Myth, Memory, and MONGRELS: Jerome Yoo on Crafting His Poetic Debut

At once raw and poetic, Jerome Yoo’s MONGRELS navigates the complexities of identity, loss, and belonging with a striking blend of realism and surreal beauty. Set against the vast Canadian Prairies in the 1990s, the film captures the dislocation of an immigrant family struggling to carve out a space for themselves in an unfamiliar world. With influences ranging from fairy tales to Korean cinema, Yoo crafts a deeply personal yet universally resonant story that lingers long after the credits roll.

As MONGRELS makes its way to international audiences, we chatted with Yoo to discuss the film’s emotional core, the importance of Asian diaspora narratives, and what he hopes viewers around the world take away from the story.

MONGRELS

MONGRELS moves seamlessly between raw realism and moments of surreal beauty. How did you approach blending those elements, and what inspired the more poetic touches in the storytelling?

Attempting to capture contrasting tones of darkness/grief over a beautiful environment seemed like a fascinating exploration and experiment to me. I’m often inspired by folk and fairy tales, which often seem to have a more sinister or dark layer underneath the beauty. Even the poetic touches are often inspired by thematic lessons or hidden messages from fairy tales, which often come in riddles.

The 1990s setting gives the film a distinct atmosphere. What details were essential to recreating that era, and how does the time period deepen the story’s themes?

Telephones, box televisions, and actually hanging out with friends outdoors, and exploring really hit home the 90s for me. The internet didn’t keep our attention occupied and we actually spent our time engaging with others and doing things as simple as that sounds. Time is hard to pass when you’re in your own world and thoughts, you have no coping mechanism like doom-scrolling short videos, so you are forced to engage, or really reflect and feel emotions to your core leading to circumstances with big emotions.

The film captures the isolation and challenges of immigration, especially in a rural setting. How did the Canadian Prairie landscapes shape the film’s emotional core?

The Canadian prairie lands are so rich and vast compared to the size of Korea. Literally, just Victoria Island off Vancouver’s coast is nearly two and a half times the size of South Korea. It made me think of how lost the family must feel as if a silent speck of sand on an overwhelmingly large beach. Leading up to the ending, the family expresses their yearning to be heard, as if howling to the wind to make the townspeople hear of their presence. It was a powerful image and feeling that lingered with me since the seed of the story idea.

MONGRELS

At its core, Mongrels is about family, but it’s also about being an outsider. How did you strike the balance between the personal, intimate moments and the film’s broader themes of identity and belonging?

I was conscious of the balance of tones between chapters and scenes. I gave each character’s chapter its own unique theme, which allows them to pursue different dreams and goals, painting a distinct experience. However I think innately because of the circumstances the family goes through collectively, some mutual themes have to naturally intersect. I never think of it too deeply, but somewhere along the story as you wrap up emotional arcs, themes will clash or harmonize.

Grief sits at the heart of the film, especially within the family dynamic. How did you craft such an intimate portrayal of loss, and what conversations did you have with your actors to bring that to life authentically?

At first I didn’t know the film would personify grief so strongly. However, it makes sense to me now as I explored the scriptwriting from a vulnerable place of imagining the loss of a loved one. It’s a bit funny to me as I just quantified this exercise into my writing process to get me closer to the emotionally vulnerable place my character would be, but it really ingrained itself along the way. I have the most fun as a director when I get to work intimately with my actors so I was very lucky to have the opportunity to work with actors who were diligent and committed. We collectively crafted a deeper backstory for the characters, but most importantly I think it’s the respectful spirit of an open creative collaboration that gave actors confidence to try things even if it fails. The worst is when actors get in their heads where there are too many boundaries placed and their confidence is shaken.

You straddle both Seoul and Vancouver as a filmmaker, navigating multiple cultural influences. How does that duality shape your work, and are there styles from either that work in tandem to inform your distinct vision?

Growing up in Canada, I wasn’t exposed to much Korean cinema and I found myself to have little interest. Truth be told, a large part of that is because I think I felt uncomfortable not understanding the language of my motherland. I also didn’t have the patience to turn on and read subtitles at a young age. I turned to film and TV when I didn’t want to read a book so it felt backwards to be reaching for subtitled foreign films. Nowadays of course I have such a high appreciation, and it often informs my filmmaking style. I grew up my entire life being so influenced and absorbed by my hometown environment, that I’m always excited to find new inspirations in other cities. Lately, it’s been more regular visits to Seoul where I’ve been making more connections and building my community.

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Alief is bringing Mongrels to international audiences—what excites you most about the film travelling beyond Canada? And what do you hope global viewers connect with?
I’m incredibly excited to be working with Alief to share the film internationally. I feel excited to hear the feedback and reactions of what resonates with diverse audiences in various regions. So far the film travelling has led to wonderful new friendships and creative connections also, which have been meaningful to me.

MONGRELS is hitting theatres in Canada during Asian Heritage Month. What do you hope it adds to the ongoing conversation around Asian diaspora stories in cinema?
As MONGRELS depicts a family, uniquely born in different generations, there was a large focus on portraying a diverse palette of authentic experiences. In the film, each character’s trials and tribulations in adapting to their new life look vastly different. The father’s struggle is opposite of the son’s and the daughter’s is also unique to her age. I can only hope that it adds another resonant layer and shape to how immigrant families process grief or perseverance.

On February 16th, attend a Q&A with cast and crew, including producer Nach Dudsdeemaytha, actor Sein Jin, production designer Adriana Marchand and 1st AD Derek Kwan. Buy tickets here.

MONGRELS will begin its Vancouver theatrical premiere on Friday, February 14th at the VIFF Centre in downtown Vancouver and is coming to other cities across the country and VOD soon.