Overview of Dream
‘Dream’ is a drama-comedy South Korean movie, directed by Lee Byeong-heon. The film starring Park Seo-joon and IU portrays the adventures of a soccer team of homeless people training under the coach Yoon Hong-dae. The film shows Park Seo-joon as Yoon Hong-dae and IU as a documentary director running after Yoon Hong-dae and his team to shoot a documentary.
The movie was released on 26 April 2023 and distributed by Megabox Plus M. ‘Dream’ was a great hit in South Korea and reached 1,128,080 admissions as per the records of 16 August 2023, occupying the position of fifth highest-grossing Korean movie in 2023.
Profile
- Name: ‘Dream’
- Genre: Sports, Comedy, Drama
- Starring: Park Seo-joon, IU/Lee Ji-eun
- Directed by: Lee Byeong-heon
- Written by: Lee Byeong-heon
- Cinematography: Noh Seung-bo
- Distributed by: Megabox Plus M
- Music by: Tae-seong Kim
- Production Company: Oktober Cinema Co. Ltd.
- Release date: 26 April 2023
- Running time: 125 minutes
- Language: Korean
- Country: South Korea
Cast
- Park Seo-joon as Yoon Hong-dae, a football coach.
- IU/Lee Ji-eun as Lee So-min, a director
- Kang Ha-neul as Sung-chan
- Ko Chang-seok as Jeon Hyo-bong
- Jung Seung-gil as Son Beom-soo
- Lee Hyun-woo as Kim In-sun
- Heo Joon-seok as Hwang In-guk
- Yang Hyun-min as Jeon Moon-soo
- Kim Jong-soo as Kim Hwan-dong
- Lee Ji-hyun as Jin-ju
- Hong Ahn-pyo as Young-jin
- Jung Soon-won
- Lee Ha-nui as Byeong-sam
- Cho Woo-jong as a caster
- Baek Ji-won as Sun-ja, Hong-dae’s mother
- Park Myung-hoon as a reporter
- Park Moon-sung as a football commentator
- Jo Hyang-gi  as MC
Synopsis
Yoon Hong-dae is a hardworking and ambitious football player. In his latest match, he could not perform well. Due to his thoughtless behaviour after the match, he faces disciplinary action. Consequently, he gets appointed as the coach for a football team consisting of homeless individuals. His mission is to train the team to prepare them for the Homeless World Cup.
The team he gets is made up of middle-aged people with their own backstories and limitations. The most interesting fact is that none of them, not even in their childhood, have previous experience in football. Due to the pressure on his shoulders, Yoon Hong-dae reaches the playground to train the players. Lee So-min, a dedicated documentary director, accompanies him on the playground to capture the training and interaction of the coach with the players.
Lee So-min starts filming them, capturing everything that happens on the playground. Through her cheerful personality, she pushes Yoon Hong-dae to train the players whenever he feels down. Lee So-min digs into the backstory of each player and learns more about them. She forces Yoon Hong-dae to show affection towards his players. Though Yoon Hong-dae is frustrated with training the team.
One day, the child of one of the players comes to meet her father. She soon leaves for Australia with her mother, leaving her father back in Korea. The child recognises Yoon Hong-dae, and everybody in the group learns his greatness.
Giving much strength to the team, a homeless young boy, desperately looking for his lost girlfriend, joins the team. In the hope of finding her, he has been sticking posters in public places. Yoon Hong-dae assures him that on the day they win the match, he can spread the news of his longing for her by looking into the camera instead of sticking posters.
The team is funded by a charitable organisation. Unexpectedly, the organisation withdraws their support for the team, saying that the players are dirty and ugly. The game has already gotten into the minds of the players, and they have started to train hard under their coach. With the new opportunity given, they hope to build a new life once again. Therefore, the team decides to move ahead with their training.
Adding to the complexity of the current situation, Yoon Hong-dae gets into a fight with a student gang for bullying Son Beom-Soo’s girlfriend in the park. The incident becomes hot news, and the media starts to criticise Yoon Hong-dae. However, they manage to tackle the problem by releasing the video of the lady getting bullied, filmed by a person living next to the park. The turn of the event gives Yoon Hong-dae a heroic image, and he starts to take his coaching seriously.
Yoon Hong-dae takes his team for the first match. Their first match becomes harder than expected. After the match, Kim In-sun, the young lad in the group, finds a girl resembling his girlfriend cheering for another group. His attempt to talk to her creates an argument.
After the first match, two members of the team get injured. To substitute the players, Lee So-min finds two non-Korean substitutes. Her decision does not make Yoon Hong-dae happy. However, the substitutes show amazing football skills on the playground.
The victory achieved with the participation of Brazilian players does not make the players happy. The team decides to play the next match without any help from the outside. The opponents are quite strong, but the Korean team plays for their victory. In the middle of the match, their goalkeeper gets injured in the arm. Having no other choice the coach decides to send Kim Hwan-Dong as a substitute.
Kim Hwan-Dong suffers from heart disease, yet his determination gives him the energy to play. Finally, after an eventful match, they win the game.
Theme
‘Dream’ is a South Korean movie about football. A charitable organization gathers up a group of homeless people and makes a football team to participate in the Homeless World Cup. The game gives the homeless players new hope to live and build up a new life. Despite their health problems they play sincerely for the victory of their team.
The film shows the influence of sports on the lives of people. Football gives the wrecked people in the movie a chance to prove their capabilities in society. Also, it shows how games can boost team spirit and patriotism in people.
Awards
Interesting facts about Dream
- IU’s presence in ‘Dream’ was confirmed in January 2020.
- To do the coach’s role in ‘Dream’, Park Seo-joon prepared his body by going to the gym.
- Covid-19 pandemic affected the shooting of the film.
- ‘Dream’ made its release on 1229 screens on 26 April 2023.
- ‘Dream’ was a great hit in South Korea, on the 16th day 1 million viewers watched the movie.
- South Korea’s participation in the 2010 Homeless World Cup inspired the movie ‘Dream’.
FAQs
- Who are the main leads in the K-movie ‘Dream’?
IU and Park Seo-joon are the main leads in ‘Dream’. - When is the movie ‘Dream’ released?
26 April 2023. - What is the film ‘Dream’ is about?
‘Dream’ is a sports movie. - What is the Instagram ID of Park Seo-joon?
@Â bn_sj2013. - What is the Instagram ID of IU?
@dlwlrma.
