Where We Stay for a While

Competitive sectionDocumentary Audience Award

Coming of AgeWomenEnvironment/Nature

Wang Mincheol, who documented Cheongju Zoo staff in Garden, Zoological (2018) and a wildlife rescue center in Sanctuary (2022), returns with his third film—this time, an Asian black bear sanctuary. While the story of Project Moon Bear, about transforming a bear farm into a sanctuary, seems to continue his earlier themes, this film takes a different turn. Just as viewers come to understand the challenges of caring for captive bears who can never return to the wild, the volunteers’ own stories emerge. Where We Stay for a While follows four women, born in the 1990s, caring for 13 bears in Hwacheon, Gangwon-do. Their stay is temporary, and they’ll probably move on soon. “Do I need the experience of caring for bears in my life?” they wonder. Yet when one leaves, another arrives to take her place. This film casts a tender gaze on youth who are a little different, choosing the long way around over the shortest path, pausing to take a look around rather than rush forward.

Programme note by KANG Sowon