JUSTIN RYU | Mother Tongue

I have always been interested in what connects and disconnects people. In Mother Tongue, culture and language are at the forefront of interpersonal relationships. Due to Hwae Min’s struggle to balance his Korean roots with his American education, his actions cause a series of events that strain his relationship with his mother. In making this film, I wanted to explore the extent to which cultural duality can influence an individual’s psyche and art. I wrote my characters to be artists, because I believed that their craft would serve as a device to invite the audience to see and hear their perspectives. Ultimately, Mother Tongue is about how linguistic and cultural barriers can result in beautiful yet tragic arias of love.

Mother Tongue Runtime: 16 min. 8 sec

Cast and Crew:

Director | Justin Ryu

Writer | Justin Ryu

Producer | Hyo Jin Ha

Executive Producers | Sooyeon Hahn, Hyo Jung Yang, Soomi Amagasu, William Yao, Don Woo Ryu, Shi Bok Ryu, Guest 1901658688

Lead Cast | Daveen Rim, Kat Kim, Sebastian Durfee

Supporting Cast | The AllNighters, Jackie Gladden, Extras

Director of Photography | Seth Herzog

1st Assistant Camera | Patrick McAllister

2nd Assistant Camera | Emily Tartaglia, Ben Freiert

Key Grip | Ben Toppi

Grip | Jabari Smith, Sam Grodnitzky

G&E Swing | Malcolm James

Gaffer | Nate Airey

1st Assistant Director | Lincoln Robisch

2nd Assistant Director(s) | Natalie Palaez

Production Designer | Beatrice Shim

Hair & Makeup | Beatrice Shim, Hyo Jin Ha

Sound Mixer | Carter Mason

Boom Operator | Jake Garcia

Editor | Justin Ryu

Associate Producers | Brian Song, David In

Costume Designer | Beatrice Shim

Music Composer | John An, Lukas MacKinney

Casting Director | Justin Ryu, Hyo Jin Ha

Production Assistant | Sam Ortiz, Alan Fang, Bianca Martone

Special Thanks:

Sooyeon Hahn, my mother, and Shi-Kwan Ryu, my father for their unwavering support.

John Mann, for his wisdom and mentorship.