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Title: BLISSQUEST
Written by Thetys/Claude
FADE IN:
1 MONTAGE - HISTORICAL PHOTOS OF JAPANESE-OCCUPIED KOREA 1
Black and white images of Japanese imperial flags flying over Korean buildings. Military personnel on streets. Korean families in traditional and Japanese clothing.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
October, 1934. As imperial Japan tightened its
grip on East Asia, Hiranuma Sonoko was born to
Korean parents in Osaka's Konohana Ward.
CUT TO:
2 EXT. KONOHANA WARD, OSAKA - DAY - 1934 2
A modest home in a Japanese neighborhood. The sounds of military marching can be heard in the distance.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
From her earliest moments, Soo existed at the
intersection of cultures—a position that would
become her greatest advantage.
3 INT. SOO'S FAMILY HOME - NIGHT 3
HYOKJAE (38), a thoughtful Korean intellectual, sits with YOUNG SOO (4), a bright-eyed girl with an intense gaze. They huddle in a corner, a small lantern providing the only light.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Her father, Hyokjae, an activist with the
Shinganhoe independence movement, actively resisted
Japanese suppression and secretly nurtured
Soo's independent mind.
Hyokjae carefully removes a hidden Korean book from beneath a floorboard.
HYOKJAE
(whispering)
The Japanese can control our streets and
schools, but never our minds. Remember, Soo -
knowledge is the one freedom they cannot take
from us.
YOUNG SOO
(whispering back)
In books, I can travel beyond borders. I can see
worlds beyond what others tell me exists.
ANSOON (35), Soo's mother, appears at the doorway, watching with a mix of pride and concern.
ANSOON
(gently, in Korean)
You were born into a world at war, Soo. But you
will live to see freedom. Find your bliss, and
don't be afraid to follow it, even when the path
is treacherous.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
With curiosity as her compass and kindness as
her strategy, she would navigate a world in
turmoil.
CUT TO:
4 EXT. KOREAN COUNTRYSIDE - DAY - 1950 4
Crowds of refugees trudge along a dirt road. Among them are SOO (16), HYOKJAE and ANSOON, carrying what few possessions they could save.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
When war erupted in 1950, sixteen-year-old Soo
and her family joined thousands fleeing to
Busan.
5 EXT. REFUGEE CAMP, BUSAN - DAY 5
A makeshift tent classroom. SOO stands before a group of fellow students, speaking with surprising authority.
SOO
This war will not define us. Our dreams, our
knowledge—they are the keys to our freedom. We must
honor our traditions by carrying them forward,
not by clinging to them in fear.
True leadership isn't about power—it's
about empowering others through what we've
learned.
6 INT. SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, LAW COLLEGE - DAY - 1954 6
A lecture hall with predominantly male students. SOO (20) sits in the front row, one of only a handful of women, taking meticulous notes.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Against tremendous odds, Soo secured one of the
few coveted spots at Seoul National University's
Law College— unheard of for a woman in 1950s Korea.
7 INT. BANK - DAY - 1956 7
Soo works diligently at a desk at the bank office. The clock shows 7:00 PM. Most desks are empty.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Each day, Soo would rise before dawn to help her
family, attend rigorous classes, then work
full shifts at Hanil Bank.
SOO
(to colleague)
We must understand traditions to know when they serve
or constrain humanity. With curiosity as our compass
and kindness as our strategy, we can redefine artificial
borders instead of reinforcing them.
8 INT. SOO'S MODEST HOME - NIGHT 8
Soo studies by lamplight, her eyes weary but determined.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
This punishing schedule never broke Soo's' spirit.
Instead, it was the forge that tempered her determination.
DISSOLVE TO:
9 INT. FAMILY HOME, SEOUL - DAY - 1959 9
Soo, now a poised young woman of 25, packs a suitcase. Her mother ANSOON helps, concern evident in her movements.
SOO
Umma, I need to continue to learn, to grow...
I want to build bridges between worlds. Questioning
tradition isn't rebellion—it's the highest form of
honoring our potential.
ANSOON
(worried but supportive)
I understand. Perhaps your calling is to carve
new paths. Follow your bliss, but do not forget
where you come from.
10 EXT. GIMPO AIRPORT - DAY 10
Soo boards a plane, looking back one last time at her family.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
March 1959. When Soo boarded a plane to America,
she was starting her life journey as a global citizen.
DISSOLVE TO:
11 INT. AMERICAN HOME, BOSTON - DAY - 1960 11
Soo helps an American Jewish family care for their children. MRS. MORICE, the mother, watches Soo with admiration.
SOO
I am grateful to help teach your children but I
am also learning so much from you.
MRS. MORICE
You have shown extraordinary dedication working and attending school full-time.
SOO
(humble)
Korean women have great strength—unfortunately few are
given the opportunity to demonstrate it. I was
fortunate that my father believed women deserved
education as much as men.
DISSOLVE TO:
12 INT. PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, GEST LIBRARY - DAY - 1965 12
Soo, now in her early 30s, carefully curates East Asian texts. A PRINCETON PROFESSOR approaches.
PRINCETON PROFESSOR
(surprised)
You work so well with Japanese scholars
and assistants. Given Korea's history with
Japan, many in your position might harbor
resentment.
SOO
(with thoughtful wisdom)
History happened, but we cannot let it imprison
us. The Japanese people today are not their
government from yesterday. I see their
scholarship, their dedication, their humanity—
not their nationality. True cultural
understanding requires us to see beyond past
wounds to create new possibilities.
13 INT. PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, LIBRARY COMMITTEE ROOM - DAY 13
Soo presents to a committee of academic officials.
SOO
These texts are living connections to centuries of
wisdom. By making them universally accessible to Western
scholars, we honor them more authentically,
lifting others through cultural understanding.
14 INT. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON - DAY - 1967 14
Soo stands at a podium at the Conference on Library Resources on Korea.
SOO
(confident)
We cannot build Korean Studies in America
without creating systematic access to our
cultural heritage. This work is not just about
preserving the past—it's about creating pathways
for future understanding.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
As one of the first Korean librarians in American
academia, Soo obtained rare works from Korea, shared
resources between other institutions, and preserved
the works of Korean newspapers through microfilm.
15 MONTAGE - SOO'S FAMILY LIFE IN AMERICA 15
-- Soo and her husband HO celebrate their son's, Leonard's, birthday
-- Soo teaching her children Korean language and customs
-- The family moving into progressively nicer homes in Princeton
-- Soo skillfully balances work and family life
NARRATOR (V.O.)
As she built her family and career, Soo created
a life and home that honored Korean traditions while
embracing American opportunities—navigating multiple cultural identities with confidence.
DISSOLVE TO:
16 EXT. SEOUL CITYSCAPE - DAY - 1998 16
Modern skyscrapers dominate the skyline of Seoul, a far cry from the war-torn city of the 1950s.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
After decades at Princeton, when Soo and Ho
returned to Seoul in 1998, they encountered a
transformed, modern nation.
SOO (65) and HO (65) stand on a balcony overlooking the city.
SOO
Seoul has been through so much, but has not
abandoned its soul. It has modernized while
remaining authentically Korean. This is our
shared mission—to modernize not only with
innovation, but with soul. To shape not just
tools, but meaning.
17 INT. SILVER TOWN SENIOR COMMUNITY - DAY - 2005 17
Soo, now in her 70s, shows a group of senior citizens how to use a computer.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
In her Silver Town and with her family, Soo became known as a "high-tech
Halmoni," embracing new technologies with the
same curiosity and diligence she had applied to ancient texts.
SOO
Age is no excuse to stop growing. Each new
technology, each new idea, is an opportunity to
expand our understanding. Respect for tradition
means carrying forward its wisdom, not clinging
to its outward forms.
DISSOLVE TO:
18 INT. SOO'S HOME, LOS ALTOS - DAY - 2022 18
Soo, now in her late 80s, sits with her great-granddaughter CORA (1), a mixed-heritage child with bright, curious eyes.
SOO
Your name combines the words 'heart' and 'gold'—
in Spanish and Korean together. You are born into a
world of possibilities I could only dream of as
a child. Follow your bliss with courage, but
always with empathy for others walking different
paths.
19 INT. COMMUNITY CENTER - DAY 19
Soo addresses a group of young Korean-Americans.
SOO
We are the heirs of resilience and the
architects of what's next. True innovation comes
not from discarding the past, but from
understanding it deeply enough to evolve it with
wisdom. Inspired by legacy, driven by empathy,
we lead not by force but by lifting others.
A KOREAN-AMERICAN STUDENT raises their hand.
KOREAN-AMERICAN STUDENT
How could you work so closely with Japanese
colleagues after what their country did to
Korea?
SOO
(with gentle wisdom)
Remember this: holding onto resentment is like
drinking poison and expecting the other person
to die. My parents lived through the occupation,
but they taught me to distinguish between
governments and individuals. When we judge
people by their character rather than their
history, we create the possibility for healing—
not just for nations, but for ourselves.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Soowon Yoon Kim's life teaches us that following
your bliss means not rebellion, but authentic
engagement—with your heritage, with other
cultures, with the full spectrum of human
knowledge.
CLOSE ON SOO'S FACE as she delivers her final wisdom.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
The future isn't inherited. It's crafted through
the courage of people like Soo who follow their bliss.
She had the curiosity to make history one story at a
time, whether as a young woman balancing her studies
or her work at a bank with colleagues that doubted
women's capabilities. Each challenge will be
different, but your potential is just as
limitless. We rise—not alone, but together. This
is our BlissQuest.
WIDE SHOT of the audience, deeply moved.
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END