Mon 30 Nov 6.30pm

Duke of York’s Picturehouse

DIRECTOR: So Yong Kim. STARRING: Soo-ah Lee, Hee-yeon Kim, Song-hee Kim, Mi-hyang Kim, Park Boon Tak. South Korea/ USA 2009. 89 mins. Korean with English Subtitles.

The second feature from Korean-American director So Yong Kim, deservedly picked up an award at the Berlin film festival earlier this year. A child’s-eye-view of the world, at times heartbreakingly sad, at others optimistic; it is reminiscent of some of the best Iranian cinema such as Kirostami’s WHERE IS THE HOUSE OF MY FRIEND and Samira Makhmalbaf’s THE APPLE.

6-year-old Jin and 4-year-old Bin are left in the dubious care of their Aunt when their struggling mother sets off to try to find the girls’ estranged father, telling them she will be back by the time their piggy bank is full. Non-professional actress Hee-Yeon Kim is stirringly solemn as Jin, the older of the two; diligently striving to uphold normality while they anticipate their mother’s return. Delicately paced and thoughtful, TREELESS MOUNTAIN is a haunting and tender exploration of the hope and resilience of little children.