Najeneun deopgo bameneun chupgo

Tender and quietly cutting, NAJENEUN DEOPGO BAMENEUN CHUPGO is the second feature by South Korean filmmaking couple Park Song-yeol and Won Hyangra. An unadorned drama with hints of deadpan, nearly absurd comedy – directed by Park and co-written by the pair, who also play the roles of the two leads and handled editing duties – the narrative follows a couple struggling to make ends meet over several months. A quietly cumulative film of minutiae, we watch the two apply for and stumble through small jobs, clip coupons, discuss overdue bills, overextend credit cards, justify splurges they can’t afford and exchange stashed-away foreign currency. Eventually, the demands are enough to rupture the couple’s sense of solidarity and shared responsibility, forcing them into secret loans and arrangements that risk upsetting the few elements of stability they can count on. Shot in parks, cars and apartments with an economy of scale appropriate to the narrative, NAJENEUN DEOPGO BAMENEUN CHUPGO acutely captures the feeling of a hand-to-mouth existence and announces the arrival of two inspiring new voices in Korean independent cinema. (Jesse Cumming)

Park Song-yeol, born in 1981 in Seongnam, South Korea. He studied film. His debut film Ga kkeum gureum was released in 2018. Najeneun deopgo bameneun chupgo is his second feature-length work.

Production Won Hyang-ra. Production company Saranghaja (Seoul, Republic of Korea). Director Park Song-yeol. Written by Park Song-yeol, Won Hyang-ra. Cinematography Park Song-yeol. Editing Park Song-yeol, Won Hyang-ra. Sound design Park Song-yeol. Sound Park Song-yeol, Ryu Han-gyu. Casting Won Hyang-ra. Executive producer Won Hyang-ra. Co-producer Park Song-yeol. With Won Hyang-ra, Park Song-yeol, Shin Won-woo, Lee Ji-yeon, Son Min-hui, Lee Tae-ri, Kim Hyo-jin, Seo Chul.

Films: 2013: Bam gwa kkum / Night and Dreams (16 min.). 2018: Ga kkeum gureum / Can We Just Love (70 min.). 2021: Najeneun deobgo bameneun chubgo / Hot in Day, Cold at Night (90 min.).