Original subtitles

Produced by Jeonwonsa Film

A TRAVELER'S NEEDS

I'm so...

annoyed...

with my self.

I'm so tired of myself.

Who is this person in me,

who is so tired,

always wanting to become someone else?

Someone else?

He loved me.

He really loved me.

Every day I...

pass by furtively. I pass...

furtively by the stone.

I pass furtively by the stone.

And I've never looked at...

the real father.

But...

is there...

Is there a real father to look at?

Is there a real father to look at?

Hello.

Oh, bibimbap?

Sure, bibimbap. Have a seat.

You okay with makgeolli? Yeah.

Or wine? No, makgeolli's good.

The pricey one we had last time, right?

Soha! Soha!

Help me out.

Making lunch?

No, she ate already.

Take out some vegetables.

Cut tomatoes and cucumber, I'Il prepare nuts.

Okay.

Cheers! Cheers!

Soha.

Soha!

- Yeah? - Come introduce yourself.

I did before.

But you speak French. Say 'hello' in French.

I can't speak French.

I only studied a bit in high school.

Just say something. I want to hear her speak French.

I can't. Did you feed Nomy?

No, I didn't. You feed her.

She must be hungry.

Nomy!

You hungry?

Let's go!

Open this for me. I always spill it.

This is a different one. We finished the other kind.

l am...

so...

annoyed...

with myself.

I am...

so tired...

of myself.

Always wanting...

to become...

someone else,

who is this person...

in me,

who makes me...

so tired?

am so...

- annoyed... - annoyed.

- with...myself. - with myself.

I am so...

- tired…of myself. - tired of myself.

- Always? - Yes.

- Always wanting... - Very good.

- to become? - to become.

to become someone else.

Who...

- Who is... - Who is...

- this person... - this person in me,

- who makes me... - who makes me...

so tired?

so tired? Very tired?

I am so...

How would you translate Seosi?

What would it be?

'Foreword'? No, foreword is something else.

Seosi is...

'A poem as a foreword'? Would that work?

I'll search for it.

Searching's the fastest way.

Seosi...

The English translation pops right up.

They use 'foreword' here too.

So that I might face the sky without shame to my last breath

I have even anguished over wind stirring the leaves.

I will love all dying things with this heart that sings of the stars.

And I will walk the path life has given me.

Tonight too, the stars are brushed by the wind.

Time for a drink.

You want to drink again? You've had plenty, I think.

think the occasion calls for it.

You drinking more will just make things harder.

Then how about beer?

- Beer? - Yes.

That's how I felt, just now.

Really?

He was beautiful.

His beauty...

is inscribed...

on the memorial stone.

My father...

- was not beautiful. - was not beautiful.

He was like myself.

We'll not leave...

any poem...

to the world.

We feel...

sorry for each other...

forever,

for not...

dying...

in battle,

for not...

having lived...

in glory!

Why'd she come to Korea?

You should've asked.

We can ask next week.

You drank a lot today.

Quite a lot, right?

Yes, I drank a lot.

More than l should've.

I don't know why I did.

Maybe I was bewitched.

Where'd she go?

Did she go down? There wasn't enough time.

Where'd she go?

Wow.

She walks like crazy, so fast!

Hi. You were home?

I brought this for you. Glad you're home.

Sorry for answering late.

Sure. I'm glad you're here.

I'm taking a class near Sinsa Intersection.

- Really? - Yeah.

That's really close.

So I can come see you often now.

Right.

Who's this?

This is Iris.

Who is she?

She's a friend of mine, Iris.

A friend?

What? You're studying French?

Yes, well...

French is just... yeah.

- Did you have coffee? - Huh?

- Want some coffee? - Sure.

Coffee's good.

Sure, let's have coffee.

What did you bring there?

That? I made you kimchi, dried squid and jangjorim.

It's fresh kimchi, so keep it outside a few days, then refrigerate it.

It needs to ferment outside, okay? Do you have kimchi?

- No, I don't. - None?

I don't eat it much these days.

Then what do you eat?

Well, bread... salad, things like that.

Tuna, too.

Can you live off that? That's not real food.

I like it.

For me, it's quite tasty.

- A lot of boiled eggs, too. - Boiled eggs?

When you were a kid, you loved kimchi and spicy foods.

That's right.

Sure.

So how much is your rent?

It's $400 per month, with a $8,000 deposit.

So that's the same as $120,000-$150,000 jeonse.

Right.

Then how much for electricity and gas?

Gas, about $40.

And electricity isn't much. $8?

And food? Do you eat out a lot?

Eating out...

One or two times a week? About that much.

I just eat at restaurants around here.

The places I go aren't expensive.

So the rest of the time you cook at home?

Yes, I eat at home a lot.

Including eating out, how much do you spend on food?

- For groceries? - Yeah.

$90.

I calculated it last time, and it was that much.

Sometimes up to $120.

So one time a week,

if we say 5 times a month for $6 each time... $30.

So that's $150 for food expenses.

You're right.

$400 plus $150 and $50...

Telephone charges? How much is that?

It's about $25.

And if you add internet fees, it's about $40.

$40...

Then $400... $600... That adds up to $640...

So $800 would cover it. Those are your expenses, right?

Just for necessities.

Well, I could get by on that much.

But I actually spend about $900.

- Between $800 and $900... - Yes.

That's not bad.

What's with this trunk? These are women's clothes!

What is this?

Oh, that... Those are clothes, yes.

Whose are they? Inguk, what is this?

Those are clothes...

Her clothes.

Let me see.

Let me see.

New path.

Crossing the stream,

into the forest,

going over the hill, to the village,

my path, a new path,

I've walked yesterday,

and I'II walk today.

The flowers bloom,

The flowers bloom,

the birds fly,

the birds fly,

a lady passes by,

a lady passes by,

the wind blows,

my path is always a new path.

today, and tomorrow.

Crossing the stream, into the forest,

going over the hill, to the village.

So it's been two months?

Yes.

How did you two meet?

There's a neighborhood park nearby.

I was walking there,

and she was sitting on a bench playing recorder.

She was terrible at it, but she was trying so hard.

So I walked up and spoke to her,

and it was... that French woman.

You liked her because she's French?

Is that it?

Well, I admit that was part of it.

But as a person, she's quite special.

So we connect quite well.

You don't know what she does or anything about her past.

- But you connect? - Yes, we do.

I don't think it matters at all what she's done or where she's from.

What makes you connect so well?

Well...

This is hard.

I mean...

To put it simply...

She seeks enlightenment while living in the secular world.

Even though she's French...

Really?

She's really sincere.

She lives each day never forgetting that one day she must die.

That's not just because she's old?

No, it has nothing to do with age!

Not everyone becomes sincere when they get old.

Everyone lives the exact same lives and dies.

I'm old too. Am I sincere?

You are...

We never lived together long, so.

Yeah, I know. But do I live sincerely?

You live life to the fullest.

What does that mean? Is it different from living sincerely?

People can get obsessed about something and live very diligently.

I don't mean you...

But that's totally different from being sincere.

What I mean by sincere is not to be blinded by what's fake,

but to live according to actual facts.

Real, actual facts.

Really?

That's how she lives?

She really tries. Never stopping.

You've gone crazy for her. You've lost your mind!

What? How can you...

Wow.

You don't know her.

How can you like someone you don't even know?

The things you imagine aren't her, right?

What you imagine her to be isn't really her.

You just don't know much about her, right?

I know her.

I really do.

People you don't know, they can tell you anything.

Whatever she says, we can't be sure of it.

We can't know if she's telling the truth or lying.

You said she has no job here, right?

And you don't know how she lived back in her country.

That means she can tell you anything, anything at all…

If she wants to.

And there's no way to check it!

You said you like her because she's sincere, right?

Then what do you think she likes about you?

What benefit do you think she expects?

Benefit?

Yeah, is anyone motivated to do something for no benefit?

Benefit?

Just think about it.

What you are to her.

Not the kind of dreamlike feelings you're having now,

I think about it, with a cool head.

Alright, I'Il think about it.

Just as you said,

I'm not a very sincere person.

But I love you, and I'm trying to live the best I can,

whatever happened in the past.

I really love you so much.

And I'Il never do anything to hurt you.

That's what a mom is.

She's the same. She won't hurt anyone.

She's not capable of it.

Who is that person? Who is she?

Is she your mom?

Did you...

Is it because you had no mom next to you, and needed one?

Is that why?

Inguk.

You don't know anything about her.

Right? Ask who she is.

Check up on what kind of past she has.

Okay?

Alright, please just calm down.

The life she's lived...

Don't just imagine, and don't just believe what she says.

You need to check up on her past.

Then you should judge.

Please just calm down.

It's bad for your health, okay?

All right?

Okay.

All right.

Thanks.

I'Il bring you some water.

Here you go.

Eat up.

Why don't you eat?

I'Il have some later, there's plenty over there.

Thank you.

- Eat up. - Okay.

How is it?

The kimchi isn't ripe so I added lots of hot pepper paste.

It's really good.

I'm glad.

It's so good, you eat some too.

I'll have some later.

Eat up.

It's good seeing you eat so well.

Why doesn't she come?

She said she'd be back. It's been so long.

She'll be back. She has nowhere else to go.

Never mind, just eat up.

And when she comes, ask her.

Ask in detail. You will, right?

I know, I'll ask her.

Be sure to ask. About her, her past...

Yes.

You eat so well,

how can you have lived on bread for so long?

Wow, this tastes really good.

Your bean paste stew is delicious.

Really?

Eat up. Have some tofu, too.

Poems inscribed in stone by Yun Dongju

"No. 3, Notturno" by Franz Liszt "Op. 59" by Matteo Carcassi

Production manager Kim Minhee Production assistant Kim Hyejeong

Recording Seo Yujin, Subtitled by Darcy Paquet with the participation of Les Films du Camélia

Produced by Jeonwonsa Film World sales by Finecut

Written, directed, photographed, edited, scored by Hong Sangsoo