Bearing Dreams

Bearing Dreams

Runtime: 5 min.
Produced by: Visual Communications
Directed by: Jin Yoo-Kim
Director of Photography: Joe Tran
Edited by: Jin Yoo- Kim

Long synopsis: "Bearing Dreams" sets out to uncover the world of superstition and dream interpretation in the Korean culture.

The Tae-Mong is a type of prophetic dreams Koreans have that determines the sex, personality, and destiny of their unborn child. The film explores the origin of Tae-Mong by interviewing the filmmaker's "Old Korea" relatives, who migrated from Korea in the early 80's and still hold on to the practices they've grown up with. As they recall dreams of their siblings and offsprings, the filmmaker's curiosity is triggered and she decides to figure out her own destiny as dictated by her mother's Tae-Mong for her.

Her Tae-Mong seems promising but do dreams really come true?
According to these dreamers, they do...even if it means buying the Tae-Mong from someone else.

Premiered at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in 2007 as part of the Armed with a Camera Fellowship.

I made this short documentary in 2006-2007 because I had an itch to tell a story about this interesting and unique dream interpretation that revolved around pregnant women. I overheard people talking about birth complications which was resolved by figuring out that the dream she had meant the baby was going to be okay. This led me on a journey to figure out what my Tae-Mong was, what it would foretell about my life, and why these dreams even existed in the Korean culture. I know that growing up identifying more with Korean Americans, not all of them retain traditional superstitions that their parents believe. Before Korean Americans forget about the Tae-Mong altogether, I wanted to put it on record.