<Spring in My Hometown>

Director : Lee Kwang-mo
Starring : Lee In, Ahn Seong-ki, Bae Yu-jeong, Song Ok-suk, Yoo Oh-seong
Location Sites : Imsil, Jeollabuk Province

Film Information

Director Lee Kwangmo took 10 years to complete <Spring in My Hometown>, a movie dealing with the Korean War period. The main plot is the life of a boy named Sungmin and his view of adults trying to continue life with what is remains after the Korean War. Rather than dealing with the historic facts of the Korean War itself, this movie depicts the emotions of the post-war generation during that time. Thus, the movie views the historic tragedy in a very contemplative, nostalgic way. The movie's beautiful images explain why those days that everyone remembers as miserable, were in fact beautiful. Rather than a memory of the Korean War, <Spring in My Hometown> indirectly reflects the war through the memories of the post-war generation. Other Korean War movies opt to directly show painful experiences and suffering associated with the bloody conflict; in contrast, <Spring in My Hometown> shows the emotional side of this painful period through the filter of experience that is in the past. In that sense, this movie deals with history yet is not historic because the experience of the Korean War and its aftermath is still an ongoing situation.



Synopsis

Seongmin's elder sister Youngsuk, who is dating an American Army officer, helps their father, Mr. Choi, get a job at the U.S military base. The family's living conditions improve as the days go by. On the other hand, Changhui's mother (Seongmin's neighbor) awaits her husband, who was mobilized in the volunteer corps two years ago, enduring life with two young children.

To help Changhui's mother, Mr. Choi, arranges for her to wash the soldiers' underwear. But all the underwear is stolen. With no way to compensate for the lost laundry, Changhui's mother receives a request for a one-night stand at the old mill. Meanwhile, Seongmin and Changhui wonder the village in search of fun and they discover that the old mill is the place where soldiers and prostitutes meet.

Since then, the children hide behind the mill sneaking peeks at the illicit activities. One day, Seongmin and Changhui see Changhui's mother with a soldier. The old mill is burned down for no appropriate reason and Changhui disappears without a word.

Location of Shooting

Lee Kwangmo exerted special effort in selecting the filming location for this movie. According to him, the entire staff searched the entire country for approximately seven months. This was in order to look for a spot that had no trace of modernization to visualize the time of the Korean War. There is a story that they even had to cut down an electric pole before shooting. Thus, the scenes are quite beautiful, especially the uncontaminated areas of Cheondamri and Gudamril around the Seomjin River are secluded villages with beautiful scenery without any tourists.

In addition to Imsil, the cottages in the movie were filmed in Suncheon. These cottages were made for sightseeing purposes, thus giving a hint of artificiality. The riverbank in the poster of <Spring in My Hometown> is Hahwoe Village in Andong and some scenes were filmed in Gochang, North Jeolla Province.

General Information

The two villages, Cheondamri and Gudamri, along the Seomjin River in Imsil are truly 'uncontaminated areas.' The field of reeds along the river provides another scenic view. The water mill, an important setting in the movie, collapsed after the filming of the movie but its ruins remain. In Gudamri, a small village of only 6~7 households, there is a small lot surrounded by giant trees, serving as a resting place for the locals.

Directions

No. 22 National Highway - No 21. National Higway from Jeongeup towards Jeonju - No. 30 National Highway from Taeheung - take a left at Gangjin Intersection to No. 27 National Highway - Mt. Hwimun Natural Forest Resort - Duji Village - Sagok Village - Gagok Village
Cheondamri is located right past the bridge along No. 49 National Highway. Pass the bridge and make a left, go straight for 2 km and you will find a small village with 6~7 households. This is Gudamri.

Nearby Attractions

Saseondae
Saseondae is one of the top tourist attractions in Imsil, with a continuing flow of tourists throughout the year. Owon Stream flows under Saseondae, surrounded by dense pine forests. The name Saseondae originates from a legend of four immortals, four fairies and a flock of crows.

Egrets of Imsil
The flock of egrets around the mountains of Imsil is rare scenery not to be missed. Designated and protected as a nature preserve, egrets fly here around Groundhog's Day and later return south. The birds nest in a pine forest of 16,500 square meters. Reaching almost 4,000 just 10 years ago, the number of egrets has greatly decreased to just 500 in recent years.