Barrier Free is the section that screens barrier-free versions of films, which include audio descriptions of the visual elements and subtitles that provide information about the speakers, dialogues, music, and sounds—making the films more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. This section invites audiences to imagine diverse bodies involved in both making and viewing films, and to share experiences that expand the meaning of film viewing. This year, three short films directed by women filmmakers will be screened: D-Day, Friday by director Lee Yida, which delicately captures the emotions of childhood set in Gwangju in 1984; Christmas at Bulsangsa by director Jin Jeongmin, which portrays the time shared by two sisters waiting for Santa at a Buddhist temple; and The Lee Families by director Seo Jeongmi, a black comedy about a family commotion surrounding a grandfather’s inheritance, which was invited to the La Cinef (Cinéfondation) section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Each film approaches its characters and situations in a unique way, opening up cinematic microcosms. The directors themselves took charge of creating the barrier-free versions of their films.
