Jin Woo, who resides on a sheep ranch in Hwacheon, Gangwon-do, lives a quiet life with his daughter Seol. Ranch owner Joong Man and his daughter Moon Kyeong treat them as family. Soon after, Jin Woo’s male friend Hyun Min arrives at the ranch, and reveals that the two have been long-time lovers. They dream of living happily with Seol in this peaceful place. However, with Jin Woo’s twin sister Eun Young’s visit, the conflict begins. In fact, Seol is Eun Young’s daughter but Jin Woo has been raising her because Eun Young disappeared. Like the close-up scene of the sheep wool in the beginning, A Far Place is a story that is not noticed from afar but revealed when looked closely. The local folks, who seemed friendly and gentle, show their true colors, and become exclusive and discriminatory as they learn about the truth of the two men. Even the intentions of family members, who thought they knew each other well, feel like ‘a far place.’ Like Jin Woo’s mind, the beautiful autumn landscape of Gangwon-do turns into harsh winter, but the film believes there is still a ray of hope. (Source: JIFF) Edit Translation
- English
- 中文(台灣)
- magyar / magyar nyelv
- עברית / עִבְרִית
- Native Title: 정말 먼 곳
- Also Known As: Jeongmal Meon Gos , Jeongmal Meon Geot , A Far Place
- Screenwriter & Director: Park Kun Young
- Genres: Romance, Drama
Where to Watch A Distant Place
Cast & Credits
- Kang Gil WooJin WooMain Role
- Hong KyungHyeon MinMain Role
- Lee Sang HeeEun Young [Jin Woo's twin sister]Support Role
- Ki Joo BongJoong Man [Jin Woo's random family]Support Role
- Ki Do YoungMoon Kyeong [Jin Woo's random family]Support Role
- Choi Geum SoonMyeong SoonSupport Role
Reviews
Gentle movie about biological and found family (minor spoilers)
Overall: this reminds me of God's Own Country with its countryside setting and sparse dialogue. Things are subtle (maybe a bit too subtle at times); I wish I could hear a director's commentary as I'm sure I missed many things. Watched on Amazon Prime Video, also on Gagaoolala in some regions.Content Warnings: homophobia, side character death
What I Liked
- the foreshadowing, double meanings, subtle hints, for example when the grandma was mixing and said to watch it and wait it out, and also that pregnant sheep
- the countryside setting
- production value was good overall
- realistic flawed characters who made mistakes and apologized/tried to change
Room For Improvement
- maybe a few things were a bit too subtle and we could have used a little more dialogue to tell the audience what the characters were thinking
- it was odd when that female friend was yelling around the house that the guys wouldn't have woken up
Meaningful Overall
This is a very slow moving movie. One thing I will say, is the acting is the best I’ve seen, especially the child. The story, although slow, had a deep meaning that involves acceptance of yourself, and how much it means to you. It left me with mixed feelings. I didn’t particularly like the ending, although I read it as the characters moving on in their life. Like of a re- birth, so to speak. It is worth watching it for the superb acting. But as I mentioned at the outset, it is VERY slow moving, with many conversations and scenes that should have been shorter. I would call it a BL, but more implications of a BL. But if it was more physical, it wouldn’t have fit the story.