Beyond The Tide

One year in Busan changed everything.

Lena Davis, a young Black American photography student from Atlanta, embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime study abroad program at Hanseong University of Science and Arts in Busan, South Korea. Leaving behind everything familiar, Lena dives into the unknown-armed with only her camera, her journal, and a heart wide open.

From sweet bites of tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) to bustling nights at Kkangtong Market, Lena is swept into a vibrant world of culture, friendship, and self-discovery. She forms unexpected and powerful bonds with four Korean classmates-Ji-hoon, Soo-jin, Eun-kyung, and Min-hyuk-each of whom opens her eyes to a different way of living, loving, and letting go.

As a year of laughter, heartache, and profound change unfolds, Lena documents it all-one letter, one photograph, one memory at a time. But when it's time to say goodbye, can she carry the spirit of Busan with her, even as she boards a flight home?

Told through vivid scenes, emotional letters, and quiet reflections, Beyond the Tide is a soul-stirring story of cultural exchange, identity, and the kind of friendships that transcend borders. A love letter to Korea-and to the people who change us forever.