Daye is a young documentary director from South Korea. She began filming documentaries in high school, focusing on education issues. Her first feature, Saving a Dragonfly, originated during her senior year in 2014 and continued until she transformed it into her college graduation project. The film offers a unique take on the 'coming-of-age' narrative. Daye firmly believes that the essence of documentary resides within the emotions of its subjects.
Saving a Dragonfly
Saving a Dragonfly
Saving a Dragonfly
In my senior year, I filmed myself and my friends as we went through the college entrance exam under pressure. As a university student, I still grapple with anxiety. Then one day, I got a call from my high school friend saying she was not doing well. I decided to write a letter to her.
‘Throughout our lives, we have been constantly reminded that we would transform into butterflies as we become adults. We were led to believe that adolescence was merely a pupal stage, where all our dreams and hopes would take flight upon metamorphosis. However, my friends and I didn’t quite experience that butterfly-like transformation. Instead, we found ourselves undergoing a different kind of growth, akin to a dragonfly that, unlike the complete metamorphosis of a butterfly, only changes in size as it matures.’ - HONG Daye