My Beautiful Girl, Mari: dir Lee Sung-gang (2002)

Kim Nam-woo is struggling wife life as people around him seem to be constantly leaving him – his best friend, Jun-ho, is going to study in Seoul; his widowed mother is paying more attention to her new boyfriend. Then he discovers a way into a surrealistic dream world and a beautiful girl named Mari. It’s a fantasy escape, but the story follows Nam-woo as he discovers himself and matures …

This animated film screens as part of the ninth edition of the Korean Film Festival, presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Center. This year’s festival has the theme ‘Music’ and showcases a selection of Korean films that highlight the power of music in storytelling.