Plot: Jung-won is stricken with a terminal illness and he doesn't have much time left. As his days become more limited, Jun-won takes it slow and enjoys life in all it's glorious aspects. One day, a parking-meter maid comes in and makes small talk with Jun-won. The small talks slowly become more personal and a relationship flourishes between the two. However, Jung-won, knowing his limited time, refuses to let Darim get too close. He knows that the relationship would take more time than he has left. Through his remaining days, he bonds with his family, friends, and most of all, Darim.
Awards and nominations: 1998 - Blue Dragon Award, Best Film 1998 - Flanders International Film Festival, FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention, Jin-ho Hur - For its quiet and sublty detailed way of telling the story of a man facing death and thus rejecting the love and life, proposed to him by a young woman. 1998 - Pusan International Film Festival, FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention, Jin-ho Hur - For its unusually delicate and touching way of treating a love story about fate, love and death. 1999 - Singapore International Film Festival, Nominated, Silver Screen Award - Best Asian Feature Film, Jin-ho Hur 1998 - Vancouver International Film Festival, Won, Dragons and Tigers Award - Special Citation, Jin-ho Hur 1999 - Verona Love Screens Film Festival, Nominated, Best Film, Jin-ho Hur
«Despite the superlatives that usually accompany this film, CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST was a disappointment. Actually, my complaint is with the protagonist. Okay, so he was wearing the mask, laughing away when he should have been crying. Okay, so he did not dare let anyone know about his terminal illness (when he found out that it was such). Okay, maybe he wanted to spare Da-rim's feelings. (Did he, though? I never did find out what he wrote in that final letter to her.) Herein lies the problem, and it is not an artistic quibble, but rather a philosophical disagreement of such vehemence that it caused me to dislike the entire film.»
[KFCC], reviw by JoE Shiehsource:
http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/drama/christmasinaugust/christmasinaugust.html
«CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST tackles one of the hardest aspects of life and gives it a somber beauty. Death isn't something to fear, but to embrace. Whether it be Jung-won sharing laughs with his friends or sharing a tender moment with his family, every aspect of Jung-won's life is relatable to our own. With the time he has left, he enjoys the everyday things most of us take for granted. These everyday things are enough to fulfill his inner needs. This film deserves every bit of praise it gets and teaches us a great lesson: Choose life, not death. »
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Christmas in August
