The global economic crisis has badly affected Korean film industry. Big production companies like CJ and Show box are hesitant to invest money for big budget films. But the year is not too bad for Korean cinema…. Park chan wook’s “Thirst” got award in prestigious Cannes film festival, films like “Breathless” got wide spread attention among international film festival viewers. The amazing director Bong joon ho has released his new movie “Mother”. There were surprise hits like “Hand Phone” which indicates the return of violence in Korean Cinema.
But the year 2009 will not be remembered by any of these films in future. It will be remembered after a small documentary made with a tight budget. This documentary has created history…… it touched the hearts of millions of Koreans…. The name of the documentary is “Old Partner”. It was released in 15th January in only 7 screens... as word of mouth and favorable reviews spread, the film entered the box office top position and the number of screens was reached 200. The film attracted nearly 3 million viewers, an unprecedented figure for a documentary and became the country’s highest grossing independent film. It won the Best Documentary Award at the 13th Busan International Film Festival and invited to overseas film festivals like Sundance.
Directed by Lee Choong-yeol, the movie tells the story of a crippled old farmer and the dying cow that has served him faithfully for decades. Old Partner’s focus on simple rural life, and on the strong bond an aging farmer has formed with his cow (so strong that his wife gets jealous). it harbor a nostalgia for the pastoral Korea of old.
Bongha village, where the film was shot, is planning an “Old Partner” museum to cash in on the movie’s success. The old couple has been besieged by tourists, and there has been concern from the movie director about the instrusions on their daily lives. On the other hand, the village seems thankful for the possible influx of cash.
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