Overview of Little Forest

Profile

• Movie: Little Forest
• Genre: Drama
• Director: Yim Soon-rye
• Writers: Daisuke Igarashi (manga), Hwang Sung-Goo
• Producers: Ku Jung-A, Shin Bum-Soo
• Cinematographer: Lee Seung-Hoon
• Release Date: February 28, 2018
• Runtime: 103 minutes
• Distributor: Megabox Plus M
• Language: Korean
• Country: South Korea

Cast

• Kim Tae-ri as Song Hye-won
• Ryu Jun-yeol as Lee Jae-ha
• Moon So-ri as Mom
• Jin Ki-joo as Joo Eun-sook
• Park Won-sang as Mailman (special appearance)
• Jung Jun-won as Hoon-yi (special appearance)
• Jeon Guk-hyang as Bok-suns aunt

Synopsis

One winter, Hye-won returns from Seoul to her hometown to take time from her mundane city life. She is back at her home where she used to dwell with her mother. After reaching the place, she makes herself comfortable by cooking a meal and sets to sleep. The next morning, as she was wiping off the frozen ice spread in the front yard, she came across Jae-ha in his truck.

Later, Eun-sook, her childhood friend, visits her. They have a chat over coffee about Hye-won’s return. The conversation was a little awkward as Hye-won had actually failed an exam and, because of the embarrassment, she is hiding out of sight of her boyfriend. However, she denies this when Eun-sook points it out. The two friends plan to invite their friend Jae-ha over.

Jae-ha graduated from a nearby university but he rejected his offer for a job and started to invest his time in agriculture, helping his parents. On the other hand, Eun-sook works in a bank in the city. She despises living in the village. Hye-won studied to become a teacher and she was engaged in a part-time job in between.

She left her house to live independently away from her mother, but the fast-paced life and the fast food habits of the city soon became unexciting. That is why she chose to leave city life and her boyfriend behind. Although she loved the serenity of her homeland, the nights were scary for her because of the uproar of wild animals from the forest nearby.

Bok-sun’s aunt arrives at her doorstep the next day. She is a neighbour of Hye-won. She talks about Hye-won’s mother and how she is no different from her mom’s character. Earlier, Hye-won used to live with her mother, but abruptly one day, she left Hye-won leaving a letter.

Even though she could not completely understand the letter, she was completely shattered but was determined to fight life. As the first step, she left the village and moved to the city for college. Afterwards, Bok-sun’s aunt invites Hye-won over for food. She devoured the delicious meals and when returned back home, saw Jae-ha standing with a cute puppy to gift her so that she would be safeguarded at night. Half-heartedly she received the puppy.

Eun-sook has a crush on Jae-ha. She shares it with Hye-won while preparing a rice cake, one night. Ja-hae is making a kennel for the dog. The three friends share the cake and have a nice talk. As they were leaving, Hye-won says that she is going back soon and that she does not need the puppy anymore, but Eun-sook cuts in and demands her to stay. Just like that, winter flies past and Eun-sook chooses to stay a little longer. The composure and harmony of village life made her reflect on herself and understand the virtue of her life.

The next season was spring and Hye-won decided to farm vegetables and other herbage. Hye-won tries her mother’s recipes and cooks different meals. She hangs out with Jae-ha and Eun-sook and loosens up one by one to regain her zealousness.

Together, they cultivated potatoes, tomatoes, different flowers, fruits and leafy vegetables. One night, Jae-ha opens up about his past relationship after fishing and listening to it unbolted the locks of Hye-won’s ambiguity about her relationship. That night she dialled her boyfriend and cleared the air after an open conversation. They break up the relationship and choose to remain friends.

Autumn season glides in and Hye-won is happy with her village life. One day, after withdrawing some money from her account, she comes across Eun-sook and they have a conversation about the latter’s feelings for Jae-ha. Hye-won advises her to not shut her feelings and to frankly talk to him. Eun-sook also plans to quit her job in the city and chooses to stay in the village. Things clear up and life passes, each day with new food and new experiences.

Hye-won leaves for the city after the rainy season without letting anybody know about her departure. Eun-sook and Jae-ha are a little angry at her but they carry on with their life. However, Hye-won returns the next spring completely wrapping up her city life.

Theme

The movie ‘Little Forest’ is an aesthetically pleasing visual treat. It encompasses the serenity of village life and the simplicity of relationships. Food and seasons are major backbones in portraying the story. As the movie progresses, the seasons change, implying the cycle of life.

Hye-won is an isolated soul, searching for answers to questions about herself. Lost in the vicious cycle of a banal life, she lost herself somewhere. The monotonous city life, its insipid convenience food and reclusive people have made her life flavourless. She left the village to find a life and at the end of the film, she returned to her village, which in reality helped her to regain her spirit.

Food is not just for the body, it also satisfies one’s soul. On her return to the village, Hye-won not only cures her unsatiated craving but also her need for warmth and self-introspection.

Awards

• 38th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards
  Top 11 Films – Little Forest
• 5th Korean Film Producers Association Awards
  Best Director – Yim Soon-rye
• 18th Director’s Cut Awards
  Best Actress – Kim Tae-ri
• 24th Chunsa Film Art Awards
  Best New Actress – Jin Ki-joo

  

Interesting facts about Little Forest

1. The filming of ‘Little Forest’ began on January 21, 2017, in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.
2. ‘Little Forest’ is the first film role of Jin Ki-joo.
3. The Japanese version of the movie is made into two films, Summer/Autumn and Winter/Spring.

FAQs

1. Who is the director of the movie ‘Little Forest’?
   Yim Soon-rye is the director of the movie.

2. When was the movie ‘Little Forest’ released?
   The movie was released on February 28, 2018.

3. What genre is the movie ‘Little Forest’?
   Romance and feel-good
4. What is the Instagram ID of Kim Tae-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol and Jin Ki-joo?kimtaeri_official – Kim Tae-ri, ryusdb – Ryu Jun-yeol, jinkijoo – Jin Ki-joo