On November 13, Netflix released Choi Jinri’s posthumous documentary ‘Dear Jinri.’ This documentary is a part of her final work, “Persona: Sulli.”
“Dear Jinri” explores the life and psyche of Choi Jinri, also known as Sulli. In this poignant documentary, Sulli guides viewers through various facets of her personality. With its interview-style format, Dear Jinri offers a candid glimpse into Sulli’s inner world. She allows the audience to understand the significant aspects of her thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
This is part of “Persona: Sulli,” which is composed of two films: the short film “4: Clean Island,” featuring Sulli, and the feature-length documentary “To Sulli.”
The series was initially intended to comprise multiple short films. However, due to the unfortunate passing of Sulli on October 14, 2019, the project remained incomplete for a considerable period. After four years, the film has now been released to the public.
Sulli confessed, “Since I was young, I felt confined by the word ‘Beautiful.’ Whenever people would say ‘you’re beautiful,’ I wondered why they were saying that to me. I was curious about what thoughts led them to call me beautiful. It felt like I was expected to only engage in pretty behavior, and if I didn’t appear delicate or like a pretty child, I would get in trouble.“
She also shared, “There were many times when I disliked my pretty self. In the environment I grew up in, I heard things like ‘You were born as a beautiful girl, so you don’t need to know anything’ and ‘Just sit among people and go along with their moods. If you do that, people will like you. You’re inherently interesting just by being pretty.’ I thought a lot about appearance.“
She also recounted her painful experience with online harassers. When asked about her sentiments towards those who circulate malicious rumors, she stated, “That person probably didn’t think it would end up like this. People talk about others all the time, but that friend just happened to be unlucky and got caught, right?”
Moreover, Sulli viewed idols as laborers. She said, “It seems like (everyone) doesn’t think of entertainers as human beings. When I started my career as an entertainer, there was a prevalent narrative I heard the most. At that time, I didn’t realize how strange it was. It was, ‘You are a product, and you must exist as the best, top-tier product for people.’ Even if people didn’t explicitly say I was a product, everyone treated me as one. I had to move according to their tastes, and I had to fear that my product value might decrease.“
Sulli revealed that pursuing legal action against wrongdoers was more painful for her than letting things go. She found it hurtful to receive apologies, leading her to continuously forgive others. She also expressed that vulnerability isn’t her strongest suit and she dislikes showing it. However, she realized that lacking empathy and having excessive pride are undesirable qualities.
Fans expressed their grief following the release of the film. “She will always be remembered. I will definitely watch this documentary.” “She was (and still is) one of my favorite women in this World. I’m gonna watch the documentary for sure. I miss her so much.” “A beautiful soul that was tragically struck down by an ugly society.”
Watch the two-part film here.
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