Monk’s Love

Experimental Film - 9’27’’

When Mike cut himself bald one day, people joked that he looked like a monk. This was a joke among friends, but it raised a question for me: Why would Mike be titled a new religion just because of his shaved hair? Mike's tattooed body and Caucasian face are incongruous with his "monk" status. It reminded me of the fake monks in robes I'd seen in New York's High Line Park, targeting out-of-town visitors and asking for money. Therefore, I created this film to challenge the relationship between disguise and misunderstanding through different symbols.

Dir & Script & DP: Renee Jin (made during residency in Rome, Italy, shoot with I Phone)

Starting: Mike White, Elizabeth Bonaventura, Kalina Winters, Chung-Ha Lim, Anna Rose Chi

2017