13/10/2026
힘든 길을 가벼운 발걸음으로 걷다
Since 2019, director and videographer Kim Byungsoo and writer Kim Kyunghee have been following my journey for a documentary. Yesterday, I attended the world premiere of their film "The Best Days".
We watch photographer Yang Seungwoo wander the streets, capturing fleeting glimpses of people and parts of society that are often overlooked or shrouded in taboo. Despite the obstacles he encounters, he seems to move lightly through the world, camera in hand.
It reminded me of an interview I once gave for “De Zin”, a weekly column by Alexia Leysen in De Standaard Magazine. The questions touched on difficult chapters in my life, and somehow, the journalist’s words didn’t quite feel like my own. So I dared to ask if I could write the piece myself.
“To tread lightly along difficult paths”
As a child, I went through difficult experiences and had to learn early on how to come to terms with them. I saw two paths before me: to let the past weigh me down, or to find a way to move forward lightly. Bitterness, anger and self-pity were never options.
I wanted to understand people and their actions, while letting my optimistic, playful and adventurous nature take the lead. It sounds simple, but it takes time and effort.
I kept diaries and exchanged letters with friends and pen pals in Lithuania, Australia and the United States. Those pages held everyday worries and dreams, moments of happiness and sadness, photographs, clippings and collages. Looking back can be confronting, but it also reminds you of where you came from.
Over time, you learn that everyone has a story, shaped by their own experiences and perspective. Understanding where people come from helps you make sense of their actions. It’s not about condoning those actions, but about recognising the humanity behind them. And perhaps that understanding is what allows me to tread lightly along difficult paths.
