Sisyphus’ Sigma: A Look into Mental Illness
This weekend’s films are touching human stories based on real events. Prepare your tissues because you’ll be needing them.
A special mention to irilight for recommending the first two movies.
Marathon
Country: South Korea Year: 2005 Genre: Family, Sports
The cause of autism is still unknown and therefore ways of treatment are only experiments. When nobody can delve into the autistic child’s mind, what can their family do? Marathon narrates the story of an autistic child afraid of being abandoned and trying to the best of his abilities to fit. His mother who, in her search of a way to co-exist with autism, hurts herself, her family and her child. His coach who has lived aimlessly until he meets the miraculous boy. A touching tale with a realistic narrative. No, it’s not easy. And yes, even the loving mother can think of giving up at times and might lose track of others. Parents are not superhumans and they do get tired. Having one disabled child and neglecting the other just because he isn’t, happens. Obsession with your child because it’s you who wants to survive is probable. The mother is human and the child is. Marathon understands, appreciates and comforts.
As One
Country: South Korea Year: 2012 Genre: Drama, Sports
When the only divided country in the world is Korea, the tries for unification prove futile every time. But in 1991, Korea did unify under a ping-pong team. The film narrates the sentimental tale of the unified team, under the scrutinising eyes of politicians, the cultural differences and years of enmity. The moment one dream evolves all, everything else melts away.
As One brings to the surface the often forgettable and insolvable issue of total loss of communication between the people of the two countries. I found myself feeling for them, cheering, waiting, worrying and crying. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
Our Heaven
Country: South Korea Year: 2013 Genre: Drama, Family, Life
Oh the endless tears!
Set in a hospice, the film sheds a different light on death. It is hard. It is painful. And it is difficult to accept. But accepting the inevitability of death doesn’t necessarily mean giving up. Trying to feel alive in every single moment before death is for some people better than spending the last days of someone’s life on death bed. The film narrates tales of people who accepted their early death and tried to make up for the lost time. Completely touching and derives a million tears.
