How different or the same am I from back then?

Filming began in November 2016 and ended in December. I can still clearly remember the scenery and the air like yesterday, so I can't believe six years have passed. The world has changed a lot since then. I was in my early 30s, so I enjoyed my youth and loved to go out. Now that I'm in my late 30s, I can feel the gaps between generations, with both older and younger people. I have trouble grasping their language immediately and often feel out of place by how they act. And now, I'm not so keen about going out either.

The First Lap brought me a lot of things. First of all, I got married. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I got married thanks to The First Lap. I was nervous and afraid all the time while preparing for the movie. The minimal production budget we had played a large part in causing that fear, and just like Suhyeon and Jiyeong in the film, I was scared of getting lost in my dark tunnel-like future. But I still had to do what I had to do because running away wouldn't solve the problem. While filming, things started to change. I was excited to shoot and felt like I could see the light at the end of the long tunnel. I was ecstatic while working and discussing the film with my crew and cast.

After a while, I came to a realization. I was having fun because of the unknown. Because I didn't know what was to come, the results were exciting. I'm unsure if I'll ever be able to make a film like that again. But I can be sure of one thing. I know it'll be immensely fun. I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to the JEONJU IFF for allowing me to enjoy the process of making my film. KIM Daehwan

End of Winter (2014), Autumn, Autumn (2016, Producer), Winter’s Night (2018, Producer)

A Walk for Companionship
Structured around two volatile family visits, Kim Dae-hwan's understated yet piercing film frequently observes its thirty-something couple from the passenger seat. Echoing the bumpy patches of their seven-year relationship, the car shared by Jiyeong (Kim Sae-byeok) and Suhyeon (Cho Hyun-chul) constantly veers into comical hiccups. Besides the stagnancy of long-term domesticity, other issues ranging from quarter-life crisis to gentrification are dealt with a similarly delicate touch, often through the medium of food. Subtly hinting at the wealth gap in their backgrounds, the meals between Jiyeong and Suhyeon and their respective parents are when intergenerational grievances erupt. Deceptively naturalistic, the remarkable staging articulates familial dysfunctions via spatial tension. This is especially evident in the dinner scene in Suhyeon's humble hometown. As his alcoholic father drinks excessively, the initial static wide shot of the gathering ruptures into handheld camera movements that sway between the drunkenly rambling older man in the background and his silently suffering son in the foreground. Without the latter saying a word, as the characters fall in and out of focus, a lifetime of abuse startlingly unfolds on screen. In the right company, however, sharing food can still be an act of love. Though pregnant with uncertainties, the moment when Jiyeong and Suhyeon enjoy a takeout meal on the floor surrounded by moving boxes is strikingly tranquil in its intimacy. For a film gripped by filial piety's oppressive chains, The First Lap is movingly optimistic about the possibility of healing from past baggage. PHUONG Le

Production Bomnae Films (bomnae.films@gmail.com)
Distribution Indieplug (tax@indieplug.net)
International Sales M-Line Distribution (sales@mline-distribution.com)

2017 Locarno Best Emerging Director (Winner), Young Critic Award Special Mention

2017 Mar del Plata IFF Silver Astor Best Screenplay (Winner)

2017 SIFF Feature Competition (Nominee)

2018 Wildflower Film Awards Korea Best Narrative Director (Nominee)

2018 Director’s Cut Awards Best New Director (Nominee)