Soo Oh Bang of New York city on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Soo Oh Bang shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Soo Oh, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I like starting out on a path—but I often end up wandering.

And I think the wandering part teaches me the most. It brings me to moments, people, and realizations I could’ve never planned. That unpredictability is where I grow the most—reminding me that creativity often begins where certainty ends.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a filmmaker based in Seoul and New York.

I’m drawn to stories that linger—not just on the screen, but in the audience’s reality. I believe a film’s power lies in the emotions and questions it leaves behind, and that’s what I try to create: moments that stay, quietly echoing long after the scene ends.

My work spans short films, music videos, and visual campaigns. Whether it’s a quiet emotional arc or a bold visual experiment, I always start from a place of curiosity—about people, about connection, and about what moves us.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think what breaks the bond is not being present.
Sometimes we get caught up in our own worlds and forget to leave space for others to step in.

I believe that what restores connection is being in the moment together—fully.
When we share the present, even quietly, we build a communal memory.

And I think that’s how bonds form again—gently, without even trying

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There have been many times I felt like giving up.

In the past, I saw that as a weakness—like maybe I wasn’t strong enough for this path.

But over time, I’ve come to see doubt differently. It’s not something to avoid, but something to go through.

I think without doubt, there’s no real growth

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
I rely on the ideas of people around me—my friends, collaborators, and people I cross paths with.

I think my ideas are shaped through interaction.
Everyone carries their own world, and when I interact with them, I get to step into it for a moment.

That’s how my world expands, often in ways I didn’t expect.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
I wouldn’t say I’m always tap dancing to work—most days, my steps feel heavy.

But the moments when I get to share my work with others—those are the moments I tap dance for.

One of those moments was when my short film Crohn’s: The Musical, a comedic musical, was screened at the 2024 New York Shorts International Film Festival and at Columbia University.

Seeing people react in real time, and knowing something I made could spark that kind of shared experience—that’s the kind of moment I keep moving toward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sooohbang.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soo555bang/

Image Credits
Stills and BTS from the “Crohn’s: The Musical”