Most people in Korea would by now have seen, or at least heard of the movie, My Love, Do Not Cross That River (2014). It became well-known not only because it was introduced in a reality television program, but also because it became known through Social Network Services (SNS) to be a movie that filmed the actual lives of a couple. Of course, this may not be the only movie that filmed actual people's lives. However, it certainly is the first one in Korea that received so much fame and support from people of all ages. Perhaps it became exceptionally renowned due to its main topic about life-long love, but its impacts are definitely not all that lovely.

 

The most important point about such reality films gaining fame, or being filmed and released, is that the privacy of those filmed is not well protected. The main characters of the movie are usually filmed all day long, and usually for days, months, or even years. At least one camera follows them along all the time, to film every detail of their everyday lives. Everyone should be allowed their own privacy. Therefore, film makers should not even request consent to violate privacy and film everything the director wants. Thus, filming an ordinary person's every moment of the day should certainly be criticized for violation of privacy.

 

The case is different for professional actors. For them, showing everything in front of the camera is not a violation of privacy, but a part of their work, which they would probably continue for their entire life. On the other hand, ordinary people are greatly impacted by this single experience of being filmed for a movie, which may even turn out to be received harshly by viewers, depending on how the director decides to arrange the scenes. Could ordinary people endure harsh comments by people who are just like them? Probably not, and they should definitely not suffer due to the selfishness of film makers.

 

If directors wish to create movies that are solely based on the real life of ordinary people, they should first guarantee privacy and safety. Once a movie earns fame, almost all the major people related to the film earn fame and attention, too. Therefore, privacy and safety of those who were publically unknown before, may easily be forgotten. Also, such protection should be guaranteed during their whole lives since nobody knows what could suddenly happen when the movie rises to the surface ten years after its release.