For this weeks documentary, I started watching a vice series starring Grace Neutral. In this doco, Grace Neutral, known infamously for her body modifications goes to Seoul. There she embarks on a journey to understand and get an idea of how South Korea has a 6 billion dollar beauty industry.

Grace stands out in Korea, where tattoos are illegal and body modification is unheard of. She wanders the streets of Myeongdong, the capital for cosmetics. The diversity of people in myeongdong is surprising for Grace, as gender and nationality knows no bounds in the small neighbourhood.

The interesting element of this documentary is the way it was filmed. We see the interactions and people’s reaction to Grace Neutral, with her extensive tattoos and purple eyes.

The film crew then proceed to a 24/7 spa house, where koreans flock to both to bath and spend time in recreationally.

The major part of the interview takes place in this spa, where Grace is asked to wear her coat indoors, so as not to disrespect others present. Grace speaks to Oh yeon hwa, a girl who ‘epitomises’ everything related to the South Korean beauty standards. She talks about her own views on plastic surgery and how she feels that society pressures does not influence her own views. Grace contests those views throughout the documentary, by speaking to girls on the street who spend hours on end doing make up each day.

Oh yeon hwa argues that because she knows she can fix the problematic areas on her face, she should do so… unrelated to what society and kpop influences on standards of beauty.

 

i found this doco intriguing because of the story and how the documentary maker uses specific shots to get a message across. The casting of Grace neutral, who lives to oppose the societal norms was the best creative choice. Shots of her walking down the streets of Myeondong (beauty products central) in a sea of people who are there to comply to social norms.