Old Partner

Set deep in the South Korean countryside in the small town of Bong-wha, Chung-ryoul Lee's first feature-length documentary centers on a heart-warming friendship between man and beast that has spanned three decades. While most oxen live to be only 15 years old, Mr. Choi's ox is already 40. Choi, an 80-year-old farmer, is losing his hearing and living out the last of his days caring for his longtime companion, the ox.

While the oxen of the past were tied to Korea's agricultural development, in today's post-industrial society Choi and his ox are somewhat of an anachronism. Lee's film is filled with life, but with life comes age and, eventually, death. Soon, Choi is faced with the news that his beloved ox has only one year to live. But the gentle clanging sound of the ox's cowbell signals, like a heartbeat, that, for now, movement and life continue.

A runaway success at the Korean box office, "Old Partner" is South Korea's highest-grossing documentary film ever.

Orig. title
Wonangsori: Cast
Choe Won-gyun, Lee Sam-sun: Producer
Young-Jae GOH: Script
Chung-ryoul Lee: Cinematography
Jae-woo Ji: Music
Hoon Heo, So-yun Min: Spoken language
Korean: Subtitle
English