A THOUSAND CRANES
Any place to stay for a night in Seonhak Village?
Long ago, there was a tavern there that sold liquor and food.
Where ever you find people there will be a place to stay.
And the tavern is still on the road to the village.
Traveling around the world
I love that I am a singer
Wonderful!
But it is so hard
That's right!
To live as a singer
Seonhak Village, 1956 Singers should have
A good face first
And then a good tongue
Have a perfect voice first
And then manage it skillfully
Wonderful!
How could it be easy
To make people laugh and cry?
That's right!
To have a perfect voice
ls to distinguish the five notes
And to vary the six rules
This is Seonhak Village.
Look at that mountain.
Doesn't it look like a sitting crane spreading its wings?
That's why it's called Crane Mountain.
Cranes gather on the hundreds-year-old pine tree next to the tavern,
and on sunny days when the mountain is reflected in the port water,
they all harmoniously make a fantastic landscape.
It's fantastic.
There's no better place to study music.
You're here already!
Yoo-bong! Welcome!
Good to see you again.
Good to see you, too.
Long time no see.
They've been waiting so long for you their necks grew like cranes.
Say hello to him.
- Hello. - Hi, come over here.
Oh, you've grown up so much.
- You must be Yong-taek. - Yes.
They must be his son and daughter people talked about.
DungDangGaeDang DunngDangGaeDang
DungGaeDungGae DungDangGa DungDangGa
DungDangGa DungGaeDungGae DungDangGa
This is the most merciless way
To torture a woman
My feelings for him
ls melting my body and mind away
DungGaeDungGae DungDangGa
My new muslin undergarments
At the bottom of the skirt
Wrinkles as I put them on and off
DungGaeDungGae DungDangGa
Opening this gourd
I wish nothing
But a bowl of rice
Rice is all I wish for all my life
Please pour it in my bowl
Yes! You're doing good!
SilgunSilgun SilgunSilgun SilgunSilgun Sic:Sac:
Sirurung Sirurung SilgunSilgun Sic:Sac: Sirurung Sirurung Sirurung Sirurung Sirurung
Eat this. It's some taffy I saved for you.
What's wrong? It's delicious.
Take it.
What's wrong?
Take it before someone sees us.
Ah, You put only shells on it.
She doesn't want it so why are you forcing it on her?
What?
You little prick.
Who asked you to butt in?
I heard Song-hwa isn't your blood sister anyway.
You little twirp.
Who do you think you are?
Die!
Park Heung-bo' is carved on it
It makes Heung-bo so happy
As he empties them, they fill up again
He empties them once more and turns around
They're full of rice and money
Three hundred and sixty five days a year
What are you doing, you little bastard!
Yong-taek, are you okay?
It's millions billions dollars
I don't know how he counted it
You little bastard.
How dare you act rude to an older man?
Did I teach you to do that?
I told you to study the rhythm!
But you don't listen to me at all!
And Song-hwa, you had to look after him instead of just watching him fight.
Still think he's not your brother?
Both of you go and apologize to him.
You must be a good person first to be a good singer and drummer.
I'd like to have food and a room for tonight.
We haven't received anyone for years.
I'll prepare one for you.
Come on in.
This village has changed a lot.
When was the dike built?
About ten years ago.
Since it stopped the river from flowing by the foot of the mountain,
this village has been destroyed.
What happened to the pine tree outside?
During the construction, the root got damaged and it grew weak.
And two years ago, a typhoon completely demolished it.
It used to be a very famous spot for the cranes.
The dry port and the dead pine tree can't attract the cranes anymore.
Well, there's still a poor man
who's caught up in the past as he still waits for those cranes.
These quilts are a little damp, but wait a minute.
I just made a fire in the furnace.
The birds far are heard vague
The birds near
- Go to this mountain - Don't laugh.
Cuckoo Cuckoo
Go to that mountain
Cuckoo Cuckoo
Good.
They sing hear and there
The cuckoo sings
In the empty mountain
In the middle of the night
Here's another one!
From a crowd of girls
A beauty is coming out
A girl like the moon and the sun
ls coming out with another her age
And goes to the swing
You fools!
What are you doing there?
I told you to go and train deep in the valley.
How dare you play with that religious artifact?
Hang it where it was before!
The song has a path.
It's been made by a lot of singers,
shouting people's stories over and over again.
And you beat the drum for this path.
In other words, these drumbeats are like the eyes for the song.
You should find the path and the eyes,
study and train them with all your hearts,
and then you'll finally get a perfect song.
Are you sleeping?
Come out and have a drink with me.
We should be friendlier, considering how close we were.
I guess a lot of time has passed.
It's not only because of time.
What happened to your parents?
They've been dead for a long time.
They said that you left your family by yourself.
Why'd you run away?
Why'd you give up the drum?
It went perfect with Song-hwa's voice.
I was tired of poverty.
I was extremely sick of it.
Where's Song-hwa?
She ate some lees and fell asleep, so leave her alone.
What?
You don't train and fall asleep even in the daytime?
All this hard training will only make us starve to death.
Starving is a good way to learn the songs!
Is that all you got from singing for three days?
What did you say?
How dare you talk to your father like that?
Come here, you bastard!
- Let go of me. - You rotten bastard!
Father! Please stop!
Get down on your knees!
- Dong-ho, just do it! - Kneel!
- Father, please stop! - You disobey me, huh?
- Sit down, you bastard! - Please father, stop!
- You disgraceful bastard! - Please don't, father!
Somebody, help!
Dong-hog
Dong-ho! Dong-ho!
Let him go!
If he knows what's right, he'll come back soon.
Let's drink.
Then, did you know that Song-hwa became blind?
I knew it much later.
I had to give my sister a gift before I got discharged from the army.
But since I had no money,
I was making a ring for her with an empty cartridge.
Sir!
I'm Sang-mok from Jimok Village.
When did you get drafted?
I was sent here just a week ago.
What are you making?
It looks like a ring.
It's a present for Song-hwa.
Did you know that Song-hwa became blind?
What?
Who do we have here? Is that you, Dong-ho?
Discharged from the military?
Good afternoon.
I see your family has grown.
They must've left.
They left here long time ago.
I'm sorry.
Mr. Nak-san!
Dong-ho, is that you?
Long time no see.
Ouch! My waist!
I wait for customers all day to paint them characters,
but sometimes nobody comes.
Did you have lunch?
Drink.
Mr. Nak-san.
Could you tell me how Song-hwa turned blind?
How did you know that?
After you left her behind,
Song-hwa longed for you, believing you'd come back to her.
Sometimes she waited for you at the bus terminal,
4 kilometers away from here.
So your father Yoo-bong was worried that she would leave him alone.
Then she had a terrible cold and became bed-ridden.
She came to see me after being sick for some days.
Mr. Nak-san, recently my eyes have been going blind.
Going blind?
How did that happen?
I had a cold ever since Dong-ho had left home.
My father seemed to have put some 'buja' in the cold medicine
while boiling it for me.
Did you put 'buja' in the medicine for Song-hwa?
Didn't you know that 'buja' is dangerous?
Don't be stupid.
'Buja' works great for a weak person who has cold hands and feet.
Look here!
What kind of father would make his daughter go blind?
Be careful of the stairs.
There was a rumor saying that You-bong
intended to put great sorrow in Song-hwa's heart
to make her a perfect singer.
If she turned blind, the eyes' energy would move to the ears and throat
to make her voice exceptional.
Actually, people thought that since Yoo-bong was a failed singer,
he could sacrifice Song-hwa's eyes
to make his daughter a perfect singer in light of his failure.
But I don't think that your father was that merciless.
He really wasn't.
Do you think so?
I neither agree with you nor with others.
He did it since he was worried that she would leave him like I did.
And waited for her to grow up into a woman.
Since he had been alone for so long, he wanted to satisfy his desires.
You think your father raised her to make her his wife?
Yes, I do.
You rotten bastard.
Curse you!
Hey! Stop there!
Come here!
Don't you know the curfew?
What are you doing here at this hour?
Who the hell are you?
You bastard.
Arrest him!
I'm a marine! A marine, you bastard!
You son of a bitch!
Come here!
I had to find my sister.
So finally, I joined a troupe called the Pacific Ocean to find her
and to learn the rhythm for her song.
Hi, my friend!
It's been three years!
Does the toilet still stink all the way to the stage?
Why don't you clean it up then?
Is she Hong Dan-sim?
Hey, have Chang-deck and the others arrived?
They should've by now.
They told me they'd wait in the Paradise cafe.
The weather isn't cooperative at all.
Don't worry. It's a passing shower.
Did you forget we gathered cherries
On the day of the Full Moon Festival?
Since your parents both alive, take good care of them well.
Listen to her lilting voice.
It confusingly tempts the audience.
Good job.
You did a good job.
Hey, you!
Don't sing in a lilting way before you master the basics!
Breathe deep from the lower abdomen to make a clear voice!
She just set a name for herself, so don't be so hard on her.
Mounting the horse and running away
He finds Ma Yeon and Jang Ui in front, Cho Chock and Jang Nam behind
Fighting all around, he realizes that he is trapped
He lifts the sword and...
He always sings the same damn song.
How could he criticize me for singing?
Crazy old bastard.
You're looking after him, expecting him to teach you the drum.
But do you really think he'll sing to your drumming?
Got a cigarette?
I'm going to quit this damn troupe. Nothing's working out.
Why do we ride a beaten-up truck!
Unload!
Long time no see.
Pal-yong, you share Chun-baeng's room with Du-seob.
- It's too small for three. - Just for today.
More rooms will be vacant tomorrow, so be patient just for today.
Sir, would you mind sharing a room with Master Jo tonight?
Come on in.
This is a gel type, so it'll feel very light.
And it'll cover the freckles and any other spots on the skin.
Come in.
Play the drum to my singing.
Swallows Journey from 'Heungbo'.
You know the fast rhythm, right?
Jumping from the dark cloud into the white one
Flying high in the air Looking around
Don't be tempted by my voice, and just keep the rhythm going.
Once more.
Jumping from the dark cloud into the white one
Flying high in the air Looking around
Great job!
Dong-ho.
Although all drummers and singers carry a pain in their hearts,
yours seem to be deeper than anyone else's.
While looking at your eyes,
I don't know why I feel like sinking into a deep hole.
Anybody here?
Bring me Dong-ho!
Did you call me, master?
Look boy, if good drummers
keep playing for a bad singer, they go bad, too.
Don't play the drum for Dan-sim.
I heard you playing 'Swallows Journey.'
Play it for me as well.
Jumping from the dark cloud into the white one
Flying high in the air Looking around
Hey, that's too weak.
Don't be afraid and just do your best.
Once more!
Jumping from the dark cloud into the white one
Made the captains leave individually, our navy camp captains are Moge, Woogum.
On the front line Janghap takes charge, and on the left line...
You fool!
Since it was too cold, I moved here about two weeks ago.
And I found a woman who was crazy about singing.
I told her to live with me, but she left that day.
Even if she were a young man, she wouldn't have stayed with me.
Mister, can I get a ticket to Cheongsan Island?
Since she was so poor,
I gave her a room for free and told her to stay with me.
Even though we got quite close, she left later without a word.
I thought she'd come back someday.
She left after she heard that some Pacific Ocean troupe was coming.
If she comes back, please give this to her.
No, I can't keep such a precious thing.
Hello!
I heard that a blind singer lives in this village!
Where is her house?
What?
I heard that a blind singer lives in this village!
Where is her house?
Not here!
There's no blind singer here!
Hello, everyone!
The Pacific Ocean invites you to Jangheung Theater at 7 o'clock!
We'll perform 'Shim Cheong,' the story of a loyal daughter!
So come and enjoy the show!
A celebrated JuckByockGa singer of the time ruls the world!
A celebrated singer Jo-Pyong-Se!
You bastard!
Are you out of your mind?
I told you to go to Haenam only, but where were you until now?
Haenam Theater closed down, you bastard!
Are you trying to ruin me?
Follow me! Son of a bitch, you're dead!
Are you okay?
That bastard is jealous of you and Hong Dan-sim.
So has she ever come back here since then?
Yes, she has.
One day, I saw Yoo-bong and Song-hwa at a fishing site.
Even though she looked frail like others did,
she was so beautiful even from far away.
Chunhyang follows Hyangdan
Who carries wine and food
And sits down at an open field
With her legs fully stretched
Oh alas!
Even though I'm still so young
My husband left me alone
How could I live by myself?
I don't want to live like this
I'd rather hang myself
With the reins of his horse
Wow, you caught big ones like you knew we'd have guests today.
He sure did catch a lot.
The left one is wet kimchi.
Here are the beans.
And here, cucumbers.
And here's a roast sea bream.
I'll bone it for you, so eat plenty!
Been a long time since we ate fish.
Sorry, I'm late.
It's fish soup.
Wow, what a feast!
It's hot.
Watch out for the bones.
What's wrong?
A bone got stuck in my throat.
Swallow this to sweep it down.
Is there a doctor around here?
She has a big bone stuck in her throat.
My goodness!
I spit it out. Put me down.
Please put me down. I spit it out.
That's enough.
Stay away from her!
Are you alright?
I rushed all the way to Hwoejin Port 4 kilometers away.
Running with her on my back, I felt her warm and soft bosoms.
I was madly in love.
Then I made up my mind.
I'll marry her no matter what
and live with her forever.
As you see, my son is a bit crippled since he suffered a bad disease.
But your daughter is old enough and her eyes are bad.
So let's help them marry each other.
Even though my son's uneducated, he is very nice.
If he becomes her husband, he will be her eyes.
And I'll give some land to them for them to live off of.
Are you talking about my daughter Song-hwa?
No way!
Song-hwa is the most precious thing that has come yet for music.
I didn't bring her here to hear things like that from you!
I tried my best to win her over.
I'm not doing this to block your future.
You're different from the others.
In order to touch the jury, your sounds should be outstanding.
But if you go out and fail, you'll destroy your whole life.
You've been saying you're leaving you're leaving.
Not that you really have gone, Dear me!
I'm ferrying across this river,
To YangYang, the Auster blows.
When you enter,
there are the flowers and plants of fairyland,
I point at the fairyland.
It's the boundless
blue sea.
Piss over here, where the view is nice.
If it weren't for you, I'd be Song-hwa's husband by now.
So, do you know the day You-bong med'!?
I told you I wanted to eat something sour like an apple.
I didn't ask for taffy!
It's been four months since you made me pregnant.
What the hell do you owe to her?
Think I didn't know that you've been looking for your sister?
In fact, she's not your blood sister, is she?
Do you think she's more important than me and your child?
Dong-hog
What are you doing here? Where are you going?
The Mido Troupe is in Mokpo City now, so I'm going to join it.
Did you quit the Pacific Ocean?
Did you tell the boss?
What for?
Where are you going?
I'm going to a grave in Gangjin Town.
Is your sister there?
No, I'm just going.
I hope you meet her.
People are supposed to look after where they came from
Listen to what I sing
The mountains in Gyeongsang Province are grand so the people are honest
The mountains in Jeolla Province are pointed so the people are talented
Don't imitate a grown-up's voice! Train with your own voice!
Just making the sounds doesn't help you improve!
The mountains in Chungcheong Province are gentle so the people are nice
Those in Seoul. Gyeonggi Province stand high like Baekwoon Peak
Song-hwa.
It's me, Dong-ho.
How did you get here?
You must've know that today is the day father died three years ago.
It's been eight years since I've seen you.
Here's your favorite taffy.
She doesn't like taffy!
Remember when you fought Yong-tek over taffy when you were little?
You still remember.
Bow and greet father.
I couldn't bury him where he wanted since I was so poor.
I feel so bad about it.
You really are an angel sent from heaven.
Don't you hate him even though you know that he made you blind?
They say that he made you blind
to make you a real master of songs.
Do you believe that?
Have you ever thought that a lonely man could've done that to you?
What are you talking about?
Whether it was for me or for himself,
I've never thought that he made me blind on purpose.
To make his dream come true through us,
he did all that he could.
As flowers bloom in the mountains
It is undoubtedly spring now
Although spring has come
I still feel lonesome
Although I was young yesterday
I am sighing on my white hair today
As youth left me behind with no mercy
It is no use for me to welcome spring
That knows when to come and leave
While he kept singing 'Four Seasons' he suddenly passed away.
He seemed to have killed himself to set me free.
He thought all his life how he could make me a better singer.
You will know someday why I couldn't call him 'father.'
This is a ring I made from an empty cartridge.
I've kept it for a long time to give it to you.
Wipe it often, or else it will rot.
I've regretted a lot over leaving her like that.
She's disappeared since then.
What about that girl, Hong Dan-sim?
What happened to her?
She had my baby, so I had to live with her.
I had to tie my life down with them.
That's because you were confused between your body for Dan-sim
and your heart for Song-hwa.
That makes you a filthy human being.
What makes you so great, huh?
You violated Song-hwa's pure, clean and innocent mind!
You shameless bastard!
Guryae, 1969
Is he the hero of the Mido troupe?
There's no heroine?
Is Lee Soon-ha really in there?
I heard she's really here. Go inside.
Welcome.
I'm sorry for being late.
A few of the Mido troupe performers have very good ears.
Do your best.
I'm Song-hwa.
I'll sing 'Mrs. Paeng-deok' from 'Shim Cheong'.
She exchanges rice for rice cake
Cloth for meat, used clothes for taffy
She exchanges grains for money, and money for wine to drink it all
She naps at a cool pavilion with her naked bosom
She never cooks rice and borrows from her neighbors
She tempts men with a big nose
She fights with every woman, but smiles at every man
She always carries an empty pipe and asks everyone for tobacco
Changpyung Bar
I'll sing 'Disheveled Hair' from 'Chunhyang' after some rest.
Can I ask you a question?
Do you know Dong-ho, the drummer of Pacific Ocean?
The brother who's been looking for you for so long.
How do you know Dong-ho?
I used to be in the same troupe as him.
I don't know if you know this or not.
Dong-ho lives with an actress named Hong Dan-sim and they have a baby.
Wengurung Chengurung Wagrrr ChulChul Break into pieces.
On the rough surface of the river, the light of fire flames.
Hey, Mr. Lee's the last born,
did you forget we gathered cherries
at the Dano festival?
Since your parents both alive...
Some of the performers disappear.
We need bus fare at least to leave here.
Let's go to Seoul by foot.
Think only bus fare will get you out?
The landlord keeps his eyes on us.
Chun-shim, then why don't you sleep with him?
Come on out. We have no time.
You said that the bus would come at three.
We have to be there at least before twelve.
Be careful.
Now what are you going to do?
Your boss went out for money and hasn't come back yet!
How come you don't know where she is?
Everybody knows you've lived with her!
So she pretended to stay here till you paid the bills and ran away?
What are you going to do now?
Who will pay for the food you ate and the rooms you stayed in!
Look at me when I'm talking to you!
What are you looking at?
Master, the mayor has come to see you.
I'm Mayor Jo ll-hyeon.
I'm planning to have a big feast for my father's 70th birthday.
And he would like to listen to your songs very much.
If you sing for my father, I'll reward you plenty.
So don't worry about that.
It's a chance to have a good sponsor, so why don't you say yes to him?
I'm not going there.
Why not?
I've heard rumors about him.
He got rich for helping the Japanese during the Japanese Invasion.
I'll never go there even if he gives me millions.
Thank you.
Here comes a blind singer!
How could a blind woman sing?
Didn't you hear the rumors?
This way.
Come here.
Have a seat next to me.
Here you go.
I'm sorry for being late.
That's all right.
This is the master for 'Red Cliff', Mr. Jo Pyeong-se.
And over there is the famous master, Nam So-jeong.
And this young woman is not known yet,
but she'll be a great master someday.
Yes.
As soon as he commands
An arrow shoots Mun Bing with surprise
Hwang Gae's twenty boats with big fire-arrow machines move
Blowing the bugles, beating the drums
All the troops gather by the wind from the southeast and rush with fire
Shoot the fire once at Jo Jo's millions of soldiers
The earth shakes and collides
Shoot the fire twice like the universe is changed
Shoot the fire three times to burn them up
To raise a wind cry To raise a big wave
To break masts on boats
The cross-sticks, ropes, rain-covers, tripods, footholds
The watchtowers and the shooting frames fall on the river
Flags are fluttering
Tents are being torn into shreds... Fire arrows, bows, spears, brass pots
Saddles, windbreaks, bugies, grand drums, gongs
Fall on the river, making a noisy loud sound
Broken into pieces
They're all burning out
Is that true or not?
What do you mean by separation?
Please answer me now
When we promised to love
We never mentioned separation
On the full moon in last May
You met me at my home
You sat there, and I here
In the name of the sky and the earth
With the witness of the moon and the sun
Until the yard becomes the sea
Until the sea becomes the yard
We'll never separate, you promised to me
But now you're leaving me with no mercy
How could I live without you?
For the rest of my life?
Great job!
What a ridiculous singer!
She doesn't even know the words right.
She mispronounced 'sangjeon' as 'ssangjeong!
She should know as a singer what the lyrics mean.
If she is to sing 'Is that true or not?'...
It must be done like this.
It should be sung high at 'true' not at 'or.'
She knows nothing about the rules of pronunciation or intonation.
So how could you call her a singer?
Stop it.
I don't care about the rules.
Songs could break the rules.
If I like it, that's all.
Song-hwa, it's me Dong-ho.
I know.
I could tell by the sounds of the drum and song.
I didn't expect at all to see you like this.
Don't mind what the old man said.
He always blabs about the rules.
Songs were made prior to the rules.
If many people prefer a certain way, it becomes a new path.
Don't let him bring you down.
I learned only what I heard from father.
I couldn't know their meaning.
It's been so frustrating and hateful to me.
But when someone insults me for it like today...
My master told me to drive you home. Please get in.
Is your child okay?
Take good care of him.
Don't make him an orphan.
Gwangyang, 1973
What had happened to Song-hwa since then?
She became Baek-sa's second wife.
How could a 70 year-old man marry a young woman like her?
The birds far are heard vague
The birds near are heard clear
Go to this mountain Cuckoo Cuckoo
Go to that mountain Cuckoo Cuckoo
They sing here and there
The cuckoo sings
Choose the one you like.
I'll take this one.
You picked the cheapest one.
I was worried how you'd live alone with that beautiful mind of yours.
All of those rings are already paid for you, Song-hwa.
Please live
For thousands of years
Please live
For millions of years
What a great view!
It's a paradise.
It's as if we're like the sun sinking below the horizon.
Could you leave this beautiful landscape behind, Baek-sa?
The owner of this place is the songs.
She stays here and still has a lot of time left to sing.
So I'm not worried about that.
The poem, 'Azalea'.
By Kim So-wol.
'If you are tired of me...'
Those were the best days of her life.
But nothing special happened to me.
I was just moving from one pub to another.
You're too late.
Hurry HP!
Oh well, female shaman.
Gently come down to wide open area.
When I look at the gate of lhwa,
The wild falcon, trained falcon, a duck hawk, a young hawk showed up.
Look at that skylark. The glow of the setting sun spreads, seagulls cry.
On the drooping branch of weeping willow,
the nightingales geminate.
When they go to this mountain, the nightingales...
You bastard!
Is your father dead or something?
Why are you walking like that on the kids' street?
What kind of map is this?
I got lost for an hour!
Look how filthy this place is!
I gave you money for a decent place, but what is this?
While wasting time playing the drum at pubs,
did you ever send your wife enough money?
I ought to break your wrists!
Daddy!
Gi-cheol!
My father wants to spend his last days listening to her songs.
Since it's his last wish, let him do it.
You drink it.
What would you like to hear?
Whatever you'd like to sing.
It's a dream
A dream
Everything is a dream
You're in a dream and so am I
This and that is all a dream
I find a dream as I wake you
The one I wake up from is still a dream
I was born in a dream, live in a dream
And die in a dream in vain
What do I dream for since I'd wake from it?
Oh! My life!
Oh! My dream!
Hurry up, or you'll miss the bus!
Aewol, Jeju Island, 1978
Ma'am.
I heard that a blind female singer lives at a pub around here.
Do you know her?
Well, I've never heard of a blind singer around here.
I know where she is.
She's here.
Oh! leo Island!
In the island rounded by water
I always dive fore a living
I save every penny I earned
Ma'am, can we listen to her songs?
But my husband spends it all
Oh! leo Island!
Where should I sail to?
How did you know I was here?
I didn't.
I remember when we were kids
you told me you came from Jeju by boat.
Be careful.
I've looked for you here for a week.
This is my house.
The light's turned on.
It doesn't matter if it's turned on or off,
but I keep it on to show that a person lives in it.
A shaman used to live here.
Come on in.
Did you quit singing?
Why did you sing 'leo Island'?
If leo Island really exists, I'd go there but it doesn't.
I'm singing that song for a living.
How's your boy?
He's gotten pretty big.
It's 'The Journey to Legends.'
I never miss this program.
The ring still glows.
You told me to wipe it or it'll rot.
I'm going to the Middle East.
Pipe construction under the desert.
What for?
For money.
What do you want to use it for?
I want to build a house where you can comfortably sing.
I learned Braille because of you.
And I collected some tapes of radio shows in case you're bored.
I also read many novels to find a good one to read to you.
Old nettle trees covered with green moss
are upright in the sky.
Feels like we're back in the old ages.
Ever since I came here a year ago,
you're the first one who's helped me see my hometown.
Where did you sleep?
I slept at the pub you worked in.
The madam gave me a pitch of wine for free.
She told me that she was a widow.
She lost her husband in the sea ten years ago.
That widow must've liked you.
So did you find where you were born?
All I remember is a burning village filled with gunshots,
and escaping from there on a grown-up's back.
I searched for the village all over the mountains,
and finally met an old man from my hometown.
He said that during the evacuation to hunt the remaining partisans,
my parents were shot by the police
since they refused to leave their home.
He didn't know where they were buried.
Since a dragon played there, they call it Dragon Mountain.
The land and sky mix so pleasantly there.
I can see Halla Mountain.
They say the Middle East has burning deserts.
And when a sand storm blows hard,
stones cover the sky and fall to the ground.
It's not a place to make money, it's a place to die.
Do you have to go?
Since I've met you now, I have to go as soon as possible.
I will go
Yes, I will go
I will go after my love
I will go
Even if it's a thousand kilometers away
Winds and clouds rest
And all birds like eagles and hawks
Also rest on Dongseol Mountain
Even Vega in the sky
Meets her love once in a year
I wonder what blocks my love to return to me
I'd rather die
And reincarnate into a swallow
And build a net under the eaves of my beloved's place
And play in there
To meet him every night
To make love all night
'Koreans in the Middle East'
While sandstorms are blowing hard raising dust clouds
at over 50 degrees temperatures,
our men in masks endure it with self-esteem and courage,
remembering that they're doing what no one else can do.
Going for water is harder than the physical labor in the desert.
They go to an oasis for water everyday 160 kilometers away...
Su-ryeon, there's no sound!
I think it's Off.
It's on again.
In north Saudi Arabia, they're constructing the highway
from North Alqwafiba to Aljoupe...
Gunsan, 1982
Don't worry about him and deal.
Where's Gi-cheol?
He died three years ago.
Where are you going?
Sorry.
How come he died?
He kept bothering me while I played so I told him to go buy ice cream.
Then he got hit by a car.
What's the difference between you crazy about Song-hwa
and me crazy about gambling?
Think what happened to Gi-cheol is all my fault?
If you were a good father and husband,
Gi-cheol wouldn't have died like that!
Don't grieve so much.
You're not Gi-cheol's father.
The boss of Pacific Ocean is.
I knew that.
Then why did you look after him like your real son?
Because I grew up without a father, too.
Good-bye.
Are you leaving for good?
I thought you'd build a new house, but why the old materials?
The old ones are cheap and solid.
And why are you making such a large room?
It's for studying singing.
Are you a singer?
No, my sister sings.
Since singers are treated disrespectfully,
his son hated him.
He retired and spent his last days here.
When did you get back from the Middle East?
Did you make a lot of money?
Hi, Dong-ho.
Hey.
Long time no see.
It sure has.
Still working with the Mido troupe?
I quit it.
Maybe a year ago,
I heard that your sister Song-hwa sings at a bar on Jindo Island.
Did you know that?
Where on Jindo Island?
Nobody knows why she left or if she's dead or alive.
She's missing.
If she had died in the sea, her body should've been found.
Or if she had taken a boat, sailors should've talked about her.
It looks like a place a ghost used to cry in.
I met her at Geumdunsa Temple.
She was useless as a singer since she couldn't sing high.
I felt sorry for her when I saw her try her best to recover her voice.
Sol brought her here.
It's the sky.
I hear something.
That's a bird singing.
It's too pitiless.
Even the ghosts are too pitiless. Even the ghosts...
Full moon is high in the sky.
I did everything I could do for her voice.
I spent a lot of money and did my best.
When her voice finally recovered, she made some money.
But then she just ran away.
Damn it.
I slept with her for months, but that didn't even satisfy me.
She just used me, don't you think?
How did you know I was here?
Think I could never find you?
Nice house.
I bought an old house at a cheap price and built a new one on top of it.
Can I see the house?
Come inside.
This should be hung at a temple, not here.
The blind have good ears.
It'll help her find the house after she goes outside.
That's why I hung it here.
You made stepping stones with millstones.
It's to mark the way to the front door.
You can leave them.
The hallway is narrow.
Yeah, to make her feel comfortable.
I made it narrow so she can reach both sides with her arms.
I like this pattern.
Each room has its own pattern to mark its difference.
This is a singing room.
I made it large for her to teach children later.
Over here.
And this is a living room.
All the doors slide.
Look at this.
I removed all the doorsills.
Why is there a mirror in a room for the blind?
Some blind people check how they wear their clothes in the mirror.
This is the kitchen.
I set the dishes separately so it'll be more convenient.
This is a cupboard, and I prepared plastic bowls for her.
I wish I could be blind for me to live in this house.
Let go of me!
Hey!
Do you think I'm crazy?
Let go of me, you bastards!
Let go of me!
I did nothing wrong!
I'm not going!
I'm sorry.
Stop!
So she made you sell the house to cure her mental disease,
and then she killed herself?
That's crazy.
You're a strange man.
What's that?
I told you to bring apricot wine, not that!
Are you drunk?
Or still asleep?
This is my most precious wine.
Try it.
You're so strange.
Actually, Song-hwa came here once.
It was a very wretched day.
She came here with Yoo-bong's ashes, guided by an old drummer.
She was going to bury it at the site Yoo-bong pointed out before his death.
Damn it!
It hurts.
Damn it.
Why'd you spoil it?
If she won't eat it, I will.
I didn't catch the hen for you!
Why don't you just give her your own flesh instead?
Listen to me, father
Wang Sang broke the ice to fish a carp
Maeng jong bowed for a bamboo shoot in the snow
To be loyal to his parents
As his children ate his parents' food
One day, she sang a song for people about loyalty from 'Shim Cheong'.
But it was to pay for the site for Yoo-bong's grave.
But when they noticed her intentions,
the people kept an eye on her
to stop her from occupying the sacred site.
She was very depressed by the whole thing.
I couldn't see her like that.
So even if I were to get beaten to death,
I wanted to bury the ashes secretly.
Soto help grant her wish,
nothing was going to stop me.
This is exactly north.
This is the place.
As soon as I buried him, she left Seonhak village.
And her back looked so cold.
That was the last time I saw her.
Before that, the old man secretly came by here.
I think it was right before his death.
He said he came to decide where he would be buried.
I asked him why, since he had no children.
He said that his grave would make a great singer.
Why are you telling me that now!
She left me this saying that Yoo-bong left it for you.
Here it is.
What took you so long?
I wiped it with this, damn it!
Just wait till you grow old.
Damn it.
As I look around
On Bakseok mountain
The same mountains and waters
Are still down there
But since the waters always flow
They must be different from the old ones
Hello! Gwanghan Pavilion!
How are you! Ojak Bridge!
The grass is green around the inn
Where I played around on a donkey
The thick forest reminds me of the time
When Chunhyang and I