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.