Film Archive

Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells

Official Selection - Competition 2009 / Barami Memounen Got, Himalaya / South Korea, France 2008

A minimalist film which follows the mission of an aging Korean man who, wearing a business suit and an overcoat, arrives in a remote little village high up in the mountainous region of Nepal. His anabasis captured in distanced shots reflects the process of inner revival but also refutes the idealistic tradition of "journeys from the city”.

Synopsis

An aging Korean executive arrives in Nepal. Dressed in a suit and street shoes, he sets off on a desolate journey to a remote village where he spends several days staying with a local family. His only link to the inhabitants is a small boy with whom he manages to communicate through his broken English. In close proximity to everyday village life and surrounded by the awe-inspiring mountain scenery, he spends the following days in apathetic isolation, slowly starting to feel the weight of the problems he has carried with him from Korea, and also the professional obligations which brought him to Nepal. The narrative, unfolding in stark long shots without any musical accompaniment, captures the inner transformation of a brittle urban dweller, yet it also contests the idyllic schemes of stories about "journeys from the city”. The main role is played by character actor Choi Min-sik, familiar to international audiences from the hit films Oldboy (2003) or Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005).

About the film

95 min / Color, 35 mm
International premiere
Director Jeon Soo-il / Screenplay Jeon Soo-il / Dir. of Photography Kim Sung-tai / Music Kim Hyung-suk / Editor Kim In-soo, No Bong-seo / Producer Jeon Soo-il / Production Dongnyuk Film / Cast Choi Min-sik, Tsering Kipale Gurung / Contact Urban Distribution International, Dongnyuk Film

About the director

Jeon Soo-il (b. 1959, Sokcho, South Korea) began studying film at Kyungsung University in Pusan. As a post-graduate he then studied film science at University Paris 7. Apart from his work directing feature films, he is also a professor at the Department of Theatre and Film at Kyungsung University. In 1997 he debuted in feature film with The Wind Echoing in My Being. To date he has made six feature films which were produced by his own independent company Dongnyuk Film. The Karlovy Vary festival has screened two of these in previous years: The Bird Who Stops in the Air (Sae nun Pey sok sun eul g rin da, 1999) and With a Girl of Black Soil (Geomen tangyi sonyeo oi, 2007).

Contacts

Urban Distribution International
14, rue du 18 Août, 93100, Montreuil
France
Phone: +33 148 704 656
Fax: +33 149 720 421
E-mail: contact@urbandistrib.biz

Dongnyuk Film
501, Centrum Venture Town, U2-dong, 1475, Pusan
Republic of Korea
Phone: +82 51 747 6733
E-mail: sijeon21@naver.com