[Portrait] Scenes in between sips of coffee

By Jesse Chun

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SUJI, Gyeonggi Province ― When director Im Kwon-taek slowly turns his head to meet yours, his warm yet piercing brown eyes make you feel like you were caught doing something silly.

Sitting across from him at a cafe, capturing his pensive gestures as he sipped his coffee and spoke ever so slowly ― as though he were chewing every word to make sure it was worthy ― was a strangely calming yet exciting experience.

Observing him through a wooden panel, which framed his smooth, wrinkled face like a film strip, was comforting, like the aroma of morning coffee that permeated the local cafe.

Every time his beaming eyes ― exuding youth and charisma ― turned to the camera lens, it felt as though he were whispering a secret, making you feel like you were the only one in the room, special enough to share the inside joke.

Jesse Chun is a fine art photographer whose works have been exhibited and published internationally. Chun earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography from Parsons School of Design in New York. Visit www.jessechun.com (fine art) or www.jessechunphotography.com (editorial).