to his actions.
However, things start to go even more south throughout the movie. Eun-hee’s best friend, whom she can constantly be seen hanging out with, betrays her and then leaves Eun-hee to wander the streets alone. Eun-hee’s health begins to decline after she finds a lump behind her ear, and then her boyfriend breaks up with her after his mother discovers their relationship. Eun-hee, who comes from a lower-class family, is seen as an unsuitable match for her son. She also continues to attend the cram school, tutoring students in South Korea, in Mandarin, and develops a relationship with her new teacher.
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Eun-hee’s rise to becoming a more mature teenager is marked by the tragedy at the end of the movie, which was a real event that happened in 1994. What is remarkable aboutHouse of Hummingbirdis how universal Eun-hee’s experience can be. Some indicators mark Eun-hee’s teenage years as distinctly Korean, but her experience goes beyond girlhood in South Korea. She struggles like so many other girls with her love life, friendships, and personal life, but is capable of keeping her head high and moving forward despite the circumstances.
Struggling with Identity and Life
One of the most interesting aspects ofHouse of Hummingbirdis thesubtle LGBTQ+ themesthat lie beneath the surface. Yu-ri, a girl who meets Eun-hee while at a club, clearly does not just want to be friends with Eun-hee. There is a subtext here about bisexuality in terms of a coming-of-age story, and while Eun-hee does not act on this potential relationship, she does not shy away from Yu-ri’s advances. Eun-hee is open toward this girl’s feelings, even if she does not ultimately reciprocate them, which is an understanding and empathy that goes beyond her mortal age.
Despite focusing on a teenage girl, having a woman director’s vision and stance helps solidify the commentary on how the patriarchal elements of Korean society are also affecting the women characters. Ji-suk, the friend that leaves Eun-hee behind, also is seen being affected by an abusive male figure in her life; she wears face cream to hide the bruises left behind by the abuse. Yet, at the end of the day, these families return home despite everything going on and sit together at the dinner table to have a meal. As Eun-hee’s brother cries at the thought of losing Eun-hee’s sister, or when her father cries when Eun-hee prepares for surgery, the film demonstrates how everyone is impacted by the systemic issues in place.
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But, above all else,House of Hummingbirdshows that despite everything young girls and women go through, their relationships with each other shine. Whether it is Eun-hee and her cram school teacher sorting through her feelings and life, or how she allows herself to simply be attracted to Yu-ri without labeling herself, the moviepasses the Bechdel Testwith flying colors. They are united in their struggles, bound together by a common understanding and empathy for each other.
