Dear Lena (2016)

Dear Lena is a quiet, mostly tranquil movie about issues that run deeper than the calm surface. I truly wished they had touched more on these issues, it would have made this a more complete film for me.

Lena is a descendent of Koreans who were forced to work for the Japanese mining coal in Sakhalin and then later trapped there after WWII. Their story would make an interesting film in and off itself as they fought for citizenship and many fought to go back to South Korea. They became second class citizens in Russia and those who made it home were less than in South Korea as well. Lena wants to bury her parents' ashes in South Korea and becomes a mail order bride to make the trip. This aspect is barely touched on and again, would have given more depth to the story to explore that process.

The male lead is a tea farmer in a remote area which lends itself to some lovely cinematography. He tries very hard to make Lena feel welcome and give her anything she needs. Lena in turn tries to help with different chores to show that she is invested in the relationship. She calls him ahjussi throughout the movie which seems to make their relationship an even further oddity. As she walks to the fields she makes friends with a photographer who is traveling through and begins learning to take photographs. Both the film's cinematography and her photos play a large role. Lena tends to be quiet, walking and taking pictures as she has much on her mind. I wish we'd been more privy to what was weighing so heavily on her.

The last thirty minutes or so give the movie the emotional thrust it sorely needed. While this was a beautiful, quiet movie, it could have been more meaningful if only the director had stirred the calm surface with the emotions running beneath.

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A beautiful story that can be expanded to a beautiful weekend Kdrama series.

I really love this love story between a mail-order-bride, Lena, and her green tea farmer husband, Soon Goo. The story starts when Lena, a Korean Russian born woman, accepts an offer to be a-mail-order-bride and flies to Korea. However, she is not honest in answering a questionnaire about her health; she only wants to go to Korea to bury her deceased parents in their homeland, Korea. The parents were transported to Russia by Japanese before or during the World War II and worked in the coal mines. Also, it seems that Lena second intention is to die in Korea due to her terminal illness without any expectation about her future life with her husband.

However, Soon Goo, her green tea farmer husband is an honest man and is eager to please and learn to love Lena earnestly. He encourages Lena to go to Cultural Center and learn about Korea. Soon Goo teaches Lena how to properly drink green tea and supports Lena wholeheartedly to learn photography from a traveling well-known photographer, Han Seong.

The interaction between Ajeossi Soon Goo is awkward in the beginning, as Soon Goo is trying hard to welcome Lena. Lena is at ease knowing Soon Goo genuinely wants Lena to feel welcome in Korea and accept Soon Goo as her husband. I like watching the uneasy interaction between these two lovely individuals that tells the story of the initial encounter between a husband and his mail-order-bride, it is so touching.

After Soon Goo knows about Lena’s terminal illness, he tries very hard to help Lena gets proper treatments with no regret. I would say the ending is open ended, however, my conclusion for the ending is that Lena survives the surgery since we are shown Soon Goo smiling brightly at the end of the film.

The film cinematography is breathtaking, the photography is remarkable, and the tea plantation scenery is breathtaking. I really love this movie and recommend “Dear Lena” wholeheartedly. I give ten-out-ten for the story, and I wish the story can be expanded and make into a weekend Kdrama Series.

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