By Honorary Reporter Miangola Ramanoelina from Madagascar
Illustration = Miangola Ramanoelina

The Korean General Consulate in Milan, Italy, on April 2 launched an event to stream for free the 2018 Korean film "Little Forest." Though I usually prefer crime and mystery movies, I was amazed by the performances of actors Kim Tae-ri and Ryu Jun-yeol in their earlier works, so I decided to see this film after finding out that they were in it.

The story of a protagonist returning to his or her hometown is a cliche in cinema, and "Little Forest" is no different. Yet the movie is surprisingly compelling as the story develops over the four seasons instead of just spring or summer as the protagonist Hye-won finds her purpose. 

The following are my three reasons for recommending this film.

Mouth-watering dishes
A big reason Hye-won returns to the countryside is food. In Seoul, she always eats instant food while never getting full, but in her hometown, she consumes meals made from ingredients she cultivates or harvests from the forest nearby. As the plot spans a year-long period, viewers get a glimpse of unique yet delicious dishes that she eats each season as well as in her childhood.

True friendship
The food shows parts of Hye-won's childhood but what happened to her in Seoul is told through conversations with her two best friends, Eun-sook and Jae-ha, who play a huge part in Hye-won's growth. Eun-sook can see right through Hye-won and describes her as "a salary passing through a bankbook." Jae-ha, on the other hand, is like a role model to the protagonist since he finds a purpose in life.

Self-love
Hye-won flees from hardship in Seoul and returns to her rural village. She has always wanted to leave the capital and but opts not to tell anyone she has returned to her hometown due to a traumatic incident that made her leave in the first place. She later realizes, however, that leaving was for the better as she learns of things more important than pride. After watching this film, I could understand why its title was "Little Forest."

enny0611@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.