Trees Stand on Slope

Adapted from Hwang Sun-won's novel of the same name, this film looks at the aftermath of the Korean War from an altogether different perspective. Like The General's Mustache, Trees Stand on Slope also deals with a suspicious death—that of a young man named Dongho. Jangsook, Dongho's fiancée, has doubts about how he died, even though an investigation by the army has concluded it was a suicide. Jangsook returns again and again to Dongho's friend, Hyuntae, trying to find out exactly what happened, but Hyuntae, reluctant to reveal the truth and relive the painful memories, tries to ignore her pleas. A meditation on the nature of existence, Trees Stand on Slope explores themes related to corruption, guilt, anger, trauma, and a reality that can only be described as suffocating. The film marked the directorial debut of Choi Ha-won, who had previously worked as an assistant director for well-known filmmaker Lee Seong-gu. (Busan International Film Festival)