“I want to make films that gently soothe people’s hearts,” says director Yoon Ga-eun, who has drawn praise from Bong Joon-ho. With her distinctive, delicate gaze, she conveys a quiet solace to audiences. Rather than grand events, she captures the inner lives of unnoticed children, building a strong fanbase.

Last October, Yoon’s third feature, Master of the World, has surpassed 100,000 cumulative admissions (as of November 14). It became the first Korean film invited to the Toronto International Film Festival’s competition section, drawing attention even before its release.

Compared with her previous works Our Children (2016) and Our House (2019), which focused on elementary-school friendship and confusion, this film dives into the more complex emotions of sexuality and love in late adolescence. The world she portrays is realistic yet warm. She does not hand the screenplay to young actors; instead, she explains situations and draws out genuine reactions to refine the dialogue.