<To the Starry Island>

Director : Park kwang-Su
Starring : Ahn Seong-ki, Moon Seong-keun, Shim Hye-jin, Ahn So-young
Location Sites : Guiseong-ri, Imhye-myeon, Jindo-gun, Jeollanam Province

Film Information

The fourth movie by director Park Gwangsu, <To the Starry Island> is adapted from the novel of the same title and <Gokdu sports day> by Im Cheolu. It deals with a tragic event on an isolated island during the Korean War. The tragedy of early modern and contemporary Korean history is a primary theme of this movie as in other movies by Park.



Synopsis

Following his father's wishes to be buried on an island, the son, Mun Jaegu, heads for an island with a funeral bier decorated with flowers. Coming nearer to the island, he is violently blocked by the islanders. Jaegu lands on the island alone and his friend Kim Cheol looks back on his childhood. Four women and an incident one summer night when the Korean War broke out: angry Neobdodaek, having lost her daughter; Beolddeoknyeo, a nymphomaniac; Eobsun who helped Kim Cheol meet the spirit of his dead mother; and Ongnim, who drove away her old bridegroom (after being forced to marry him by the women of the village) on her wedding night playing with the kids and breastfeeding Kim Cheol when he fainted. When the armed North Korean soldiers begin to search for the traitor, the islanders consider the circumstances as a strategem by Deokbae, Mun Jaegu's father, who was driven out of the island.

Location of Shooting

In the first scene of <To the Starry Island>, there appears a coast where the bier boat approaches the islanders. This is the Gwiseong-ri coast. The villagers suffer severe trauma from the Korean War and oppose Mun Deokbae's attempts to land the boat, who is trying to bury his father in his hometown according to his last wishes. In the last scene of the movie, the bier boat is burned at sea, failing to land on the island. The last scene was also shot off the coast of Gwiseong-ri. Other scenes were shot on a small island, Jagae-do, south of Bogil-do and at a folk-village Naganeupseong.

General Information

Gwiseong-ri coast is a relatively unknown, quiet, semi-circular pebble beach. It is situated to the south of the island, 30 minutes by car from downtown Jindo. The beauty of the picturesque horizon changes depending on a variety of weather conditions. The beauty of the coast is beyond description. There are many travelers in Jindo but few visit Gwiseong-ri beach. The untouched beauty of nature is preserved and the villagers are generous.

Directions

You can go to Bogil-do by boat from either Wando Port Passengers' Terminal (063-352-0117) or Ddangggeunmaeul Wharf (063-433-4269). There are boats for Jagae-do via Soan-do from Bogil-do on an irregular basis, so you should inquire for the departure time in advance.

Nearby Attractions

Jagae Island
Many big and small islands are scattered around Wan-do on the south coast on the map. Bogil-do is to the south of Wan-do, and Jagae-do, which looks like a small spot on the map, is below. Jagae-do differs from other islands in the color of the sea. The endless wave of jade green imparts a lasting impression.