Female Audiences Say "We Want Diverse Women-Centered Films"... From 'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982' to 'House of Hummingbird'

'100 Years of Korean Cinema' 2019 Box Office Breaks All-Time Annual Attendance Record
From Foreign Films to Domestic Commercial and Independent Films, Female-Led Movies Succeed
1 in 2 North American Viewers Prefer Films Involving Female Directors and Writers
Experts Say "Audiences Respond to Films Highlighting Female Subjectivity"

Still cut from the movie 'House of Hummingbird' released in August last year / Photo by Naver Movie

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] "The stories are not diverse, so it gets boring. I find myself watching less and less."

A(26), an office worker who enjoys watching movies and visits theaters weekly, said she has recently been avoiding films featuring mostly male actors. She explained, "(Commercial films) have stories that are not much different, and the cast seems to be always similar," adding, "Moreover, female characters' stories are either not addressed or, if they are, they tend to be minor or portrayed passively, which was frustrating."

She continued, "So I started visiting independent film theaters to watch movies that contain female narratives," adding, "I like being able to watch a much wider variety of films. When I have time, I even rewatch them."

Last year, marking the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema, the number of domestic moviegoers surpassed 220 million. This is the highest number ever recorded, far exceeding the previous annual record of 219,876,227 viewers set in 2017.

As the domestic film industry continues to expand year by year, the voices of audiences calling for diverse female films are growing louder. Female films refer to △films directed by female directors △films starring female actors in leading roles △films depicting women's stories.

Audiences have voluntarily held SNS certification events to encourage viewing and have supported female films through "sending souls." Sending souls is a type of consumer movement where viewers purchase tickets to show support for a film even if they cannot watch it themselves.

Still cut from the movie 'Maggie' released in September last year / Photo by Naver Movie

Last year, female films swept the domestic box office. Not only domestic commercial films like "Girl Cops" and "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982," but also foreign films such as "Captain Marvel," "Aladdin," "Frozen 2," and "Terminator: Dark Fate," featuring strong female protagonists, received great responses from audiences. Additionally, female directors shone in independent films like Kim Bora's "House of Hummingbird," Lee Ok-seop's "Maggie," and Yoon Ga-eun's "Our House."

The success of female films was largely attributed to female audiences. According to CGV's database on the 3rd, 75.8% of viewers who booked tickets for "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982" were women, and over 70% of the audiences for "Yoon-hee," "House of Hummingbird," "Maggie," and "Aladdin" were female.

This trend is expected to continue this year. Upcoming releases such as "Little Women," directed by actress Greta Gerwig, the female queer film "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" by director C?line Sciamma, and the female superhero film "Black Widow" have already attracted significant attention from movie fans before their release.

The movement demanding diverse female films is evident not only domestically but also internationally.

Last year, North American movie ticketing site Fandango surveyed about 2,000 viewers and found that among the top 10 most anticipated releases of 2020, five were films directed by and starring women. Titles included "Birds of Prey," "Wonder Woman," "Mulan," and "Black Widow."

Additionally, a 2018 survey by the same company of about 3,000 female viewers revealed that one in two respondents preferred films involving female directors and female writers. Moreover, three out of four were critical of the stereotypical roles, screen time, and characters of women appearing in blockbuster films.

Still cut from the movie "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," set to be released on the 16th / Photo by Naver Movie

Experts predict that the increasing demand for female films will significantly influence market trends.

Hwang Jin-mi, a popular culture critic, said, "Films like 'Maggie' and 'Yoon-hee,' which were notable last year, address gender issues. Female directors are creating films centered on relationships among women and their private, intimate stories," adding, "We can see that audiences respond to films with strong female subjectivity."

Critic Hwang explained, "Last year, crime films performed terribly, and even movies featuring mainstream male actors with ticket power failed at the box office. It's not that so-called 'blockbusters' lacked entertainment value," adding, "Now, if there isn't a clear difference in perspective or philosophy, audiences simply do not respond."

She continued, "Female audiences feeling a sense of solidarity as a female community and quickly reacting through SNS has become one of the ways to secure a stable audience," adding, "When films with clearly defined target groups succeed, the market naturally responds."