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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Documentary Director Shares Family's 20-Year Schizophrenia Struggle

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A documentary film titled 'What Should I Have Done?' chronicles director Tomoaki Fujino's 20-year struggle to document his sister's schizophrenia and his parents' initial refusal to accept her diagnosis.
  • The film captures the family's complex dynamics, including the parents' hesitation to seek psychiatric help due to stigma and fear of social ostracization, and the sister's deteriorating condition.
  • Fujino aims to share his family's experience to help others facing similar situations, emphasizing the importance of open communication and timely medical intervention, while acknowledging the varied reactions from viewers.

Director Tomoaki Fujino's documentary 'What Should I Have Done?' offers an intimate and unflinching look at his family's two-decade journey with his sister's schizophrenia. The film, which opened in South Korea on June 29, began with a seemingly ordinary life: parents who were doctors and researchers, and a sister pursuing medicine.

There was nothing I could do for my sister then. What I could do was to make my experience public.

— Tomoaki FujinoDirector Fujino explained his motivation for creating the documentary, highlighting his desire to share his family's experience with others.

However, this normalcy shattered when the sister returned from anatomy practice, exhibiting incomprehensible behavior. Despite the parents' medical background, they distrusted psychiatric treatment, a stance that persisted for 20 years as the sister's condition worsened. The film portrays the family's struggle, including instances where the sister attempted to flee and the parents resorted to locking the front door to keep her inside.

Fujino explained that after his sister's passing, he felt compelled to share his experience. "There was nothing I could do for my sister then," he stated. "What I could do was to make my experience public." He hoped that by revealing their difficulties, others in similar situations might learn and "think carefully" about their approach. He noted that his sister's condition improved significantly after her hospitalization in 2008, allowing him to capture footage of her recovery alongside the struggles.

I decided that I should not explain the meaning through words and music.

— Tomoaki FujinoFujino described his approach to editing the documentary, aiming for viewers to connect emotionally with the footage without external guidance.

The film does not assign blame but rather presents a raw depiction of love, responsibility, and avoidance intertwined. Fujino deliberately omitted music and minimized text in the editing process, wanting viewers to find their own emotional resonance. "I decided that I should not explain the meaning through words and music," he said. The documentary has elicited diverse responses, from criticism of delayed treatment to empathy from those who have faced similar challenges, with many expressing gratitude for the film's openness.

They say, 'Thank you for making this story public.'

— Tomoaki FujinoFujino shared the reactions from viewers who have experienced similar family struggles with mental illness.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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