A Korean filmmaker journeys to a small rural town in Japan, Gojo with his assistant director Mijung who interprets for him. The film is in two parts whereby the first tells the story of the filmmaker’s encounters with interesting people of Gojo, while the second unravels a fictional tale inspired by the accounts in the first one. Presented in black and white documentary style, part 1 introduces a civil servant, a former big city salesman in his middle-ages who returned to his hometown, and an elderly lady who lives in the countryside near Gojo. In part 2, the female assistant director and the male civil servant in part 1 each reappear as a tourist visiting Gojo, and a persimmon farmer. Shot in color, part 2 shows how the man and woman become acquainted with each other as they walk and talk on the road, making it seem that the characters and stories of part 1 construct the encounters part 2 as fate. Cinematography is simple as it captures the romance between a Korean woman and a Japanese man in a foreign place. It's a Japan-Korea co-produced fantasy comprised of two separate stories that take place in Nara. Edit Translation
- English
- magyar / magyar nyelv
- dansk
- Norsk
- Native Title: 한여름의 판타지아
- Also Known As: ひと夏のファンタジア , Hitonatsu no Fantasia ,
- Screenwriter & Director: Jang Kun Jae
- Genres: Romance, Fantasy
Where to Watch A Midsummer's Fantasia
Cast & Credits
- Kim Sae ByeokHye JeongMain Role
- Im Hyung GukTae HoonMain Role
Reviews
The first part of the film is a documentary piece about the town Gojo City, where a tour guide and tourists see the sights and the residents of the city, who have their tales of their experiences in the town, mostly about love. While it was initially boring (and I can see others thinking the same), it sets up the second part that’s a pure fictional piece that resembles some of the stories we’ve heard before. Kim Sae-byuk and Iwase Ryo fall for each other but Kim Sae-byuk has to return to Korea, return to her unhappy relationship, leading to one of the saddest goodbye kisses you can see in indie cinema.