Hwal (2005)

Director:

Ki-duk Kim

Writer:

Ki-duk Kim (writer)

Release Date:

12 May 2005 (South Korea)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A girl who thought the sea was the whole world became the whole world to one old man.

Plot:

On a fishing boat at sea, a 60-year old man has been raising a girl since she was a baby. It is agreed that they will get married on her 17th birthday, and she is 16 now. They live a quiet and secluded life, renting the boat to day fishermen and practicing strange divination rites. Their life changes when a teenage student comes aboard...

Plot Keywords:

Boat | Fishing | Sea | Old Man | Bow And Arrow

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Yeo-reum Han	...	The young girl (as Han Yeo-reum)
Si-jeok Seo	...	The student
Gook-hwan Jeon	...	The student's father
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Seong-hwang Jeon	...	Old Man (no name)
Seok-hyeon Jo	...	Third Man

Directed by
Ki-duk Kim

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ki-duk Kim		writer

Produced by
Yong-gyu Kang	....	co-producer
Ki-duk Kim	....	producer
Michiko Suzuki	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Eun-il Kang

Cinematography by
Seong-back Jang

Film Editing by
Ki-duk Kim

Production Design by
Sol Art Chung

Costume Design by
Kyung-mi Kim

Makeup Department
Ki-sun Kim	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Seok-bin Jang	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hun Jang	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Hyun-soo Jeung	....	sound

Music Department
Eun-il Kang	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Joyce Kirkconnell	....	driver

Production Companies

• Happinet Pictures
• Kim Ki-Duk Film

Distributors

• 1More Film (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2005-2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Happinet (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• TFM Distribution (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alfa Films (2006) (Argentina) (all media)
• Bir Film (2005) (Turkey) (all media)
• Dolmen Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD) (boxed set)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2008) (USA) (all media)
• Palisades-Tartan Acquisitions (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Tartan Video USA (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Tartan Video (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• HFR  dailies

Also Known As:

The Bow (USA) (festival title)

Runtime:

France:90 min | Canada:88 min (Montréal Film Festival) | Argentina:90 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

South Korea | Japan

Language:

Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Hungary:14 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | Mexico:B15

Company:

Happinet Pictures

Old School Kim Ki-Duk

I must confess I am a huge Kim Ki-Duk fan, and have loved every one of his films. In my opinion Ki-Duk has directed 4 absolute masterpieces of modern cinema, Bad Guy, 3 Iron, The Isle, and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. Each of these films has gone some way to changing the shape, scope, style or accepted boundaries of modern cinema.

The Bow, however does not go to these lengths, but instead falls into the category of Ki-Duk's more eclectic and arguably more mainstream works like the Birdcage Inn or Samaria. This is by no means a bad thing as these are also great films in their own right.

Much like 3 Iron, the Bow has very little dialog, and much of the emotion is conveyed solely by glances, gestures or actions. This makes the film both more and less commercially acceptable to western audiences.

The Bow has re-confirmed Kim Ki-Duk as a modern cinematic maverick, an uncompromisingly original and visionary director.