Program Note
Seoul is no longer a city in pursuit of happiness. At least, not in the future depicted in this film. There, the protagonist KIM Shin-dong coughs endlessly as he struggles to survive. The Tenants unfolds this landscape in black and white, adding vital imagination to the present-day Seoul. This effective strategy not only creates a unique atmosphere for the film but also serves as a mirror reflecting how our current reality closely resembles a bleak future. To avoid being evicted from his rental home, Shin-dong sublets the bathroom. This so-called 'sub-sublease' leads to a tense and stressful situation as people with conflicting interests are crammed into a small space. The film resolves this tension through a labyrinthine mystery and a heavy twist, characteristic of director YOON Eunkyoung. People push others into increasingly narrow and dark corners to avoid being displaced from their own positions. The film's ending, where one faces the harsh reality in a secluded corner, may reveal the eerie true face of the city we live in. (Rhana JANG)