Treeless Mountain (2008)

In Seoul, Korea, two sisters must look after one another when their mother leaves them to search for their estranged father.

Director:

So Yong Kim

Writer:

So Yong Kim

Stars:

Chae Gil Byung, Jung Gil Ja, Shin Hyun Je

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Chae Gil Byung	...	Pedestrian in City
Jung Gil Ja	...	Minoo's Mom
Shin Hyun Je	...	Bus Driver
Kim Mi Jung	...	Hyun's Mom
Hee-yeon Kim	...	Jin
Mi-hyang Kim	...	Big Aunt
Song-hee Kim	...	Bin
Soo-ah Lee	...	Mom
Sung Sook Lee	...	Stall Lady
Lee Hyun Seo	...	Hyun
Park Boon Tak	...	Grandma
Lee Kang Won	...	Neighbor Lady
Ha Min Woo	...	Minoo
Kim Il Woo	...	Man with Cellphone
Lee Byung Yong	...	Grandpa

Storyline

What is the nature of childhood resilience? Sisters Jin and Bin, ages 6 and 3, live with their mother. Jin likes school and does well. One day, their mother leaves the girls with their father's sister, a woman they do not know. The mother seeks a reconciliation with their father. She leaves them a plastic piggy bank, promising to return when the bank is full. The girls scrub and clean for their aunt, a tippler who's often cranky and complaining. She gives them a few coins for their work. They earn more money catching, grilling, and selling grasshoppers. They miss their mother. The bank fills. They watch for her from a mound of dirt. Will she return? Will stoic faces give way to a smile?

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Plot Keywords:

girl | piggy bank | aunt | seoul korea | grasshopper | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [fr]

Country:

USA South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

27 August 2009 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Los senderos de la vida

Filming Locations:

Seoul, South Korea

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$5,014 (USA) (24 April 2009)

Gross:

$60,023 (USA) (18 September 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parts and Labor, Soandbrad, Strange Loop Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 89 min 89 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Color:

Color

User Reviews

An enchanting and beautiful movie...

"Treeless Mountain" is a rather unique and beautiful movie. It will take you through a multitude of emotions, ranging from sadness, to happiness, to filling you with hope and inspiration. This is really all owned up to the spectacular skills of the director So Yong Kim.

The story in "Treeless Mountain" is about a mom who have to leave her two young girls with their aunt as she sets out to find their estranged father. She leaves her daughters with a piggy bank and promises to return when it is full. The aunt gives the girls coins as they do hard chores but are otherwise mostly left to their own devices. Upon proving too difficult to take care of the girls, the aunt takes them to stay with the grandparents at their farm, where they girls come to know the true meaning of family value.

"Treeless Mountain" is not a fast-paced movie, it actually doesn't really take you long or far, but in the course of its length, you will be taken on a very life-affirming and inspiration journey with the two children as they take care of each other. The story told in "Treeless Mountain" is the type that will sink into your mind and stay with you for a long time, because it is really beautifully told and it is a very heart-warming story.

The movie wouldn't have been anything without the cast. And the performance by the two young girls, Hee-yeon Kim (playing Jin) and Song-hee Kim (playing Bin) were nothing short of spectacular. Their performances were so amazing, and they really carried the movie with grace. Of course, the director has a lot of credit here, but still, I was in awe at the talent of these two young girls.

If you enjoy Korean cinema, then you definitely should get acquainted with "Treeless Mountain", especially if you like dramas that will stick with you for a long, long time.