‘NEIGHBORS’, FILM REVIEW. UK PREMIERE. 9TH LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL 2014.

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Show in the K-Indie section of the 9th London Korean Film Festival 2014, and having its UK Premiere in London, this film is directed by three different directors Son Tae-gyum, Shin Sojeon and Kim Hee-jin, each taking a different story to direct. It has a very interesting plot indeed with two community workers (Park Hee-von and Yoon Jin-uk) going through stories submitted to them in a contest and while going through them they come across three different stories to be chosen as the winners.

The film further takes us into the lives of three different individuals who share their secrets in the stories. Each story has its own meaning and each touches lives of the characters in different ways. A boy living with his brother keeps his sexual orientation a secret, while he slowly falls in love with his client. A woman who comes into Korea as an illegal immigrant in order to earn for her son’s surgery goes through a horrendous ordeal; and a school boy who tries hard to earn enough money in order to go on a school trip.

The stories as simple as they may look go deep into the complexities of the experiences people have in their lives. They hold secrets which are too risky to be brought out. They have goals which are very hard to achieve. They have expectations in their lives but end up facing the unexpected. This is what each individual faces and they deal with it in their own capacity. The film also brings to light that no matter how much a person tries hard, there are things that he or she cannot control and that nothing is in his/her hands. Times and instances change with the flow of time and one experiences the ups and downs in life frequently.

This film was in the Official Selection of the 18th Busan Film Festival 2013.

Director: Son Tae-gyum, Shin Sojeon, Kim Hee-jin

Cast: Park Hee-von and Yoon Jin-uk

Genre: Drama.

Country: South Korea

Lanuage: Korean

Release Date: Official Selection: 18th Busan International Film Festival 2013.

Run Time: 91 min

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