心中的故乡

Synopsis　　Do-seong(YooMin)isachildmonkwholivesatasmallmountaintemplewiththeheadmonk(ByeonKi-jong),learningtheteachingsofBuddha.Hebecomesattachedtoayoungwidow(ChoiEun-hee)whocomestoprayatthetemple,andthechildlesswidowentreatstheheadmonktoletherraiseDo-seongasherownson.ConflictensueswhenDo-seong'srealmother(KimSeon-young)appears,butsheleavesthetempleforthesakeofherson'sfuture.Onthedaythewidowistotakethechilddownfromthemountain,theheadmonkdiscoversthatDo-seonghaskilledabirdbyensnaringitinatrapanddecidesnottolettheboygointothesecularworld.WhenDo-seongfindsoutthathisrealmotherhasbeentothetemple,hesetsouttofindher.　　Notes　　Afilmthathasgarneredrecognitionforitscinematographyanddirectionbyeliminatingsentimentalityandunaffectedlycapturingthequietlifeofamountaintemple.AHometowninHeartdemonstratesthecameratechniqueanddirectorialskillofmoviesthatappearedaftertheliberationofKorea.　　AHometowninHeart,adaptedfromplaywrightHamSe-deok'sALittleMonk(Dong-seung),washaileduponitsreleaseasamasterpiecethatmarkedanewpinnacleinKoreanmoviemakingaftertheliberation.Eschewingnew-schoolsentimentalitytoquietlyexpressaboy'slongingformaternallove,thefilmunfoldstheeverydaylivesofthreegenerationstheheadmonk,ayoungmonk,andalittlechildmonkagainstthebackdropofaquiettempleinthemountains.ThelongshotsutilizedbydirectorofcinematographyHanHyung-motocapturethebeautifulsceneryofthemountaintemplefromadistancereceivedgreatcriticalacclaimatthetime.Also,eachofthefilm'scharactersisconvincinglyportrayedthroughtheskillfuldirectionofYoonYong-kyu.Inparticular,thescenewhichexpressesDo-seong'sdesperateyearningforamother'sloveandhisbirthmother'spastvisittothetemplebycombiningthemintoadreamsequencerevealsdeepconsiderationforarticulatingstoryandemotionviaacompressedvisualgrammarwithouttendingtowardsentimentalism.Themovie'sfinalscene,inwhichDo-seongawakensfromhisdreamandsetsoffdownthepathinsearchofhismother,isbothtouchingandbeautiful.ThefilmalsofeaturesChoiEun-hee,inthepartoftheyoungwidowwhowarmlyembracesDo-seongwithherlove,inoneofherfirstroles.　　Afterword　　-LeeKang-su,writingunderthepseudonymofKwakIl-byeong,firstadaptedplaywrightHamSe-deok'sALittleMonk(Dong-seung)intoascreenplay,whichwasthenshotforthesilverscreenwithadditionalembellishmentsbythedirector.