End of Winter
2014 South Korean film

End of Winter (Korean: 철원기행; RR: Cheorwongihaeng) is a 2014 South Korean drama film. Directed by Kim Dae-hwan in his feature debut and a project of the Graduate School of Cinematic Content at Dankook University, it explores the breakup of a family. It made its world premiere at the 19th Busan International Film Festival in 2014 and won New Currents Award.
01Synopsis
Kim Sung-geun's (Mun Chang-gil) wife, two sons and daughter-in-law gather in Cheorwon for his retirement ceremony as he ends his teaching career at the Cheorwon Technical High School. While eating at a Chinese restaurant, he drops the bombshell and announces he plans to get a divorce. Without explaining his decision, it leaves his shocked wife Yoon Yeo-jung (Lee Young-ran) angry and speechless, and the family in confusion. When heavy snow prevents them from leaving, they are forced to stay at Sung-geun's apartment, leading to an uncomfortable time together as they seek shelter from the cold winter.
02Cast
- Mun Chang-gil as Kim Sung-geun
- Lee Young-ran as Yoon Yeo-jung
- Kim Min-hyeuk as Kim Dong-wook
- Lee Sang-hee as Hye-jung
- Hur Jae-won as Su-hyung
- Park Chan-yun
03Reception
BIFF's jury head Iranian director Asghar Farhadi: "It impressed us with its stylistic consistency, its skillful exploration of family relations, its elegant mastery of cinematic space, and its great ensemble cast."
The Hollywood Reporter: "First time filmmaker Kim Dae-hwan makes an impression with a well acted and recognizable snapshot of family strife."
Screen International: "Kim Dae-hwan's impressive and dispassionate debut feature tackles such (trials and tribulations of family life) issues with a sensible sense of restraint through its rich but subtle aesthetic as it follows a family on the verge of turmoil after the father suddenly announces he wants a divorce."
Pierce Conran: "End of Winter boasts strong performances and an admirably restrained yet intelligent mis-en-scene. However, in its resemblance to many other Korean family dramas...it will have trouble standing out from the pack."
04Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 19th Busan International Film Festival | New Currents Award | End of Winter | Won |
| 2015 | 18th Shanghai International Film Festival | Asian New Talent Award | Kim Dae-hwan | Nominated |
| 12th Yerevan International Film Festival | Silver Apricot for Feature Film | End of Winter | Won | |
| 9th Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Feature Film | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | 25th Buil Film Awards | Best New Director | Kim Dae-hwan | Nominated |
| 2017 | 4th Wildflower Film Awards | Best Director (Narrative Films) | Kim Dae-hwan | Nominated |
| Best New Director (Narrative Films) | Kim Dae-hwan | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Mun Chang-gil | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Kim Bo-ram | Nominated |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “End of Winter”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- End of Winter poster.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
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