Animal Town

The wealth and technology of international Korean companies are nowhere to be seen in this second installation of the "Town trilogy" from Korean writer-director Jeon Kyu-Hwan. "Animal Town" instead conveys the smallness of an individual's existence in the machine of the modern city with cool, almost detached camerawork.

The architecture of the town is all pervading; from a main character's work with construction to his home in an apartment building that is set to be demolished. But the disarray of structures is put in stark contrast to the seeming composure of the characters and their muted lives. While an ex-con and a small business owner are both struggling in the aftermath of the financial crises, they are bound together by a tragic event in the past. Suddenly brought together in the present by a homeless girl that roams the streets of Seoul with her belongings in a perambulator the evolving desperation of the characters pushes this revenge drama in a grim direction. Other than the instinct to survive, maybe revenge is the only other road to travel in this town.
ARVID JANSSON

Cast
Junhyuk Lee, Seongtae Oh: Producer
Miae Choi, Reuben Lim: Script
Jeon Kyuhwan: Cinematography
Jin Kyung Kim: Spoken language
Korean: Subtitle
English