Jung Joo-ri (; born 1980), also known as July Jung, is a South Korean

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. Jung's directorial debut feature '' A Girl at My Door'' won the Best First Film at the 25th

Stockholm International Film Festival The Stockholm International Film Festival () is an annual film festival held in Stockholm, Sweden. It was launched in 1990 and has been held every year since then during the second half of November, and focuses on emerging and early career fil ...

. She also won the Best New Director at the

23rd Buil Film Awards The 23rd Buil Film Awards () ceremony was hosted by the Busan-based daily newspaper Busan Ilbo. It was held on October 3, 2014 at the Haeundae Grand Hotel's Grand Ballroom in Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Kor ...

and Best Director/Screenwriter at the 15th Women in Film Korea Awards in 2014, and Best Screenplay at the

2nd Wildflower Film Awards The 2nd Wildflower Film Awards () is an awards ceremony recognizing the achievements of Korean independent and low-budget films. It was held at the Literature House in Seoul on April 9, 2015. The selection committee was composed of 25 film profes ...

and Best New Director for film at the

51st Baeksang Arts Awards The 51st Baeksang Arts Awards () ceremony was held at Kyung Hee University's Grand Peace Hall in Seoul on May 26, 2015. It was aired live on JTBC and was hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Kim Ah-joong and Joo Won. Organised by ''Ilgan Sports'', it is So ...

in 2015.

Early years and education

Jung grew up in

Yeosu Yeosu, formerly romanized as Yosu, is a coastal city located on the southern shore of South Korea. With a population of 268,823, Yeosu is the second largest city in South Jeolla Province. In 1998, the Old Yeosu City, Yeocheon City and Yeocheon C ...

until she graduated from high school. She wrote in her diary when she was a freshman in high school, "I plan to become a film director." When She was in middle school, her father would pile up video tapes and watch movies alone every night. It was a time when Hong Kong movies were popular, and people watched a lot of Hollywood movies and European movies. When She woke up early in the morning and passed by to go to the bathroom, the TV screen showed her father lost in his own world. At the same time, She also watched the video her father had rented. When preparing for college, Jung had a vague desire to study video media rather than a clear intention of making movies. However, deep down, she aspired to become a film director. She was aware that merely enrolling in the film department wouldn't guarantee her a directorial role after graduation. Consequently, she decided to pursue a degree in the Department of Film and Television at

Sungkyunkwan University Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU or ''Seongdae'', ) is a private research university with campuses in Seoul and Suwon, South Korea. The institution traces its origins to the historic Sungkyunkwan founded in 1398 in central Seoul. Jung graduated much later than her classmates due to the challenges she faced during her academic journey, including an expulsion followed by readmission. It was during her college years that her passion for movies started to take shape. As she pursued her studies, she was exposed to a diverse range of subjects, which helped her recognize the significance of studying film grammar as a fundamental aspect of her education. However, she noticed that the Department of Film and Television at that time had a stronger focus on animation and games rather than live-action filmmaking. In response, Jung took the initiative to collaborate with friends in a small group and began making movies using camcorders. This hands-on experience provided her with valuable practical knowledge in the field of film-making. Unfortunately, her dedication to film-making led her to skip classes, resulting in her expulsion. However, she was determined to continue her education and readmitted to the university. As she returned, she decided to pursue a double major in Western philosophy, further expanding her knowledge in that area. Immersing herself in the theoretical aspects of film and philosophy, her film-making skills improved significantly. Eventually, Jung successfully completed her studies and graduated from the Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Film in 2005. After graduation, she prepared herself to enter the workforce. In addition, she also made preparations for the journalism exam but soon realized that it didn't align with her aptitude. Jung realized the need to pursue film-making earnestly and made the decision to attend graduate school. At the time, she was around 25 or 26 years old. After entering the

Korea National University of Arts Korea National University of Arts () is a national university in Seoul, South Korea. Korea National University of Arts was established in 1993 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as the only national university of arts with an aim to ...

, Jung expanded her knowledge and worked on various short films. She released her first short film titled "A Man Under the Influenza" in 2007. The English title of the film cleverly plays on the title of John Cassavetes' renowned film

A Woman Under the Influence ''A Woman Under the Influence'' is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes, and starring his wife Gena Rowlands and close friend Peter Falk. Rowlands plays a housewife whose unusual behavior leads to conflict with her ...

, which is known for

Gena Rowlands Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (; June 19, 1930 – August 14, 2024) was an American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television spanned nearly seven decades. She was a four-time Emmy, Emmy Award and two-time Golden Globe winner, and ...

' exceptional performance. It depicts a comical scenario set in a Chinese restaurant, capturing the essence of an absurdist play. Jung's film received the Seonjae Award at the 12th

Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held fro ...

. While still studying at the

, Jung also created the short film 11 (2008). It depicts the story of a young female police station chief. Graduating with aspirations of immediately directing a feature film, Jung soon realized that reality required several more years to pass before that dream could be realized.

Career

Jung mainly wrote short stories but had a tale about a cat and its owner that she wanted to turn into a full-length story. She even envisioned making it into an animated film. During her time as an undergraduate student, Jung had envisioned turning this story into an animation. The story revolves around a cat trying to get its owner's attention, who is preoccupied with a new cat. In an attempt to gain attention, the cat catches a mouse and puts it in the owner's shoe. Unfortunately, the owner misunderstands the cat's action as harmful. The next day, the cat brings a skinned, bleeding mouse, hoping to convey a desperate plea for attention. Jung developed the story further by turning the cat into a child character named Dohee. The foundation for the composition of this character was inspired by the original cat story, and its specific details were refined over time. The character Dohee's choice to place a bleeding rat in the shoe becomes a pivotal moment in the story. Yeongnam was then created as a character who understands and comforts Dohee. The story is set in a secluded rural village, highlighting the deep bond between two women who protect each other in a harsh world. Despite the story's painful and oppressive nature, Dohee and Yeongnam retain their unique identities as female characters. Jung submitted her story to an industry-academia collaboration project organized by CJ and the Korea Film Institute, with director

Lee Chang-dong Lee Chang-dong (; born July 4, 1954) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, and novelist. He has directed six feature films: ''Green Fish'' (1997), ''Peppermint Candy (film), Peppermint Candy'' (1999), ''Oasis (2002 film), Oasis'' (2002) ...

, professor at

, as the project's advisor. He closely followed the process of scenario development during the initial treatment and participated in the final evaluation. Although her script was not selected in the final round, Jung reached out to Lee Chang-dong after the presentation, expressing her belief in the story's potential. Lee Chang-dong considered the idea and suggested, "What if we make it ourselves?" Jung finally had the opportunity to make her directorial debut in a full-length feature film. The film, titled '' A Girl at My Door'' (2014) was produced as a low-budget independent film by

. Nevertheless, they succeeded in casting Bae Doo-na,

Kim Sae-ron Kim Sae-ron (; July 31, 2000 – February 16, 2025) was a South Korean actress. Kim began her career in 2001 as a child model and transitioned to acting in 2009 with the film '' A Brand New Life'' (2009). She gained recognition through '' The ...

, and

Song Sae-byeok Song Sae-byeok (born December 25, 1979) is a South Korean actor. After gaining attention as a supporting actor in '' The Servant'' (2010), Song played the leading roles in the comedies '' Meet the In-Laws'' (2011) and '' The Suck Up Project: Mr. ...

. The film was shot in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. Upon its release, it garnered significant attention in Korea and was invited to the Un Certain Regard section of the

Cannes International Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around t ...

, where it received a standing ovation. The film went on to win several awards, including the Best New Director Award at the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Best Screenplay Award at the Wildflower Film Awards.

Filmography

Short Film

Feature film

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Listicles

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jung, July 1980 births Living people 21st-century South Korean people 20th-century South Korean people Sungkyunkwan University alumni Korea National University of Arts alumni South Korean film directors South Korean women film directors South Korean screenwriters