Looking Into Jinkyu Jeon’s Masterpiece: The House of Loss
With the all-time classic from Ghibli Studio, like My Neighbour Totoro, or the recent film Your Name by Makoto Shinkai, Japan has been acclaimed for its animated movies.
The reason for their popularity are the technological advancements when it comes to animation, the unforgettable soundtracks, the breathtaking visuals, etc.; also, the incorporation of Japanese culture fascinates the rest of the world. In fact, Japan can be crowned as the master of animation, mostly with its close-knit ties to the anime subculture and its heavy influence.
However, animators from all around the globe have been catching on and remodeling the industry, like the Korean animator Jinkyu Jeon, who was the brain behind the poetic short film The House of Loss [상실의 집].
Despite being located in the underground corridor near a subway station, Sukiyabashi Jiro has risen to global fame, which built the reputation of the restaurant, where the best sushi anyone can savor is being served.
This film of about 10 minutes is the story of a young social worker caring for elders with dementia at a retirement home. Short and bittersweet, The House of Loss is a look into the lives of people suffering from dementia, and their feelings of alienation and slowly fading out of a world they once used to know.
Blue-hued with tones of grey, this film is an ode to the fragility of life, memories, and identity. It’s melancholic and portrays a generation who are bit by bit getting forgotten, through the eyes of a person in the active generation.
Released last March, The House of Loss is considered to be one of the best Japanese-Korean movies ever made, directed and illustrated by Jinkyu Jeon and co-produced by Koji Yamamura, an independent Japanese animator. Jeon graduated from the Korea National University of Arts before enrolling at the Tokyo University of the Arts to pursue a career in animation. He’s known for his minimalistic, elegant, and fine details, the precision of his lines, and his use of metaphors that he’s able to transform into masterful visuals. It was also part of Cannes Film Festival 2022’s short film selection thanks to a special recommendation by Animation Nights New York 2022, as well as being selected for Imaginaria 2022.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
