Saengil

Sewol is one of the biggest disasters of our time for Koreans, and traces of it are still recalled "everywhere". I confess I have no idea how many films based on this tragedy have been made, but this one says it all. It doesn't tell the story of that day (that would be unbearable in my opinion), but it does focus on the bereaved family, and it does so in a way that is both very sensitive and very raw. I felt like I was really watching one unhappy family who would like to keep living and functioning, but without one of their own, they simply can’t, and it doesn't seem fair either. It's an incredible struggle for each of them, and it's almost impossible for the viewer not to cry with them. I very much hope that the film will eventually find an audience here, because it definitely deserves attention. (15.11.2019)