Everglow (2021)
Genre : Drama
Runtime : 1H 35M
Director : So Joon-moon
Synopsis
Everglow begins with the cute struggle of Kyung-hoon (Ji Hyun-woo), who visited Jeju to make a documentary about Jin-ok (Ko Doo-sim), a female diver. Kyunghoon’s work becomes a sincere mission for the souls buried in the deep sea and mountains.
The sudden death of her mother brings Myung-eun back home to Jeju island. There she meets her estranged sister Myung-ju and Myung-ju's daughter Seung-ah, still living at their old home, and Hyun-ah who has lived with them for over 20 years like a relative. A career woman whose hard exterior masks her illegitimacy and abandonment issues, Myung-eun tells Hyun-ah she wants to start looking for her father after the funeral. Single-minded in her desire to dig up memories of her father and discover why he left, Myung-eun resents that Myung-ju, who like their mother is a carefree fish trader and an unmarried mother of a young daughter, seemingly doesn't care. At first Myung-ju is reluctant to accompany Myung-eun, but after Hyun-ah persuades her, guilt and her sense of duty as an older sibling prevails. And so the two sisters who are dissimilar in character...
In Jeju Province, located off the southern coast of Korea, are the women of the sea, those who hold breath for life. These women still exist and they still dive the old way, without tanks. They go into the waters of 10- to 20-meter depth to harvest seaweed and shellfish to make a living. They make a living in the same sea, but each haenyeo’s sea of life is different. The community is divided into three tiers- Group A, B and C, based on skills and capabilities. One’s rank is determined by sum or breath. Sum, is pre-determined at birth. Therefore, sum is desired. However, the ocean is harsh. May you desire! But seek what is not yours, the ocean will devour you. Life, for these women of the sea, is about holding one’s breath, and containing and controlling one’s desire. The film is a six year record of the lives of the haenyeos in Udo, an islet in the province of Jeju, known to be the birthplace of haenyeo. It is a close look into the lives that stand on the boundary of life and death.
Three friends from college are now on the brink of turning 40. To attend a funeral on Jeju Island, they go on an unexpected trip as a getaway and wind up at a guest house, where water shimmers, wind blows, and pretty women are seductive, inviting the trio back to their 20s.
Jeongbong and Seong-hye run a guesthouse on Jeju Island. On one late summer day, Seong-hye’s ex-boyfriend and Jeongbong’s former female colleague visit the guesthouse, and the complicated romances of four individuals starts to unfold.
Min-soo is about to get married when his fiancée suddenly admits that she is allergic to dogs. Now the guy's best friend, the golden retriever Rooney, needs a new family. With the help of his cousin and social media, Min-soo starts looking for a new home for Rooney.
This is the story of Sook-ja (Moon Hee-kyung), a female diver in the beautiful Jeju Islands who has lived a tough life, and her childish son Yool (Yeon Joon). Young man Yool dreams of becoming a writer. One day he discovers his mother, Sook-ja, has terminal cancer, but she refuses to get treated and continues diving in the water. Yool gives up his dreams as a writer and goes to his brother-in-law to ask for a job just so he can change his mother's mind. One evening, Yool comes home drunk and upset. Sook-ja can't bear the sudden pain and wakes up her drunken son.
A man on a bike trip across the country gets killed in an accident. His lover, So-wol, moves to the island where he died and settles down. 3 years later, the couple’s close friend, Cheol, pays her a surprise visit. Staying at her place, he goes fishing or ventures out looking for a particular lighthouse. Slowly, without knowing, the seemingly mundane daily life of island mends their broken heart.
An assassin named Tae-goo is offered a chance to switch sides with his rival Bukseong gang, headed by Chairman Doh. Tae-goo rejects the offer that results in the murder of his sister and niece. In revenge, Tae-goo brutally kills Chairman Doh and his men and flees to Jeju Island where he meets Jae-yeon, a terminally ill woman. Though, the henchman of the Bukseong gang, Executive Ma is mercilessly hunting Tae-goo to take revenge.
Old man, Moon-ho, spends his time masturbating because of Alzheimer. Yoon-jeong works as
caretaker for Moon-ho. One day, Yoon-jeong finds Moon-ho completely recovered from dementia…
Second-generation migrant worker, Soo is released after receiving probation and community service sentence for his use of violence. Along with his friend Pil-sung, he ends up working as brokers for illegal migrant workers. While fulfilling his community service duty, he meets surfers. Soo falls in love with surfing as the surfers Ddong-ggo and Hae-na teach him how to surf.
Yeong-joo, a former synchronized swimming athlete goes to Jeju Island to put together a synchronized swimming team for a performance. She slowly befriends the haenyeo, or female divers, and gradually begins to fit into their way of life.
Yu-jeong who works golf practice is in her late twenties. One day, she receive the shocking news that Sang-ho who is only family and one young brother deserted from his regiment...
Five years after the all-out war between the Sanno and Hanabishi crime families, former yakuza boss Otomo works in South Korea for Mr. Chang, a noted fixer. When tensions rise between Chang and the Hanabishi, and Chang's life is endangered, Otomo returns to Japan to settle things once and for all.
It's been 4 years graduating college. What am I doing? I am unemployed. With a hope of being healed, I've decided to getaway to Jeju Island and am on board SeWol ship. Once I arrive at the island after 13 hours of traveling, my heart was broken by witnessing painful seizure of local people's hearts due to the brutal governmental policy on the construction of Naval base. This film follows vividly the fate of fragile persons and nature suppressed by the government's ridiculous decisions. The story is told by Mira.
This is a record of people who face up to the big change.
Gangjeong Village, located at the southernmost part of Jeju Island's Seogwipo City, is in the true sense a 'breathtaking land of water.' In this film, eight directors independently yet collaboratively orchestrate a clever and humorous "mission" at this place where the groundwork for building a naval military base is in progress.
A married poet meets a teenage boy working at a donut shop and helplessly develops feelings for him.
Focusing on Mrs. Kang Sang-hee’s life, she lost her husband in the Jeju Uprising (March 3rd, 1948). The film views the dark-side of Jeju Island, a huge grave, which is completely opposite of the other side of the island, the famous tourist attraction. It says that the tragedy has been going on about the recent Gang-jeong village situation.
Yong-pil gives up his dream of becoming a singer after an accident at a village in Jeju-do. This film depicts the hilarious conflict among Yong-pil, Bbong-ttol, dancer Kim, and Samchuni who follow him and the routine lives of villagers.