KANGYU GARAM

KANGYU Garam is a South Korean filmmaker whose work explores themes of tradition, identity, and the quiet transformations of everyday life. She first gained attention with her atmospheric short film The Jinju Hair Salon (2023), a poignant observation of generational shifts and vanishing customs in modern Korea. A graduate of Dongguk University's Film School, KANGYU developed a distinctive visual style characterized by lingering close-ups and a documentary-like approach to fictional storytelling. The Jinju Hair Salon premiered at the Jeonju International Film Festival before screening at DMZ Docs, where it was praised for its "unhurried yet deeply affecting" portrayal of disappearing Korean traditions (Cine21, 2023). Prior to her breakout short, KANGYU's student film Night Fishing (2021) won the Special Jury Prize at the Seoul International Youth Film Festival for its lyrical depiction of urban isolation. Her works often focus on marginalized voices and spaces in transition, drawing comparisons to directors like Hong Sang-soo and Jia Zhangke in their patient observation of human behavior. KANGYU is currently developing her first feature film, which continues her exploration of Korea's evolving cultural landscape through intimate character studies. With The Jinju Hair Salon, she has established herself as one of the most promising new voices in Korean independent cinema's observational realist tradition.