Make Your Own Blank Space, ‘Little Forest’
November 11th is Farmers' Day. Unlike the city, a farm is a place where you can live a slow and healthy life. Without tall buildings and noisy cars, you can walk while looking at crops in the fields. City people who are busy and complex all need rest. Perhaps that is why people who want to live a slow life are returning to farms. Although we cannot run to the farm right away, we can get vicarious satisfaction through the movie. Do you have a hometown that you want to go back to? The movie 'Little Forest' can be a consolation to people who are tired in the city.
1. Characters
a. Hye-won
Hye-won and her boyfriend prepared for the teacher certification examination. But she failed while her boyfriend passed. Hye-won hurt her prideandcame back to her hometown. She ended up spending a year in her hometown. When she was a child, she learned to cook over her mother's shoulder. Hye-won has a happy time with healthy food and her old friends.
b. Hye-won’s Mother
After Hye-won took the College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT), her mother left home. She only gave a letter to Hye-won. Hye-won hates her mother, but as she grew up, she began to understand her mother. She had taught various cooking recipes to her daughter.
2. Well-being Movie, Blow a Spring Breeze into Your Heart
'Little Forest' started in the winter. Then, it shows until the spring time. Many seasonal foods are shown, they are all made by Hye-won herself. Not only did she cook, but she also harvested vegetables. Through Hye-won's 'self-sufficiency,' the movie shows the audience the life force of farm and nature. The movie shows Hye-won cooking in detail. And she shared dishes with her close friends, Jae-ha and Eun-sook. Although, Hye-won was depressed in the city, she could laugh again with healthy food and her old friends in her hometown. This movie does not use special effects or huge sets. Instead, the farm landscape had been a warm background. The characters also do not have a unique history or fancy costumes. They are just ordinary people we can easily see around us. Their relationship is not complicated. They are just old kind friends. The movie was also about well-being, like the foods shown on it. It blows a spring breeze into the hearts of the audience, a small daily life of just cooking and laughing with friends.
3. Dear Modern People Who Miss Their Family
The original version of 'Little Forest' is Japanese cartoon and movie with the same name. The Japanese 'Little Forest' was darker and quieter than a Korean movie which is more bright, warm, and energetic. However, the biggest theme 'recipe from mother' was the same among the two movies. This has caused a nostalgia of family to audiences. Because food has happy memories with parents and family, everyone misses it. Hye-won hated her mother who left her at first. But she also missed her mother. Hye-won resembles modern people when she misses and loves her mother at the same time. For some reason, some people are separated from their family like Hye-won. However, family is always in our heart. Following her mother's cooking again, and starting to live again in the old home, Hye-won understands her mother. If you miss your family, why don't you try to understand them?
4. Enjoy Korea Culture with Vegetarian Foods!
All the food in the movie is vegetarian, which is another unique point of 'Little Forest'. Also, director Lim Soon-rye, who directed the movie was vegetarian. Healthy vegetable food added a charming point in the movie. The city is always full of stimulating and greasy food. It tastes good, but it's not good for your health. In 'Little Forest,' there are fresh and colorful vegetarian dishes. Many Korean foods came out that can be enjoyed differently from season to season. In the spring, they ate vegetable pasta and potato bread. In winter, they made hot sujebi and makgeolli, which is clear soup with dumplings and raw rice wine. Tteokbokki is the most common food in Korea and has many memories for Koreans. Hye-won and Eun-sook were trying to make more delicious tteokbokki, but they added too many ingredients. Eventually, they made it too spicy. This scene reminds us of a funny memory of making a mistake while trying to cook food with friends. Foods that are not greasy and plain seems like this movie. Moreover, this simple well-being was the 'healing' that the audience wanted to realize through farm life.
Each person has his or her own home in heart. It could be a village where you lived with your family, or a school where you laughed and chatted with your friends. When you want to get away from your busy city, the hometown in your heart can console you. For modern people who are struggling, 'Little Forest' tells them that a blank can be the answer. Director Lim Soon-rye said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in February 2018, "I wanted people who are too busy to watch this movie and find a blank space in their lives.” Like the director's intention, CAH hopes that you’ll find a blank space in your life through the 'Little Forest.' And in the white blank, make your own 'Little Forest'.
