[HanCinema's Film Review] "Wind on the Moon"

When Ye-ji was born ninteen years ago, it was obvious that she was blind. It took a little more time than that for Ye-ji's parents to realize that she was deaf as well. A daughter with no sense of sight and no sense of hearing- Ye-ji couldn't gain entry to blind schools or deaf schools, and now lives a life of complete ignorance. The central thesis of "Wind on the Moon" is a simple one- who, or what, exactly, is Ye-ji? When we see her dancing around in circles, what exactly does Ye-ji think she's doing?

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This is, unfortunately, not an answer that's forthcoming. Throughout "Wind on the Moon" Ye-ji does finally gain some access to schooling, and maybe at some point in the future Ye-ji will be able to answer the question of what exactly she does in her spare time aside from eat. No joke- this actually becomes an important point when Ye-ji's sister comes for a visit. Ye-ji has put on a lot of weight since the last time they met. Yet with no sight or hearing, Ye-ji obviously still recognizes and loves her sister.

That's the only real fact about Ye-ji we can determine for certain, is that she loves her family. Ye-ji gives her family members big hugs and sloppy kisses, and she does so with no sense of restraint. Ye-ji's actions in "Wind on the Moon" may well be one of the few cases of legitimate love being caught on camera, because it's obvious that Ye-ji does this all the time and is not in any way influenced by the presence of the camera. Mostly since Ye-ji lacks any comprehension of what a camera even is.

On an intellectual or emotional level there's a lot to appreciate in "Wind on the Moon". At the same time, I feel like I have to be a little mean- "Wind on the Moon" is literally a documentary about a deaf, blind girl who spends most of her time making minor, incomprehensible movements for no reason. Very little actually happens, and your ability to appreciate the documentary will depend entirely on your ability to appreciate Ye-ji as a centerpiece.

Voyeurism is a significant part of the appeal here, the other factor mainly being what little material there is to actually think about. Consider one late scene where Ye-ji repeatedly tries to set a doll up correctly. Given that she can not either see or hear the doll, Ye-ji must be sensing its presence somehow. The method remains an unfathomable mystery, because like everything Ye-ji does, we can only speculate as to her exact motivation.

It's appropriate that Ye-ji's family is so clearly Christian, because goodness knows I can't come up with any explanation more satisfying than just "God's Will". Nor can I think of a more appropriate background for Ye-ji to grow up in, because who else could have that kind of patience? Although I suppose that might be one appropriate definition of love, come to think of it- acceptance, even when there's no proof that can be seen or heard.

Review by William Schwartz

"Wind on the Moon" is directed by Yi Seung-Jun.