Lee Jae-hoon, Seo Ji-hoo

Director Kim Jo Gwang-soo added an entry to the small-but-growing category of Korean queer cinema with his short film Boy Meets Boy, starring rising pretty-boy actor Kim Hye-sung. He is following that with his second film, Friends? [친구사이?], which isn’t quite feature-length but clocks in as a mid-length film at 50 minutes.

Friends?, like Boy Meets Boy, is based on the director’s own experiences; while Boy depicted two high schoolers meeting in a first-love experience, Friends? is a little more mature and the characters a bit older. It also ups the skinship quotient. (Boy’s allure was in its lingering looks and silences, while these still shots from Friends? depict the two young actors kissing, and there is reportedly also a bed scene.)

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Seo Ji-hoo, Hong Jong-hyun

Director Kim Jo Gwang-soo garnered some attention with last year’s queer short film Boy Meets Boy, and now he’s coming out with his follow-up. Called 친구사이?, the title translates to “We’re Friends?” or simply “Friends?”

Friends?, like Boy Meets Boy, also deals with queer romance, and this time, the director has cast two unknown actors, 19-year-old Hong Jong-hyun and 25-year-old Seo Ji-hoo. Hong started as a model and was also in Jo In-sung’s Frozen Flower, while Seo earned his role through auditions.

As with Boy Meets Boy, the events of this film are based on the director’s personal experience; the film aims for a “realistic, frank” depiction of young gay love.

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