synopsis
Jonah Chung is a Korean American man who uses drugs like crystal meth as a means of dealing with grief from the loss of his father to suicide. He resides in a filthy church basement while his mom lives upstairs as the live-in janitor for the ministry.
When a demon gets loose in the basement Jonah must get reacquainted with a congregation that has already pegged him as a hopeless addict.
as Jonah Chung
KENNETH CHANG
MICHELLE OK LEE
as Mrs Chung
as Pastor Lee
JAMES KANG
CLARA YOUNG
as Mrs Kim
as Mrs Park
CRYSTAL LEE
JESSICA WHANG
as Mrs Seo
the cast
directors’ statement
The two of us have had close ones who became addicted to substances like meth, alcohol, and opioids. In all cases, we’ve witnessed their mental breakdowns that eventually led to lives that spiraled out of control. This not only damaged the individual but also their loved ones and surrounding communities.
As two second generation Korean-Americans with first generation parents, we realized that the afflictions of addiction and mental health are underserved and unfortunately at times dismissed. We aim to shine a light on this very real and difficult dilemma. That being said, despite cultural specificities, we also realized that this is a ubiquitous struggle that people from all backgrounds encounter and endure.
In light of recent world events, we recognize that many people have faced despair and solitude, aggravating pre-existing addictions and in some cases, creating new ones. We want them to know that they are not alone. They are still divine beings worthy of love and communal support. But the road is often long and winding.
Although REFUSE leans towards the horror genre, this film centers around the universal theme of recovery and healing through the lens of a Korean-American family.
credits
DIRECTORS & WRITERS
David Lee Kenneth Chang
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Daniel Fong Cindy Lu
PRODUCERS
Cindy Lu Kenneth Chang Kinsman Stephen Scheidler
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Jin Kim
SCORE
Matthew Wang
EDITING
Dalton Price
CASTING
Shyree Meznick
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mochii Mengqing Yuan
ART DIRECTION
Queen Kim
SCRIPT TRANSLATION
Grace Kang
HMU/SPFX MU Lead Kenneth Calhoun
HMU/SPFX MU Artist Asst Jacqueline Holden Meg Long Meyer Kao Miyamoto
HAIR AND MAKEUP
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Sarah Soderquist
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS
First Asst. Director Malcolm Bodon
Second Asst. Director Mike Blomquist
ART DEPARTMENT
Construction Coordinator Yun Cao
Prop Master Aliki Lala
Set Dresser Melissa Housos Leighton Winter Isabel Ricker
Set Designer Shang Wei Chien (Jayden)
Buyer Yuelin Zhao
Graphic Designer Eunice Kim Jeff Spargur
Storyboard Gris Eychaner
SOUND DEPARTMENT
Sound Mixer Yun Cao
Boom Operator Per YJ
SFX Ben Graham
Sound Mix/Design Dalton Price
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Pyro Simon White
VISUAL EFFECTS
VFX Supervisor Lazaro Hernandez
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT
Truck/Set Prod. Asst. David Sackerman
Talent Production Asst. Jasmin Kang
Runner Production Asst. Jane Kim
Production Asst. Gaeun Kim
COVID Comp. Officer Michael Kinsman
Location Site Rep Dee
Set Security Ralph Figueroa
CAMERA AND ELECTRICAL DEPARMENT
Steadi/Camera Operator Alvin Octoman
1st Asst. Camera Torin Bradshaw
2nd Asst. Camera Mateo Davis
Key Grip Kevin Michael Aguilar
Best Boy Grip Steven Miller
Dolly Grip. Chad Knuth
Set Security Ralph Figueroa
Electrician Karim Dakkon
Media Manager Mateo Davis
COSTUME AND WARDROBE DEPARTMENT
Costume Designer Alexandria Hoffman
Asst. Costume Designer Jamal East
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Colourist Cameron MaryGold
SPECIAL THANKS
Tracy Fong Teddy Fong Mary Ann Fong Timothy Dalrymple David Scheidler Mary Sue Scheidler Harry Yoon Diane Qi Teddy Zee Lukas Williams Karl Sanders