Chapter 12: The Screening
Only dim lights were on inside the university screening room.
Before the screening began, Hyeonsu was busy checking the laptop and projector.
"Hyung, the video looks good."
"Yeah."
"But movies really are better on a big screen. We've seen these scenes so many times on the editing monitor, but they feel different here."
"Of course. That's part of the charm of a movie theater."
Geonwoo looked toward the speakers.
"We've checked the image. Let's test the sound now. We don't have time to check everything, so let's focus on the parts we were worried about."
"Okay. Should I play them now?"
"Wait. I need to listen from the audience seats."
Geonwoo left the projection booth and walked down into the theater.
He sat in the middle of the audience and gave Hyeonsu an okay sign.
Hyeonsu played the footage.
Huh...? I think there's a faint noise there.
The large theater speakers made things sound different from the small editing-room speakers.
Because of that, Geonwoo could hear tiny noises that had been impossible to notice before.
We'll need to fix this after the screening.
Fortunately, the noise was extremely subtle.
Geonwoo had spent years relying on his hearing after losing his sight in his previous life.
His hearing had become much more sensitive than most people's.
And somehow, that sensitivity remained with him in this life.
Most viewers probably wouldn't notice this.
But that wasn't a reason to submit the film as it was.
Geonwoo took out his phone and opened the notes app.
He recorded every point where he heard faint noise.
After finishing the sound check, Geonwoo returned to the projection booth.
Hyeonsu asked,
"How did it sound from the audience? I thought everything was fine."
"No. There are several faint noises."
Hyeonsu's eyes widened.
"Really? Then what do we do?"
"Thankfully, they're so subtle that most people probably won't notice. The screening starts in ten minutes, so let's continue for now and fix everything tonight."
"Okay."
Soon, people began arriving one by one.
Yura quietly took a seat.
Taejun looked up at the screen and softly exclaimed,
"Wow. I'm already excited thinking about watching it on that screen."
Dogyeom entered holding his mother's hand.
He looked up at the screen and spoke to Geonwoo.
"Director, seeing it here makes it feel like a real movie."
Taejun, who had overheard him, immediately jumped in.
"Dogyeom, are you saying it was a fake movie until now?"
"No! That's not what I meant!"
Soft laughter spread through the theater.
Myeongho sat near the back.
Professor Kim Dohyeon and two other film-department professors also took their seats.
Geonwoo stood at the front.
"Thank you for coming."
Everyone looked toward him.
"Today's screening is an internal review before submission to the Busan International Film Festival. Please watch comfortably, and afterward, I'd appreciate your honest opinions."
He smiled.
"Then we'll begin."
The lights went out.
The first scene appeared on screen.
Geonwoo watched the movie.
But he also watched the audience.
Yura inhaled quietly when her character first appeared.
Taejun fidgeted with his fingers during the scene where Minjae stood at the funeral-hall threshold.
Dogyeom shrank slightly when his own face first appeared.
But soon he couldn't take his eyes off the screen.
When the funeral-hall sequence began, the atmosphere in the theater changed.
When Minjae avoided answering, someone on one side quietly inhaled.
When the mourners looked away, Professor Kim Dohyeon leaned slightly forward.
When Seorin asked her question, no one moved.
The movie ended.
The credits began to roll.
Hyeonsu didn't immediately turn on the lights.
Several seconds later, the lights came up.
Professor Kim Dohyeon was the first to clap.
Clap, clap, clap.
Myeongho joined in.
Yura and Taejun began clapping too.
Dogyeom followed slightly later.
The applause lasted longer than expected.
Professor Kim Dohyeon slowly spoke.
"Geonwoo."
"Yes, Professor."
"The movie is really good. You made it well."
He smiled.
"Especially the funeral-hall scene. I felt like I couldn't breathe while watching it."
One of the film professors immediately added,
"That entire sequence is very well directed. You can see all the relationships without anyone explaining them through dialogue."
He shook his head slightly.
"Especially that cut where the mourners avoid looking at each other. That gave me chills."
The other professor nodded.
"The last scene leaves a strong aftertaste too."
Taejun finally released the breath he'd been holding.
"Wow. I thought my heart was going to explode."
Yura tried to smile, but her eyes had already turned red.
"I filmed those scenes myself, but watching them again like this... feels strange."
Dogyeom was still staring at the screen.
"Director."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you so much for casting me as Seoyun."
At that moment, Taejun's voice suddenly rang out.
"The assistant director's crying!"
Everyone turned toward Hyeonsu.
He was rubbing his face with both hands.
"Ah, seriously... I'm not crying."
Taejun immediately responded,
"Your eyes are red."
"It's because of the lights."
The theater burst into laughter.
Professor Kim Dohyeon looked at Geonwoo and nodded.
"Geonwoo."
"Yes, Professor."
He glanced around before continuing.
"Do you know what well-made movies and badly made movies have in common?"
"I don't."
"When the movie ends, people keep talking about it without anyone telling them to."
He pointed around.
"Look."
The theater had already become noisy.
Someone talked about the funeral-hall scene.
Someone else brought up the scene of Seoyun filming the neighborhood.
Taejun asked Yura about a moment he'd missed.
Dogyeom excitedly explained his own scenes to his mother.
Geonwoo looked around.
"Everyone is saying good things about the movie."
"Right?"
Professor Kim smiled.
"At this level, you can submit it to the festival with confidence."
Warmth spread through Geonwoo's chest.
"Thank you, Professor."
The excitement inside the theater didn't die down easily.
After taking a breath, Geonwoo spoke again.
"Thank you for enjoying it."
Everyone looked toward him.
Geonwoo tightened his fingers unconsciously.
"But this is still an internal review before submission."
The room became quiet.
"I'm grateful for the praise, but if there's anything we should check or fix before submitting it, please tell me honestly."
The excited atmosphere calmed a little.
Professor Kim Dohyeon nodded first.
"We've praised it enough. Now let's talk about the review."
Hyeonsu quickly opened a notebook beside his laptop.
