A quiet dream
South Korea
|
2016
|
B/W
|
101 min
This directory compiles the glossaries from all editions of Cines del Sur: eleven already held and the twelfth currently underway. It serves as a living memory of the festival, its films, guests, sections, and spaces for reflection on the cinemas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arab world. Here you can trace the evolution of its programming, rediscover filmmakers, and follow the thematic threads that have defined Cines del Sur's identity as a meeting point for cultures, perspectives, and ways of understanding cinema from the Global South.
Ye-ri owns a bar inherited from her ailing father, whom she cares for. Three men regularly frequent the place, seemingly enchanted, almost spellbound, by her. They are three very different characters: a North Korean defector, an epileptic, and a former gangster. All of them seem to share a single ambition in life: to win Ye-ri's affection. To achieve this, they will compete, but also act like a family and look out for each other. Through the conversations and situations experienced by the story's protagonists, and with humor bordering on the absurd and surreal, director Zhang Lu highlights some of the most pressing issues facing Korean society: from immigration to the marginalization of "outsiders," and abuses in the labor sector. A Quiet Dream, which creates a nostalgic and romantic atmosphere with an almost dreamlike quality, was presented at the Busan (in Korea) and Rotterdam festivals.
Technical Details
Direction:
Zhang Lu
Cinematography:
Cho Joung-yik
Music:
Baek Hyon-jin
Language:
Korean and Mandarin
Production:
Leila Jo
Art Direction:
Kim Cho-hea
Sound:
Kim Bong-soo
Subtitles:
English and Spanish
Screenplay:
Zhang Lu
Editing:
Lee Hak-min
Cast:
Han Ye-ri, Jang Ik-joon, Park Jung-bum, Yun Jong-bin, Oh Dal-hwan, Kim Eui-sung, Kim Tae-hoon, Shin Min-a
Director
Zhang Lu
Born in Yanbian, China, he is part of the third generation of Chinese-Korean directors and has become one of the most internationally acclaimed Asian filmmakers. His productions focus on the experiences of a specific group of people: those of Chinese descent residing in South Korea. He studied Chinese literature at Yanbian University in Yanji, soon after beginning his career as a novelist and short story writer. His life took an unexpected turn when, as a literature professor, a bet led him to direct the short film Eleven, which was invited to the Venice International Film Festival. Starting with his first feature film, Tang Poetry, all his films have been screened at international festivals, including Grain in Ear, which won the New Currents section at the Busan International Film Festival; Desert Dream, which competed at the Berlinale; and Chongqing and Iri, which received a Special Mention in the Generation 14 Plus section of the Berlin International Film Festival. His latest production, A Quiet Dream, was the opening film of the Busan Film Festival.
