Treeless Mountain: Let the Film Speak for Itself

Treeless Mountain was a great success. Thank you to all of our attendees. From everyone I talked to after the first screening it seems that the film was well accepted. A new film experience for many, Treeless Mountain's director So Yong Kim uses extreme close-ups for a greater part of the movie all without a soundtrack. I feel this leaves the audience with a very visceral experience.

There is no musical score to tell the viewer what to feel or just how the two little girls Jin and Bin are feeling. The audience is left with a mixture of beautiful shots and close-ups of the their faces as they increasingly have to come to terms with their own abandonment. A heartfelt and touching film, I felt challenged to interpret the transformation that inevitably comes with a child trying to cope with the world around them and find the emotional support of a parent. How difficult it is for a child when there is no one to hold them close and tell them it's going to be ok...[tear].I think the piggy bank over the course of the film sums up Jin's struggle; desperately doing what she can to fill the piggy bank and the promise of her mother's return, the reality that her mother is not coming back, and acceptance of the life with her grandparents. And ultimately Jin's newfound love for her grandmother as she offers the piggy bank to buy her grandma new shoes.

Observation: As the film progresses and the older girl Jin comes to terms with her situation, the camera seems to move away and reveal more panoramic shots. Watch the film and let me know if you agree. As always, comments welcome!

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-SDAFFNickOlas!