Filmmaking Success During the Pandemic: The Cast and Crew of CAAMFest 2021 Film JUNHO (Part 2 of 2)| WeXL Weekly
This episode is Part 2 of the two-part series of our podcast interview with the cast and crew of the feature film JUNHO, an official selection of CAAMfest 2021. This episode was recorded five months after Part 1's interview when we met up in San Francisco pre-pandemic with writer/director David Boo, actor Wojun Jo, and producer Rebecca Teresia. See how the world changed for each of our guests as they called in from South Korea and Hawaii. How are they keeping their storytelling dreams alive?
JUNHO is about a young man running from his previous life as a member of the Changbi theater troupe. After sexual assault revelations surface, the troupe is not only dismantled but blacklisted from the community. Although he is just a bystander, the titular character Junho is overwhelmed by his complicity through silence, especially because of his close friendship with one of the victims. In an attempt at a fresh start, Junho moves to San Francisco, but he soon realizes that distance is no cure for the pain and stifling guilt that he feels inside.
David Boo is a Korean American Writer/Director, born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised between the United States and South Korea. With an engineering background, David moved to Korea to study Film at Dongguk University. During his time there, David wrote, directed, and edited five short films and participated in multiple independent productions. Along with other filmmakers in the Bay Area, David formed a group called the Bay Area Film Collective. Its mission is to develop and nurture a variety of independent projects in the Bay Area. With the help of the collective and his Korean colleagues, David began developing his first feature, JUNHO. David's primary career goal is to direct a feature film with Asian American emphasis for a major production company.
Rebecca Teresia is a Finnish-born Actress/Producer with considerable experience in Television and Film. Rebecca is best known for her work in drama, horror, and action films. In addition to an extensive background in international business (MBA), she continues to tell remarkable stories while establishing herself as a leader and mentor to other aspiring filmmakers. While living in Hawaii, Rebecca developed an earnest curiosity and appreciation for Korean culture. Her interest led to an opportunity to produce her first Korean-origin film, which has since furthered her knowledge of the Korean film scene.
Wonjun Jo was a member of Mokhwa, a theater troupe exposed by the #MeToo movement. As a result of the scandal, everyone associated with the troupe (regardless of involvement) was blacklisted by the industry and society as a whole, forcing everyone to make radical career changes. Won Jun Jo being one of them. Like so many other bystanders who looked away from institutional abuse, Won Jun was deeply troubled by his inaction. Wonjun wanted to take on the role of Junho to illustrate the lives of the neglected and bring their stories to the forefront in a closed society to prevent future tragedy.
WeXL founder and CEO Arabella DeLucco hosts WeXL Weekly, a podcast that encompasses WeXL's mission to empower and unite through passion, purpose, and story. Listen in to learn the inner workings and journeys of creators and creative individuals from all over the world—experience how stories unite us. Together, We eXceL. To support our work, please go to WeXL.org.
