A Hometown of the Heart
Yun Yong-Gyu, 1949, 76 min, 35mm
Korean with English subtitles

"A boy lives as an orphan-acolyte in a peaceful mountain temple. Unbeknownst to him, his impoverished mother comes to catch just a glimpse of him, then returns to the city. A wealthy young widow almost adopts him, but the plan comes to nothing. Undaunted, he heads down the road to find his mother, against all odds, somewhere in the middle of Seoul.

A Hometown in Heart had been a successful play before this beautiful film version brought it to a wider public. Korean mother-worship is nicely blended with reverence for the maternal Bodhisattva Kwanseeom. The visual lyricism and innocence of this tale seem all the more fragile when you consider that within some five months the country would be convulsed by war. Ironically, or just sadly, director Yun Yong-gyu – who was forced to leave for North Korea when Seoul was invaded, went on to make some of the first Korean War films in the North." – LKFF

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Part of the London Korean Film Festival's celebration of a century of Korean cinema.

The London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) presents it's 14th edition, taking place from 1st-14th November in London before embarking on the annual tour 18th-24th November. The Special Focus, and much of this year’s festival programme, highlights the historic milestone of 100-years of Korean cinema along with an exciting mix of UK and International premieres, guests and events across a diverse set of strands; Cinema Now, Women's Voices, Documentary, Hidden Figures: Ha Gil-jong, Artist Video, Animation and Mise-en-scène Shorts.

More info: http://koreanfilm.co.uk