OUR LOVE STORY

연애담

Directed by Lee Hyun-ju

Discoveries / South Korea / 2016 / Drama, LGBT, Romance / 99 mins / Korean with English subtitles / DCP / US Premiere

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Watch Trailer

OUR LOVE STORY

UltraStar Mission Valley
Friday, November 4, 2016 8:15 pm

Description

Grand Prize, Korean Competition, 2016 Jeonju International Film Festival
Official Selection, 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival

Socially-awkward art student Yoon-ju is questioned by everyone, from her dad to her roommate and classmates, on why she doesn’t date. It’s likely she’s never been in love. But when she notices a woman at the scrapyard where she collects objects for her artwork, she becomes curious and orchestrates encounters to try to learn more about the stranger, who turns out to be a bartender named Ji-soo with more experience in relationships. The attraction is mutual and soon the two become inseparable.

In her feature debut, director Lee Hyun-Ju masterfully takes her time with the unfolding of the protagonists and their actions, tracing the entirety of their relationship, from courtship to the bittersweet discovery of what can come next. The film evokes the lust and giddiness Yoon-ju has for Ji-soo, and the anxiety, frustration, shame, and jealousy that soon follow.

The film-like look and the chemistry between Yoon-ju and Ji-soo are treats for the senses. The tone is quiet, beautiful, and frank in a way that shows that even belated coming-of-age sexual awakening can have all the glow of a “first love” drama. –Wilda Wong