Winter Light

International Premiere

Cho Hyun-suh’s film is attuned to the poetry in silences, the tension in talk, and the paradox when dedication to one person often means neglect, or even betrayal, of another. Da-bin (Sung Yu-been) is quite burdened for an adolescent: his mother is broke, he’s got a runaway brother, and his little sister is going deaf. Trudging through each day with academic, romantic, social, and economic pressure weighing him down, he nonetheless finds moments of happiness with his best friend Jung-won (Lim Jae-Hyeok) and girlfriend Jae-un (Kang Min-ju).

Cho gets strong performances from Sung, Cha Jun-hui as his adorable younger sibling, and Lee Seung-yeon as his mother. As Da-bin’s thuggish pal Jung-won, Lim radiates menace and pathos in equal measure, and Kang is restrained and graceful as the girl our hero may not be able to hold on to. Cho’s visual style is clean and concise, while still conveying the feel of winter in all its blankness and severity.

Oct 5 & 7: Q&A

Cooperating Organizations

Media Partner

Community Partner