S A R A J I N
사라진
Justin Kim WooSŏk OSCAR®-Qualifying SARAJIN explores the layers of loss faced by an immigrant family who are displaced by climate change.
Pronounced sa-la-jin, based on the Korean word for disappearing, Justin Kim WooSŏk’s SARAJIN explores what we hold onto and what we let go of when the natural world begins to collapse around us. This spectacular short, inspired by the director’s research in Alaska after 10 billion snow crabs disappeared from the Bering Sea last year, follows an immigrant family and the tough decisions they have to make when the snow crabs they rely on completely disappear.
This film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and was made as part of Indeed’s Rising Voices campaign - an initiative set up to discover, invest in and share stories created by BIPOC filmmakers and storytellers, and has qualified to be considered for a 2024 Academy® Award. Indeed’s Rising Voices program was created in collaboration with Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Productions, Ventureland and 271 Films.
Justin Kim WooSŏk is a Korean American writer-director whose work focuses on loss, displacement, and our changing relationship with the natural world. After graduating Wesleyan with an honor’s degree in Film and American Studies, he got his start in the film industry working at Sugar23 and Jigsaw Productions. His last short film WHITE GRASS was selected for the 2022 Sundance Ignite program and screened at various festivals and museums around the world including Sundance, HotDoc, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in South Korea. He is a current Sundance Asian American fellow and was previously a recipient of the Fulbright, Thomas J. Watson, Mortimer-Hays Brandeis, and Sony Pictures Classic x IFP Marcie Bloom fellowships. He is currently developing his first feature.
Tim and Sara Beers, the producing partners behind Sarajin, have a rich and diverse portfolio across all genres and formats of entertainment, in which they have been fortunate to collaborate with with some of the world’s most acclaimed stars, personalities and brands.
Their storytelling is deeply rooted in their own life journeys: Tim's upbringing in a rural blue-collar community in western New York and Sara's journey as a Bosnian war-refugee, coupled with their shared experience on Discovery’s acclaimed series Deadliest Catch, have endowed them with intimate understanding and empathy for the challenges, triumphs, and complexities associated with immigration, blue-collar work, and the formation of identity. These personal experiences are at the very heart of their creative process, enabling them to craft authentic narratives that resonate profoundly with audiences and breathe life into powerful stories like Sarajin.
The short has qualified to be considered for a 2024 Academy® Award.
"Filmmaking is all about appreciating the talents of the people you surround yourself with and knowing you could never have made any of these films by yourself."
- Steven Spielberg
“Sarajin is beautifully shot on the ocean. Sunlight on the water glitters gorgeously in contrast to the grungy apartment the family occupies. Jongman Kim delivers a powerfully understated performance as DongSu, his desperation as silent as it is overwhelming. The plight of the Kim family highlights not only the increasingly difficult lives of immigrants but also the relentless pressure from climate change on people who depend on nature for their livelihood.”
“An excellent film that doesn’t forget to leave us with hope.”
S A R A J I N 사라진
Indeed presents. In association with Hillman Grad Productions. a 271 FILMS production. a RISING VOICES film. 사라진 SARAJIN. Directed by Justin Kim WooSŏk. Written by Justin Kim WooSŏk Ki Jin Kim. Executive Produced by Lena Waithe. Rishi Rajani. Naomi Funabashi. Doménica Castro. Constanza Castro. Produced by Sara Beers & Tim Beers. Cinematography by Rasa Partin. Production Design by Hanrui Wang. Edited by Darrin Navarro, ACE. Costume Designer Sophie Kay. Music by Caroline Ho. Casting by Matthew Glasner, CSA. Cast: Jongman Kim. Taehee Kim. Hailey Soomin Lee. Paul Dillon. Spencer Kramber. Benjamin Shearin. Cole Connor. Unit Production Manager/Location Manager John J. Lozada. Production Coordinator Alen Rahimic. First Assistant Director Michelle C. McGhan. Second Assistant Director Keeyana Kian. First Assistant Camera Micah Pengilly. Second Assistant Camera Mark McField. DIT/Unit Photographer Mateo Nikolav. Script Supervisor Shawn Tira. Assistant to Script Supervisor Flora Jiwu Hwang. Gaffer Arthur Garcia. Best Boy Electric Colin Silver. Best Boy Electric Justin May. Electric Liam Webner. Key Grip Matthew King. Best Boy Grip Abhishek Tata. Grip Benjamin Melechin. 2nd Second Assistant Director Shyann Ford. Assistant Editor Eric Wong. Production Sound Mixer Patrick 'Paddy' Baigrie. Art Director Wendell Zheng. Set Decorator Zelia Peng. Art Production Assistant Kyle Kaminsky. Key Hair and Make-up Moung Hui Park. Audio Post Production by Toolshed Audio Post, Inc. Sound Supervisor Lucien Palmer, CAS. Sound Editor Geramie Laufersky. Re-recording Mixer Geramie Laufersky. Digital Intermediate by Company 3. Colorist Andre Rivas. Visual Effects Artist Justin Sarceno. Key Set Production Assistant Shyann Ford. Production Assistants Kyle Vonn Elzey. Erwin Quintero. Gavin Keeping. Catering Spartan Bros Catering: Abel Rodriguez. On-Set Medic/Lifeguard Marco Galluccio. Covid-19 Compliance Officer Reiss Parsons. Production Legal Services by Ramo Law PC. Production Attorney Chad Russo. Post Accounting Services We Do the Numbers Inc. Lead Production Accountant Maria Jose Hurtado. Payroll Accountant Andy Whittet. Accounting Clerk Edith Vega. Payroll Services Provided by Greenslate. Kerry Laifatt. Lauren Schramko. Background Payroll by Everyset. Titles Design Carolyn JungSuh Rhee. Trailer Edited by Michael Zayas.
