In his short film Recite with Your Hands, Jazz columnist and filmmaker Jo Won-yong taps into the disconnect writers can experience when the emotions being conveyed through a piece of art seems beyond our reach. In the film, deaf literature editor Yong-in (Gong Seo-yeon) struggles to connect emotionally to a new series of poems she’s been commissioned to work on.
As a writer poetess herself, Yong-in possesses the intuition needed to understand the writing on an intellectual level, but the emotional disconnect exacerbated by writer’s block with her own poetry, causes her frustration she’s unable to shake. Desperate for a way to experience the poetry, she looks into a new way to connect with writing. Inspired by using her hands to feel the vibrations emanating from speakers when listening to music, Young-in enlists the help of a friend who reads the poems, allowing her to feel the vibrations resonating from their vocal chords.
With this film Jo Won-yong shows the audience, particularly those who are hearing, that being deaf and having a disability invisible or otherwise, doesn’t have to be an insurmountable barrier to finding new ways to share the words just at the tips of our fingers with the world. All it takes is patience, imagination, and ingenuity.
In my interview with Jo Won-yong in Jeonju City, South Korea where Recite with Your Hands at the 2024 Jeonju International Film Festival, we spoke about how creating the script and the filmmaker process differs from his work as a columnist, and how Jazz and Korean Sign Language inspired Young-in’s characterization and the tone of the film.
Editorial note: Due to copy right, the voice of the interpreter has been muted and subtitled.
Carolyn Hinds
Freelance Film Critic, Journalist, Podcaster & YouTuber
African American Film Critics Association Member, Tomatometer-Approved Critic
Host & Producer Carolyn Talks…, and So Here’s What Happened! Podcast
Bylines at http://Authory.com/CarolynHinds
Twitter & Instagram: @CarrieCnh12
#kcrush #JeonjuIFF2024 #KoreanCinema #KoreanFilm #AsianCinema #KoreanActress #InternationalFilmFestival #SouthKorea #Korea #interviewwithJoWonYong #featuredinterviews #kcrushinterviews #kcrushfilmfestivalinterview #ReciteWithYourHands #shortfilm
User Review
( votes)Related Articles
Fantasia IFF 2025 – KCrush Interview with ‘I Fell In Love with a Z Grade Director in Brooklyn’ Filmmaker Kenichi Ugana and Actress Ui Mihara
Oh, to be an artist who’s lost the will to create! What trials the creative process can be when you possess more passion than you do money. In his latest film (well at the time of writing this anyway) I Fell In Love with a Z Grade Director in... Read More
Minikino Film Week 11 & KCrush Interview with Fransiska Prihadi, Matt Lloyd, and Holly Márie Parnell
From the 11th of September to the 19th, aspiring, new, and veteran filmmakers from all across B, and all areas of world gathered in Denpasar, Bali for the very successful 11th Minikino Film Week (MFW) Bali International Short Film Festival. Since... Read More
KPOPPED with STAYC: A Conversation on Creativity and Connection
Fresh off their participation in KPOPPED, STAYC sat down with KCrush for a written interview to share their thoughts on the experience and what it means for their ongoing journey. Known for their dynamic performances and unique vocal colors, the... Read More
Fantasia IFF 2025 – KCrush Interview with ‘The Woman’ Director Hwang Wook and Producer Lee Dong-min
For the world premiere of their latest feature The Woman at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival, writer and director Hwang Wook and producer Lim Dong-min presented their psychological thriller about a woman who appears to be everywhere,... Read More
KCrush Interview with Sean Dulake
Sean Dulake has a way of making you feel like you already know him. Whether he’s charming audiences on Korean primetime dramas or pulling fans into the whirlwind fantasy of Dramaworld, the actor, writer, and producer has built a career that blends... Read More
BLACKSWAN Prepares to Show New Colors in KPOPPED
On August 29, 2025, the world will be able to tune into Apple TV+ and binge KPOPPED, a new competition series unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Artists from around the world will collaborate to reimagine one of their chart-topping songs,... Read More
KCrush Interview with Hwina
Rising K-pop newcomer Hwina is captivating listeners with her poetic lyricism and emotional depth. After debuting with hits like "Like a Tree", she quickly became a name to watch, not only for her delicate yet expressive vocals but also for her... Read More
Fantasia IFF 2025 – KCrush Interview with ‘Haunted Mountain: The Yellow Taboo’ with Director Tsai Chia Ying and Producer Ivan Chen
We know the five stages of grief to be denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, but what if there’s a sixth unnamed emotion? Regret. Written by Zou Wan-Zhen (Women in Taipei), and directed by Tsai Chai-ying (The Remains), the new... Read More
Jeonju IFF 2025 -KCruch Interview with “Toe Tapping Tunes”, Filmmaker Lee Jung-hyun
During the 25th annual Jeonju International Film Festival, award-winning South Korean actress and singer, Lee Jung-hyun made her directorial debut with the dramatic short Toe-Tapping Tunes, alternatively titled Going to See the Flowers, in which... Read More
Leave a Reply