“If Even One Person Listens” — ‘Eddie Alice: Take’ Holds Press Conference Amid Powerful Response

〈Eddie Alice: Take〉, a meta-hybrid film that uses the transitions of trans women Eddie and Alice to give cinematic form to the unfamiliar experience of change and confrontation, held a press and distributor screening followed by a press conference to an enthusiastic reception.

At the press conference after the screening, director Kim Il-ran explained what prompted her to begin the film. “In film terminology, ‘transition’ was a very familiar word to me as a documentary director. But after meeting Eddie and Alice, I realized that the process of transforming and interpreting one’s identity is also remarkably similar to filmmaking,” she said. “Just as the result changes depending on how two cuts are connected in a film, I thought that viewing the transition process as we would the filmmaking process could help society understand the experiences of trans people more deeply.”

Asked about the staged scenes, Kim said, “I believe staging in a documentary is an ethical choice by the director. Scenes showing the process of reconciling with one’s body while enduring social hatred, as well as dilation care after surgery, could not have been captured without a staged approach based on deep trust and discussion with the participants.” She described the film’s authenticity and the cinematic questions it explores.

Eddie, who appears in the film, said she asked the filmmakers to document her story because “much of the information about the process of making peace with one’s body in the lives of transgender people who choose transition remains inaccessible. I wanted people who share experiences similar to mine to see this film and find in it one possible choice and option.” Alice, a film lighting director with 25 years of experience who encountered new physical sensations through the film, said, “I gained a film that serves as my own ‘dictionary’ and ‘teaching tool,’ allowing me to explore myself more deeply through the work. I received a tremendous gift: Through dance, I came to understand how my body could be used, and through the process of making a film through another person’s gaze, I was able to look at myself again.” Her remarks deeply moved those at the event.

Asked what she hoped to convey to audiences and where she wanted the film to reach them, Kim said, “Eddie told us that when the production team listened to her, she was able to affirm, understand and reflect on her own experiences. That became the goal of the entire production team.” She added, “I hope audiences, too, will fully listen to another person’s story in the safe space of a theater and experience it within their own lives.”

Eddie closed with a plea: “Through this film, I hope the lives and stories of countless other Eddies will begin to emerge into the world, and that the world will become a safe place for them.” Alice offered a final message, saying, “Whatever the emotion may be, I hope a small but precious ripple of feeling will stir in the hearts of those who watch the film.” The press conference came to a meaningful close. Kim Il-ran’s meta-hybrid film 〈Eddie Alice: Take〉, which promises a new cinematic experience not to be missed in theaters this fall, opens nationwide on Oct. 28 (Wednesday).