Beware of what goes bump in the night.
Writer & director Andrew Undi Lee is shining a light on what lies beyond the shadows with ‘Night Bloomers’, available on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand this Saturday. The Anthology series is an original vision of horror seen through the lens of the Korean diaspora. Viewers will be invited to meet evils that have escaped the whispers of generational storytellers and come to life in their most graphic form. Dagger-toothed trolls, porcelain-skinned spectres, and much more lay in wait to victimise the characters at the heart of each self-contained episode.
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Korean cinema has become synonymous with pushing the boundaries of horror films in the last two decades. Masterpieces like ‘A Tale Of Two Sisters’, ‘The Host’ and ‘Oldboy’ each interweave salacious taboos, stomach-churning violence, and provocative social commentary into tales that hit with the force of a bloody knife. However, it’s rare to see these stories told from the perspective of immigrants spanning generations. ‘Night Bloomers’ is a series that dares to question how anxiety, trauma and utter dread manifest for Korean-Australians more attuned to the streets of Strathfield than those of Seoul.
If anyone were going to undertake such an ambitious project, it would be Lee. He has previously received the AFTRS Kenneth B Myer Award for Exceptional Talent and the Young Australian Korean Filmmaker Award from the Korean Consulate of Australia. Recently, he has been commissioned to write a feature screenplay with Co-Curious and the Powerhouse Museum Parramatta while also being a participant writer in the NETFLIX Grow Creative AUS & NZ writer’s lab. For ‘Night Bloomers, ’ he aimed to preserve the narratives of first-generation Korean-Australians with a cast and crew of his peers. In an industry content with waltzing the same faces across our screens, ‘Night Bloomers’ dares to offer up a slice of Australia’s diverse identity like a beating heart on a silver platter. All that’s left is to enjoy!
Special thanks to Lee for taking the time to chat! The series features a cast of the best up and coming actors working today including ensemble cast including Ra Chapman (Wentworth), Deborah An (Harrow), Helen Kim (Doctor Doctor), Joshua Park (The Messenger), Rayden Casano, Jaewoo Kim, Clara Kim (Troppo), Jeno Kim (Appetite), Charles An (Last King of the Cross) and Cooper Mortlock. Keep an eye out for what these talents actors have coming up in the future!
Check out ‘Night Bloomers’ when it premieres just in time for Halloween on Saturday, 28 October at 9:30 pm on SBS VICELAND and all episodes will be available shortly after to stream free on SBS On Demand.
