Thursday, February 20 | 12:00–1:00 p.m.
In this presentation, Choi envisions a possibility to grant cinematic idleness to girl protagonists. The regional hits Sunny (Kang Hyeong-cheol, 2011) and Miss Granny (Hwang Dong-hyuk, 2014) present themselves as an interesting case study to analyse in relation to the notion of idle play and leisure, as well as moral values assigned to them. Both were domestic box office hits, the latter of which was directed by Hwang (Squid Game, 2021) and yielded numerous adaptations in the region. In addition to this pair, Choi further discusses the way in which Queen of Walking grants “idleness” as a form of moral freedom. As the final chapter of her monograph Forever Girls, it concludes her discussion of girlhood with a positive note or even a wish: envisioning of a possibility for them to appreciate and enjoy the moral freedom of being forever girls.
