CHOON: An Interview with Antonia Kim

Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘Choon’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?

Before Choon, I worked as an executive producer at KBS, one of Korea’s major public broadcasters. I oversaw the entire production workflow from A to Z, which gave me a strong foundation in shaping a unified tone and building a coherent narrative across all content.

My background spans a wide range of genres including reality shows, comedy, drama, sitcoms, documentaries, educational programs, current affairs, and even news. I started as a producer specializing in English-language content and eventually took on various global projects. As I gradually expanded my scope, the transition to filmmaking felt like a natural next step.

Tell us about ‘Choon’. How do you describe it?

Choon is a deeply personal project into which I poured my heart and soul. I didn’t just feed in generic prompts; I embedded parts of myself into each character, hoping to evoke real human emotion in the audience. Sometimes, that meant allowing space for imperfection because emotional resonance and relatability were far more important than technical precision. This is also why so many people have said Choon feels like the first AI film with a ‘soul.’

I could talk about Choon all night, but if I had to highlight one thing, it’s this: Choon is not just a love story. It’s a story that completely transforms depending on whose eyes you’re seeing it through. That’s why you’ll notice frequent extreme close-ups of the eyes throughout the film— it’s ultimately a story about perspective.

Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.

My all-time favorite directors are Woo Min-ho, the Korean director of Inside Men; Hirokazu Kore-eda, the Japanese director of Monster; and Luca Guadagnino, the visionary behind Call Me by Your Name. Inside Men blew me away with its masterful build-up and narrative tension. Monster captivated me with the way it handled shifts in perspective. And Call Me by Your Name felt like the pinnacle of cinematic visual storytelling; every shot was pure poetry on screen.

If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?

If I were given a good budget, I’d love to push my boundaries even further—this time by creating a fully AI-generated, one-hour commercial film that could truly capture the public’s heart. I’d take full ownership of the project as a director, while also assembling my own AI dream team to collaborate and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?

To keep the production on schedule, I would first set a clear timeline from the very beginning. I always work with internal deadlines in mind; breaking down each task and mentally allocating how long it should take. This way, I can ensure that every stage stays on track and that the final output is delivered on time.

What was the hardest part of making ‘Choon’.

AI technology evolves so rapidly that something I created just yesterday could feel outdated today. Even a version from a week ago might suddenly seem off in tone or texture. I kept revising and refining - so much so that, even when the film was technically “finished,” it never feltfinished. Ultimately, the hardest part was making the emotional decision to finally release it into the world.

If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?

My goal is to create the world’s first fully AI-generated, one-hour commercial film.Building on the experience and insights I've gained so far, I want to challenge myself with a completely different genre and explore new forms of storytelling. I’m always striving to push my own boundaries because for me, the purpose of life is evolution.