TREELESS MOUNTAIN

Synopsis

Sent by their impoverished mother in Seoul, to live with an aunt in a dull village, six-year old Jin and her younger sister Bin find themselves at the mercy of the selfish, alcoholic 'Big Aunt', who reduces the girls to selling fried grasshoppers to make some money. Their neglect and misery is compounded when their mother writes, announcing that she cannot have them back and so they must move to their grandparents rural farm. Yet it's here, in the beautiful Korean countryside, where finally these two mistreated innocents manage to find some security and love. One of the many remarkable aspects of this film is its basis in fact - as director So Yong Kim says, 'Treeless Mountain', is "inspired by events from my early childhood," and is "a letter to my mother." But through the simply astonishing performances by its two little leads, 'Treeless Mountain' is an emotional tour-de-force that will break even the flintiest of hearts.

Genre

Cast & Credits

• Director:  So Yong Kim
• Scriptwriter:  So Yong Kim
• Cinematographer:  Anne Misawa
• Editor:  Bradley Rust Gray, So Yong Kim
• Composer:  Asobi Seksu
• Cast (in alphabetical order):  Hee-yeon Kim, Mi-hyang Kim, Song-hee Kim, Soo-ah Lee