'Bedford Park' director tells Korean American story she wanted to see

Stephanie Ahn, who directs the American drama Bedford Park, expressed Thursday how a desire to see a film that deeply explored the Korean American experience inspired her to create her first feature. The film won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature at the Sundance film festival. The story follows Audrey, a Korean American physical therapist, and Eli, a Korean immigrant who was adopted by a white family.

Ahn told reporters at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) that while there are many admirable Korean American or Asian American stories, she felt they often touched upon the experience in a surface-level manner. She desired a story that made her feel personally seen and deeply connected.

Ahn's film does not gloss over the backgrounds or surroundings of the lead characters, but instead lays bare their family trauma and personal wounds. These include growing up under distressed parents, the lasting suffering from that type of parenting, and Audrey having to constantly interpret for her parents whose mother language is not English. Despite being primarily for Korean American audiences, Ahn believes Bedford Park is also for everyone who has experienced living between two contradictory worlds.

With a visit to South Korea after 25 years, Ahn said the emotional homecoming was even more profound than she expected. The connection with her roots was immediate and inexplicable. Ahn also praised Lee Chang-dong's 2007 film Secret Sunshine, describing how it quietly architects stories that leave audiences emotionally swept away. She specifically mentioned how her parents, who are not film lovers, felt a deep emotional grounding from Bedford Park and found it very good.