[Forum] End of Winter
End of Winter by director
KIM Dae-hwan is about a family on the brink of collapse in the town of Cheorwon. All of the family members gather together in Cheorwon to take part in a retirement ceremony for the father, who has worked as a teacher for his entire adult life. At a family dinner, the father suddenly announces that he will divorce his wife, after many years of marriage. To make matters worse, heavy snow hits the remote town, stranding the family. So they are forced to spend three days together in the father’s small residency. Throughout this time, understandings and misunderstandings take place repeatedly among them. The film asks the audience what the meaning of a family’s relationship is, what do families mean in modern society, and where does a person stand as a member of his or her family.
A jury unanimously chose
End of Winter as the winner of one of the New Currents Awards at the 19th
Busan International Film Festival. They praised the film for its expertly-told story, for presenting Cheorwon which is not far away from the DMZ as a memorable cinematic space, and for the strong performances of the ensemble cast. “
End of Winter is an excellent interpreter of human feelings which can be easily understood by anyone,” said Asghar FARHADI, a great Iranian director and the chairman of the New Currents jury. “Without any differences among the jurors’ opinions, we named the film the winner of the prize with one voice.”
KIM Dae-hwan
“Cheorwon is like a family”
After winning the New Currents Prize at the 19th Busan International Film Festival, End of Winter will travel to Berlin. How do you feel about this?
I feel very good. To tell you the truth, I still cannot believe it.
Could you introduce your film to the audiences in Berlin? What do they need to focus on?
End of Winter is about ordinary people. In the film, an ordinary family spends three days together without major incidents. The reason for telling such a story is that I wanted to make a realistic story into a film. I would like viewers to enjoy this film, while reflecting on how they come across to their family members.
The film is set against the backdrop of Cheorwon. Why did you choose this setting?
In Korea, the town is usually reminiscent of cold weather and military bases. Because Cheorwon is a rural area, it is normally quiet and calm. On top of that, the DMZ is nearby which creates some invisible tension. Such qualities are similar to the relationships among the family members. These points led me to choose Cheorwon as the film’s background.
Good reviews of your debut work can go both ways. It could become an encouragement and also a burden. As a director, how did you feel, watching how your debut work was received?
To be honest with you, it is a marvel that End of Winter has received such good responses. In fact, no film festivals invited my short films, which depressed me. So, I was surprised to hear that my first feature film was invited to a film festival or won a prize. Such surprises also place burdens on me. But the burdens cannot overwhelm the surprises.
Would you tell us about your future plans?
I am preparing my next work. I would like to make a film set in Chuncheon, my hometown. I want to capture the appearances of families in the images of Chuncheon.