Film Awards
The 29th International Environmental Film Festival (2012,France)
The 12th Flahertiana International Documentary Film Festival (2012,Argentina)
The 10th Japan Wildlife Film Festival (2011,Japan)
The 4th Richmond International Film & Media Arts Festival (2011,Canada)
The 4th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, Opening Film (2011,India)
The 9th Transilvania International Film Festival (2010,Rumania)
The 6th Glasgow Film Festival (2010,Scotland)
The 7th Yilan Green International Film Festival, Opening film (2010,Taiwan)
The 7th Planete Doc Review Film Festival (2010,Poland)
Shanghai TV Festival, Asian Documentary Silver Award (2010,China)
The 16th Hot Docs Int'l Documentary Festival, Emerging Artist Award (2009,Canada)
The 7th SilverDocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival, Cinematic Vision Award (2009,USA)
The 56th Sydney International Film Festival (2009,Australia)
New Zealand International Film Festival (2009,New Zealand)
The 10th Calgary International Film Festival (2009,Canada)
The 4th Buddhist Filmfestival in Amsterdam (2009,The Netherlands)
The 6th International Vilnius Documentary Film Festival (2009,Lithuania)
VIENNALE - Vienna International Film Festival (2009,Austria)
The 2nd Tales from Planet Earth Environmental Film (2009,USA)
The 12th RIDM - Montreal International Documentary Film Festival (2009,Canada)
The 6th Syracuse International Film Festival (2009,USA)
The 29th Hawaii International Film Festival (2009,USA)
The 24th Mar del Plata International Film Festival (2009,Argentina)
The 10th San Diego Asian Film Festival (2009,USA)
The 52th Int’l Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (2009,Germany)
The 12th Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (2009,USA)
The 6th Green Film Festival in Seoul (2009,Korea)
The 25th Sundance Film Festival, World Documentary Competition (2009,USA)
The 7th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (2009,Hong Kong)
The 8th Asian Film Festival of Dallas (2009,USA)
The 20th Stokholm International Film Festival (2009,Sweden)
The 11th Sarasota Film Festival (2009,USA)
The 27th International Environmental Film Festival, egional Council’s Employees Jury Award (2009,France)
The 6th Austin Asian Film Festival (2009,USA)
Philadelphia Film Festival (2009,USA)
The 12th Cinemambiente Environmental Film Festival, Best Documentary Award (2009,Italy)
The 5th Riverside Int'l Film Festival (2009,USA)
The 34th Seoul Independent Film Festival, Audience Award (2008,Korea)
The 13th Busan International Film Festival (2008,Korea)
Synopsis
The story of 30-year companionship between a 40-year-old ox and an octogenarian
The Sound of the Cowbell
Neither time nor civilization can go against their companionship.
I’ll be with only you till the day I die!
Just stay by my side!
80 years old, CHOI has an old ox that has worked for 30 years, and an ox aged no less than 40.
However, there’s something special about the way Old CHOI treats this ox, which is so worn-out that it might drop dead any minute. The old man is single-mindedly focused on the ox, instinctively turning to the beast when he hears the cowbell even though he’s nearly deaf.
One spring day, however, Old CHOI learns that his ox only has a year to live, which greatly troubles him.
Director's Note
Do oxen really relate to their owners?
Seeing how oxen have become mere sources of meat nowadays, I wanted to prove the validity of this question.
If that’s possible, I’ll try to show, through that empathy, the various dialogues, facial expressions, and even conflicts between the ox and its master.
Not only that, but the movie will show in a single frame diverse relationships and stories, like in traditional Korean folk paintings, everything that happens when both external conditions (time and civilization) and other relationships (a young cow and Mrs. CHOI) that seek to sever this relationship of empathy between the ox and the old man intervene.
Here, the sound of the cowbell is a medium that allows the ox and its nearly deaf master to communicate and to empathize with each other and will function as a heartbeat, serving as a symbol and a metaphor for their very aliveness.
In other words, if and when the cowbell stops, that means that the mechanism for the empathy between the ox and the old man no longer works and that their relationship has come to its end.
In addition, the sound of the cowbell will function as a spell that awakens the home villages, fathers, and oxen of our childhoods, now dormant in our memories like fossils.
In that respect, this film will serve as yet another representation of the beautiful empathy between our oxen and our fathers and their moving dedication borne in the twilight of their lives, which may very well be the last of their kind in this age.
Director's Bio / Filmography
- LEE Chung-ryoul
Born in 1966, Korea.
Graduated from Korea University, Dept. of Education
Has been working as a TV station producer for 10 years
Selected filmography
2003 [Korean’s Code, The Sun and the Moon, Five Elements] HD, color, 55min., TV documentary
2005 [Two Presents Given by A Red Pig] HD, color, 60min., TV documentary
2008 [Talk to Korean Food] HD, color, 55min., TV documentary
[Old Partner] HD, color, 77min. .
12th Flahertiana International Documentary Film Festival (2012, Argentina)
29th Paris International Environment Film Festival (2012, France)
Opening Film, 4th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (2011, India)
10th Japan Wildlife Film Festival (2011, Japan)
4th Richmond International Film & Media Arts Festival (2011, Canada)
23rd Pacific Rim Film Festival (2010, USA)
Asian Documentary Silver Award, Shanghai TV Festival (2010, China)
9th Transilvania International Film Festival (2010, Rumania)
7th Planete Doc Review Film Festival (2010, Poland)
Opening film, 7th Yilan Green International Film Festival (2010, Taiwan)
6th Glasgow Film Festival (2010, Scotland)
20th Stockholm International Film Festival (2009, Sweden)
6th Austin Asian American Film Festival (2009, USA)
Regional Council’s Employees Jury Award, 27th Int'l Environmental Film Festival Paris (2009, France)
12th RIDM - Montreal International Documentary Film Festival (2009, Canada)
24th Mar Del Plata International Film Festival (2000, Argentina)
52nd International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (2009, Germany)
12th Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival (2009, USA)
2nd Tales from Planet Earth Environmental Film Festival (2009, USA)
VIENNALE - Vienna International Film Festival (2009, Austria)
10th San Diego Asian Film Festival (2009, USA)
6th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (2009, HongKong)
29th Hawaii International Film Festival (2009, USA)
6th International Vilnius Documentary Film Festival (2009, Lithuania)
Best Documentary Award, 12th Cinemambiente Environmental Film Festival (2009, Italy)
4th Buddhist Filmfestival in Amsterdam (2009, The Netherlands)
10th Calgary International Film Festival (2009, Canada)
8th Asian Film Festival of Dallas (2009, USA)
New Zealand International Film Festival (2009, New Zealand)
6th Green Film Festival in Seoul (2009, Korea)
56th Sydney International Film Festival (2009, Australia)
Cinematic Vision Award, 7th SilverDocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival (2009, USA)
Emerging Artist Award, 16th Hot Docs Int'l Documentary Festival (2009, Canada)
6th Syracuse Int'l Film and Video Festival (2009, USA)
5th Riverside Int'l Film Festival (2009, USA)
11th Sarasota Film Festival (2009, USA)
Philadelphia Cinefest (2009, USA)
World Documentary Competition, Sundance Film Festival (2009, USA)
Audience Award, 34th Seoul Independent Film Festival (2008, Korea)
PIFF Mecenat Award (Best Documentary), 13th Pusan Int’l Film Festival (2008, Korea)
Staff
Director/Editing : LEE Chung-ryoul
Production : Studio Nurimbo
Producer : GOH Young-jae
Cinematography : JI Jae-woo
Lighting : JOO Won-gyeong/ LEE Il-hwa
Composer :HEO Hoon/ MIN So-yun
Mixing : KIM Soo-duk
Recording : JUNG Il-gwon
Cast
CHOI Won-kyun as himself (old man)
LEE Sam-soon as herself (old man’s wife)
