Sometimes lives cross paths briefly, just the duration of a season, and yet the mark that is left can be powerful and life-changing. “Between The Seasons” is a snapshot of one of those life crossroads.
“Between The Seasons” is screening at Queer East Film Festival
Hae-soo (Rie Young-zin) is a shy and quiet woman who has just relocated from Seoul to a new city and opened a café. There is an air of mystery around her and it is obvious that she is trying to start afresh and rebuild a “new” life, far from what it might have been a painful past. Her little café' is a bright and tidy spot, if maybe a bit impersonal, and serves a good cup of coffee. One of her first clients, the lively and coffee-addicted high-schooler Ye-jin (Yoon Hye-ri) soon becomes a regular and her unrestrained sense of initiative lands her a part time job at the café. Pressed by her parents for school results and bored with her vacuous school friends, Ye-jin's job becomes her own little secret and happy retreat. Together with Hae-soo they would visit and research other trendy cafes to elaborate a new, cosier look for their place and Ye-jin's ability in craft work blossoms – literally – in a joyful explosion of springy pink branches on the wall of the place. The friendship between the two women slowly turns warmer until Ye-jin realises to be in love with Hae-soo.
However, on the other side Hae-soo fails to acknowledge what is happening (or probably she chooses not to) as she is battling with her own demons and memories and trying to find small moments of serenity in the courtship of the gawky man (Kim Young-min) who runs the phone shop nearby. Ye-jin's confession about her feelings for Hae-soo and Hae-soo's reveal about her past is heart-breaking for both, but Spring is over, and life must go on.
Kim Junsik's 2018 debut and – so far – his only feature, is a gentle tale about gender, the importance of being truthful to ourselves and others and the beginning of a journey to discovery which is sparkled by a fortuitous encounter and that inevitably will continue beyond that blossoming season. The two protagonists are going through two very different moments of their lives and understandably, have a contrasting approach to their difficulties, but they share a longing for self-acceptance and freedom and their brief connection will act as a cathartic element.
The environment in which the two women move and struggle shows clearly what they are battling against and it's an effective portrayal of the prejudices surrounding lgbtq+ issues. Ye-jin's parents are opportunistically interested only to their daughter's school grades and fail to notice any other discomfort that may afflicts their daughter. Moreover, the school environment and peers are hostile to all those “abnormal” behaviours leading to bully-ism and exclusion. On her side, Hae-soo with her unspeakable secret, faces the effects of being an unmarried woman in her mid-30s, that is still seen as a stigma in Korea (and many other countries) and her struggle to accomplish the “normal” life that she fears she'll never have.
The realistic photography by Kisoo Yeom, crisp and a bit under-exposed, Jeongwon Yang's string score and the minimalist acting are typical of the indie style and match the unhurried pace of the story that rises few questions but leave them all lingering in the air. The gentle tone and the soft touch used to tackle these sensitive themes are actually the best assets of this work and the unresolved issues make the plot extremely realistic and believable. This is a performance-based work, and Rie Young-zin and Yoon Hye-ri's acting and casting is appropriate, the latter being the most articulate performance of the two. In fact, Yoon Hye-ri displays great versatility jumping from bubbly schoolgirl to fully heartbroken woman.
All in all, “Between The Seasons” is a realistic and touching drama about the need to self-acceptance and the right to live the way we are and feel.
heyy do you know where can i watch it?