In his newest film, Jang Jin’s targets include TV reality shows, phoney politicians, organised religion – and the easy emotional manipulations of movie tearjerkers. Much of We Are Brothers is a kind of road movie: two brothers, separated when the elder boy was adopted by an American couple, meet for the first time in decades but then have to take to the road in search of their mother, a dementia patient who has gone missing. Trouble is, the Korean one has become an unusually grumpy shaman, while the one who was raised in the US turned to Christianity to overcome a delinquent adolescence. Their trips to find their mother also explore their respective pasts, their conflicting personalities and the gulf between shamanism and Catholicism. Their clashes spark some of Jang’s most acerbic dialogue.
Film details
Country of production
South Korea
Year
2014
Festival edition
IFFR 2015
Length
101'
Medium/Format
DCP
Language
Korean
Premiere status
European premiere
Director
Jang Jin
Producer
Lee Eunha, Cho Hyeonseok, You Jeonghun
Editing
Jang Jin, Lee Yeounjung, Lim Jiyoung
Production design
Kim Hyoshin
Sound design
Choi Taeyoung, Choi Taeyoung
Principal cast
Kim Sungkyun, Cho Jinwoong
Music
Jay Kim
Production company
Film It Suda, Jangcha & Co., Showbox/Mediaplex, Inc