Pluto (2017)

Invitation or Cancellation?

While researching films directed by women, I found this appealing short film by Jang Yi Je. I tried to discover more about the people involved with the making of this film, but this obscure short was lost in the vast space of Pluto titled films and shows. I suppose the numerous Pluto named entertainments could offer solace to the poor bullied planet that was kicked off the starting team of planets in our solar system. #justiceforpluto! But I digress…

Yeon Woo is getting married soon, but has one person she needs to see first. She visits the best friend of her childhood, the person she can’t forget. Se Jeong has a pottery studio and is less than thrilled when the familiar face drops by after too many years apart.

Pluto teased a more complex story of familial and societal expectations and judgements. As happens so often in these stories, one person gracefully accepted who she was and the other bowed to the pressure to fit in and be “normal.” How far was Yeon Woo willing to go to please others? Small hints piqued my curiosity. Based on one comment I wondered how controlling was Yeon’s boyfriend. Se Jeong had hated the pottery studio as a child and now creates works of art. I would like to have known her backstory as well. My biggest complaint other than the blown-out photography was because it was a pottery studio, the film succumbed to the overly used Ghost trope.

These short films can be maddening when they seem to have enough material for a full-length film. In a mere twenty minutes, I began to feel invested in these two women and their stories. Was their love deep enough to forgive the past and courageous enough to walk hand-in-hand into the future?

1 August 2024

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