My Beautiful Girl, Mari VCD

The animation tells the story of a boy named Namoo who lives in a seaside village. Several years after the death of his father, Namoo finds himself faced with further struggles: his grandmother is ill, his mother has a new boyfriend, and his best friend will move to Seoul at the end of the summer. Struggling with the prospect of further loss, Namoo begins to lose himself in fantasy, dreaming of a mysterious girl named Mari who leads him to another world.

The talented director Lee Sung-gang had drawn notice previously for his animated shorts that played at many overseas festivals. With fairly simple tools, he creates for the images dazzlingly: a multi-textured, vibrant world that is poetic in its simplicity. Apart from its remarkable imagery, the film also proves to be a touching portrait of how children deal with loss.

The voices for the film were recorded by real children, as well as some famous actors Lee Byung-hun and Ahn Sung-ki.