Jungle Fish

The pressures placed on young people to achieve and gain admission to prestigious colleges and universities are familiar around the world, and Jungle Fish confirms the case in Korea. This remarkable narrative, based on a true story, examines what can happen when those pressures rise to excessive levels. The account begins when examination questions are “leaked.” Students throughout a high school are caught in a whirlwind of speculation, investigation and guilt. Although parents, teachers and administrators play their roles, the tension among the students themselves drives the story, and their actions and responses are played out on computer screens and cell phones as information flies across the internet. Blogs and communiques are filled with innuendo and requests for aid and advice. None of these serious issues interferes, however, with a wonderfully exuberant movie, beautifully filmed and edited, and wonderfully acted by a cast of outstanding young performers. When the show was televised in Korea, yet another level of interaction occurred, as viewers expressed and inserted their opinions about the matter as the show aired. Interactive television is possible in many forms and is often used to engage viewers in trivial matters or merely as consumers. Jungle Fish treated a serious topic in an exciting manner, added a layer of viewer involvement, and now receives a Peabody Award.