Christmas in August (1998)

Synopsis: South Korean writer/director Jin-ho Hur makes his feature film debut with the achingly tender romantic drama CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST. Jung-won (Suk-kyu Han, TELL ME SOMETHING) is a terminally ill... South Korean writer/director Jin-ho Hur makes his feature film debut with the achingly tender romantic drama CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST. Jung-won (Suk-kyu Han, TELL ME SOMETHING) is a terminally ill photo-shop owner determined to quietly live out his remaining days tending his store and spending time with his family and friends, who know nothing of his condition. When a quirky meter maid named Da-rim (Eun-ha Shim, ART MUSEUM BY THE ZOO) begins frequenting Jung-won's shop to develop photographs of parking violators, the pair strike up a cautious friendship that blossoms into an unspoken romance marked by emotional reserve--the couple never even kiss or display any outward sign of affection--and the mournful aura of Jung-won's impending death. As the camera lingers over the would-be lovers' quiet gestures and everyday moments, Hur's film becomes a heartbreakingly subtle evocation of love that avoids melodrama and owes much to the understated delicacy of legendary Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. An audience favorite at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST is little-known gem that deserves a wider audience. [More]

Starring: Han Suk-Kyu, Shim Eun-ha, Goo Shin

Starring: Han Suk-Kyu, Shim Eun-ha, Goo Shin

Director: Jin-ho Hur

Director: Jin-ho Hur
Screenwriter: Jin-ho Hur

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