Faculty Project: Professor Haden Guest
Faculty: Director, Harvard Film Archive; Senior Lecturer, Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies
This past summer, I was honored with the opportunity to serve as curatorial and research assistant to the Harvard Film Archive in the creation of a series of programs centered on the topics of Korean Diaspora and Korean Experimental Cinema, to be presented in virtual and in-person screenings this upcoming year. Rooted in the works of the great Korean-American artist Theresa Hak-Kyung Cha, this project has grown in tone and texture in hopes of presenting new considerations of under-represented filmmakers, works, and figures within the Korean diaspora.
My research into these topics grew deeply personal and quickly, emotional, and I feel as though the degree of gracious value placed onto my input throughout this project facilitated this effect; what began as a largely archival research process grew into a reflection of my own role and identity as a Korean-American woman, as the films and works involved continuously engaged with questions of identity, memory, representation, history, and gender as they entwine with considerations of diaspora. Korean-Canadian filmmaker Helen Lee summarizes one apt observation that I found resounded within my own work on the subject–– “I am quite struck by the fact that most Korean American filmmakers are, in fact, women.”
It has been a great honor to be able to hold this role, to conduct this work, and to be able to contribute to the showcasing of Korean art and identity in a space like the Harvard Film Archive in such an exploratory, thorough manner. I am incredibly grateful to both the Korea Institute for their support in this process, as well as to Haden Guest and the Harvard Film Archive for their guidance and care.
September 15, 2021