Logline
A couple who have lived together for 76 years faces the last moment of their marriage. And, the wife prepares the death of her husband for the next life.
Synopsis
There is a 200 years old house by the riverside, and a couple who have lived together for 76 years.
Mr. Byong-man Jo is 98 years old, but still strong enough to carry lots of firewood. He is so playful that sometimes makes his wife cry. When he cleans the garden, he is prone to splash leaves on his wife. When it snows, he starts a snowball fight. When his wife does the laundry at the small stream, he likes pouring water on her. The wife, Mrs. Gye-Yeul Kang is 89 years old. She still cooks three meals a day for her husband and had never fed him a cold meal.
They wear Korean traditional cloths all the time, go to the aged college twice a week, go to market every five days, go for a picnic with neighbors, and enjoy dance parties. They are still young.
Recently, he is getting weak day by day, and sleeps a lot. When she wakes him up for a meal, he acts irritated and speaks ill of her. This changes make her scary, frightened and lonely. She thinks he is trying to make her dislike him because it's about time to pass away.
She often looks at the river in silence. 40 years ago, they moved here across the river, and when their 6 sons and daughters got married, they went across the river. Her husband will go across the river one day leaving her behind.
Protagonists
There live a couple who are known as ‘100-year-old lovebirds’. The husband is 98 years old, and the wife is 89 years old. Since 1938, they have lived together for 76 years. They dearly love each other wearing Korean traditional clothes all the time, and still fall asleep hand in hand. As fairy tale's characters, the husband is strong like a woodman, and the wife is full of charms like a princess. Even now, they express their mind passionately drawing a heart over their head, and say 'I love you'.
About 80 years ago, he was hired as a house worker for her parents who run a small smithy. Her parents let them get married to make use of him as a worker without paying money. It was great chance for 24-year-old man who lost his parents very young and has no place to stay. But, at the same time, it was a disaster for a 15-year-old girl.
Actually, it was not that strange to get married in early teenage at that time, but he understood her. He just stayed around her without any physical contact for over 3 years. She is still deeply grateful to him for that.
They had 12 children, but lost 6 of them by measles. It still makes them weep very often.
Nowadays, the husband has big difficulties in hearing and conversation with his wife. He goes to hospital very often. Quietly and like a thief, the 'death' sit between them.
Key Creative Personnel
Moyoung Jin
Director / Cinematographer
He has been making various type of documentaries for Korean Broadcasters since 1997. As a producer, director, and creator, he participated in many films like <50 Days with Narcotics Investigation Officers>, <Pioneer Resource Field>, <The Life of Papers>, <Urban Pigeons’ Dream of Coexistence>, <Mud Flat of Winter>, <Asian Primitive Tribe Expedition Trilogy>, <Eriyan Jaya Trilogy>, <Romantic Korea> and so on.
In 2012, he produced a feature film <Shiva, throw your life> which is directed by Seongkyu Lee whose “My barefoot friend” was nominated to IDFA 2010.
My Love, Don't Cross That River is his first feature-length documentary film as the director.
Kyungsoo Han
Producer
Since 1999, he has produced and directed numerous documentaries about Korean society, religion, culture, and people. Nowadays, he mainly focuses on working as a producer with prominent Korean filmmakers to introduce Korean documentaries to all over the world, which are <With or Without You>, <Red Painter>, and <My Love, Don’t Cross That River>.