The dance of the Great hunger
The story — The dance of the Great hunger — takes inspiration from Laurens van der Post’s writing about the Bushmen and the idea of happiness. According to Van der Post, the quest to find meaning is the main ‘hunger’ that drives humans and affects their actions. In this editorial, we encounter the main character who seeks to be reconnected with nature through dance to rediscover her lost freedom. Jian Lee, the model and dancer, also brought the idea of movement to enhance the story. The connection is created through the location, landscapes, the dance and additional elements such as the necklace made of stones and gems.
As Minyeong Lee, the Creative Director, explains the central theme, “We drew a portrait of a dancing woman of 'great hunger' who wishes to return to nature with the original desire of man and the wishes of modern people.” The return to nature is also symbolic of the pursuit of society to regain peace and dissociate itself from the turmoil of the world, the wars, and the pandemic. Essentially, the quest to become one with nature. We speak with Minyeong about Korean society, the main idea behind the editorial, and the interpretation of freedom by the team.
‘Due to life in a constant compromise with reality, society wants to reach a feeling of calmness, happiness, and is thirsty for the meaning of life.’
There are many aspects of the Korean society in which I live. Although it's a country that boasts about reaching a faster speed than any other country, the country in which private education begins at an early age, and competition to prove oneself even as an adult is fierce. It also maintains, according to the OECD, the highest suicide and depression rates. The loss of young people has brought about a huge social problem that prevents the increase in marriages and social advancement.
In Korean society it’s important to show its status and ability, and those who fail to do so have feelings of shame. Koreans should have expensive cars and houses, which are not valued as a social, safe place for family life, but rather as a monetary achievement. Due to life in a constant compromise with reality, society wants to reach a feeling of calmness, happiness, and is thirsty for the meaning of life.
‘I thought about the source of peace and happiness, but the more I tried to find it, the farther away I went. However, the answer I found through various experiences was surprisingly close. It is nature.’
There are still many things in the world that I don't know, but I know more than ever that what people who live in the present need is not something huge, but rather every day, small things. With many social issues increasing day by day, it's becoming difficult for us to feel calm these days. I thought about the source of peace and happiness, but the more I tried to find it, the farther away I went. However, the answer I found through various experiences was surprisingly close. It is nature.
When people are surrounded by nature, they feel stability and tranquility that comes through their 'animal' senses. The wind passing by the collar and the fragrant smell of trees and flowers have the strongest power above all else. We drew a portrait of a dancing woman of 'great hunger' who wishes to return to nature with the original desire of man and the wishes of modern people.
‘There is the Great Hunger and there is the Little Hunger. The Little Hunger wants food for the belly; but the Great Hunger, the greatest hunger of all, is the hunger for meaning.’
"The Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert talk about the two ‘hungers.’ There is the Great Hunger and there is the Little Hunger. The Little Hunger wants food for the belly; but the Great Hunger, the greatest hunger of all, is the hunger for meaning.” ― Laurens van der Post
During the meeting before the shooting, the story of the mountain people came up. The model Jian Lee studied modern dance; she said she wanted to dance in nature. We thought she could be the primary human desire in nature that we were talking about and the spokesperson for the feelings that we need most. It's well known in K-pop, but in fact, Koreans do not enjoy dancing and are shy. Therefore, through the device called dance, we were able to express the meaning of greater freedom together. Using visual media, we ask viewers for comfort and regard.
