Are you aware of Parituh? As a Korean women filmmakers¡¯ collective, it was founded in 1989 to carry out filmmaking with a feminist perspective. Earlier women¡¯s groups concerned with independent filmmaking started in the mid-1970s, such as the filmmakers who graduated from Ewha Womans University and formed a creative group of experimental films called Kaidu. 15 years later, Parituh was established to pursue feminist filmmaking.
Parituh was led by director and KAFA graduate KIM Soyoung, and director BYUN Youngjoo who was also a member of NOUE, alongside the filmmaking society of Ewha Womans University. Since then, other members from university film clubs, graduate schools of film, and feminist activists joined the collective, including SEO Seon-young, DOE Sung-hee, MOON Hye-joo, HONG Hyosook, KIM Young, and LIM Hye-won.
While the members studied cine-feminism and made videos for women¡¯s organizations, Parituh co-produced its first project Even Little Grass Has Its Own Name with Korean Women link. Female staff were responsible for every role in the filmmaking process including planning, screenplay, directing, cinematography, lighting, editing, and music. The film started shooting in the winter of 1989 and had its premiere in April 1990. The collective later produced more films including My Children.
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Korea¡¯s first feminist film collective Parituh, SIWFF intends to highlight the significance of the group. Amid today¡¯s popularization of feminism, the program will give audiences a chance to see the beginning of cine-feminism and its practices.
KWON Eunsun / Deputy Director, Chairperson of Film Selection Committee