There is a grave under the shade of trees whose leaves are a deep summer green. The director happened to find this grave of a young man who sacrificed his life at the June 3rd demonstrations forty years ago, and conceived a plan to make a film about him. As we can guess from the memorial shown in the beginning of the film, many of those who witnessed his death at that time promised to remember him and to cherish his memory forever. But forty years later the memory of hi...more

There is a grave under the shade of trees whose leaves are a deep summer green. The director happened to find this grave of a young man who sacrificed his life at the June 3rd demonstrations forty years ago, and conceived a plan to make a film about him. As we can guess from the memorial shown in the beginning of the film, many of those who witnessed his death at that time promised to remember him and to cherish his memory forever. But forty years later the memory of his death has disappeared without trace. On the way back and forth between Seoul and Chungju, the director has conversations with the ghost of this young man. But in the splendid sunshine and the deep green shade of the trees, their conversations sounds pale and sad. It seems that there is something missing. The hot sun and the luxuriant foliage of the trees rather look like a surrealistic scenery that weighs heavily upon the flesh of the dead youth. How could it be this bright? How could it be this green and feign innocence as if nothing had happened? When forty years ago and our present time clash and confront each other, we cant help but think over life and death again and again. Are we alive?
There is anger and a feeling of guilt about the shallowness of our present time that has forgotten what should be remembered. But for all that, the film says that there is still time to ask forgiveness. In this painful and mythological journey, we can find a thread of will to live even in this superficial world. (MAEN Soo-jin)
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