A Hometown in Heart (마음의 고향)

Dong-Seo Film Production Company.

A Hometown in Heart.

Executive Producer Lee Gang-su.

Screenplay Gwak Il-byeong.

Line Producer Kang Shin-won Recording Yang Ju-namMusic Park Hye-il Lighting Go Hae-jin.

Assistant Director Im Yeon-su Assistant Director of Photography Park Kyeong-Won Assistant Lighting Director Lee Han-chan Still Photography Im In-sik.

Film Development Choi Kyu-sun Film Printing Jo Woo-ki Effects Lee Sang-man Script Supervisor Kwon Yeong-hyang.

Director of Photography Han Hyung-mo.

Cast.

Head Priest Byun Ki-jong Temple Worker Oh Heon-yong Temple Cook Nam Seung-min Do-seong Yu Min.

Widow Choi Eun-hee Widow's Mother Seok Geum-seong Hwang Seon-dal Choe Un-bong Jin-su Cha Geun-su Do-Seong's Mother Kim Seon-yeong.

Director Yun Yong-gyu.

- Jin-su! - Jin-su!

- Aren't you going to catch birds with us? - What?

It won't be fun without you. Come!

- Yeah, let's go! - You have to come!

- Yeah! - Jin-su.

Boy, don't hunt birds around the temple. You'll be in trouble if the priest sees you.

Are you really that afraid of the head priest?

Stop with your nonsense!

Listen when I tell you not to do it. Don't carp on about it.

I won't, I won't.

- Come on, let's go! - Yeah, let's go!

Do-seong.

What are you looking at so absentmindedly?

- Prepare the rice to Buddah. - Yes, sir.

- Why did you call me? - I need you, that's why.

What for?

I need firewood from Pung-ryu Valley.

Is it already time for the Ahn family's 49th day rites?

What do you mean already? Only 5 days left.

Then why the hurry?

The head priest says to get it today.

- I'll do it in a couple days. - No, it must be done today.

How can someone be so inflexible?

How dare you catch birds here?

What if I do?

If the priest finds out, you'll be in big trouble.

Maybe a monk kid like you would get in trouble, but not me!

Monk, monk, bald monk lick beneath the plate, monk.

Crack your head in the brook, monk.

Kid, what are you measuring your height night and day for?

You're a liar.

- A liar? - What else, then?

You said if I reach this mark, she'd come.

Then this mark. All you did is lie to me.

What would I lie to you for? It's your mother that didn't come.

You said, this New Year, next spring... I believed you.

Do-seong.

As long as your mother is alive...

why wouldn't she come?

She'll come sometime to find you.

- How do I wait for that sometime? - This New Year for certain.

- For real, you think? - For real.

Believe it from your heart and wait.

August, September, October November, December...

Still five more months left...

You've waited all this time.

5 months will pass in a blink.

- Mister? - Yes?

My mother is really pretty, isn't she?

Not just regular pretty, either!

Mister.

They say over those mountains is Seoul?

Yes, they say over that mountain about 40 more kilometers.

Let us go down now.

Must be busy with the Ahn's memorial rites. Shouldn't you go run errands, too?

Aren't they the ones who built the Shrine of the Seven Stars?

The young Lady of the house donated it for her son's health and longevity.

Family like that must've taken good care of him. Wonder why he died.

Maybe he didn't create the right karma in his past life.

They'll be here soon. Clean up quick.

Is it just her Ladyship?

- The young Lady will come, too. - Yes, sir.

- This is her first time, isn't it? - That's right.

Had you been born into such a family you'd be happy with your mother now.

Well, when I do meet my mother...

Don't you wish Lady Ahn was your mother?

We're almost there. Isn't it so refreshing?

It feels like a different world.

If Jong-cheol had lived he would have liked it here.

What good are children...

- Welcome. - How have you been, Father?

Such a long journey, you must have had a hard time.

Especially for the Lady it being her first trip.

- It was more difficult for the young one. - Let us all go inside.

Such an unexpected loss. How grief-stricken you must be.

It's due to my lack of devotion to the Buddha.

I believe the Buddha will guide him to nirvana.

I sincerely believe in Amit...

- Welcome. - Welcome.

You've grown quite a bit.

Please have a seat up here. You must be hot.

It sure is hot.

Traveling through the mountain path, you must be exhausted.

I'm alright.

Do-seong, go get some water from the spring.

Where did the boy go?

Take it to them quickly.

What a good child.

Have you heard news of his mother?

What good is news? Better to make him a monk.

How he must miss his mother.

- Sir! - Yes?

- I saw her! - Who?

- I saw the Lady from Seoul. - Is that it?

- She's beautiful. - Well, she's from Seoul.

- Are all ladies from Seoul pretty? - That's why they say Seoul's good.

My mother is in Seoul. She must be just as pretty?

Yes, she's pretty.

She's supposed to come this New Year. It's a lie, isn't it?

- Who said that? - Jin-su's father.

Yes, if she's meant to come, she will.

He was born the Year of the Hare, so he is six years old.

She was widowed so young.

She gave birth to her son after his father died and she raised him like treasure.

Then for him to die of measles! Think how her heart must ache.

Please don't be too distressed. It is all because of karma.

- Just pray for his peaceful departure. - Yes.

If only her husband were alive, I wouldn't worry so much.

Mother.

- Who is that? - It must be that boy.

You've read enough. You can recite it now.

Jae-deok - Yes.

Recite from Mahaprajnaparamita to Prajnaparamita sutra.

Kwan jajae Bosal haeng shim ban ya ba ra mil da shi joh gyeon oh ohn gae gohng doh il chae goh aek

sa ri ja saek bul yi gong gong bul yi saek.

Do-seong, recite the next part.

Saek jeuk shi gohng gohng jeuk shi saek su... su... sang haeng shik

yeok bu... yeok bu... yeok bu yo shi.

Look at this boy! How many times did you read it today?

I read it 30 times.

30 times? Then why can't you recite it?

Distracted by other thoughts again.

Make sure you memorize it all by tomorrow.

Yes, sir.

- Gang-bok! - Yes, sir.

Saek jeuk shi gohng gohng jeuk shi saek su... su... sang haeng shik.

Ever since the Lady from Seoul arrived, Do-seong's been acting strange.

Seems like seeing her makes him think of his mother more.

I wonder what she is doing and where.

I've heard rumors she's doing well in Seoul.

She abandoned Do-seong at the temple when he was three.

How well could she be doing after that?

The damn world.

One mother throws away her child like an old shoe.

Another can't forget her dead child...

and travels hundreds of kilometers to make offerings.

The world is so unfair and that boy's is an unlucky lot.

- Mister? - Yes?

You were talking about me just now, weren't you?

Talking about you?

I know you talked about my mother behind my back.

No, goodness.

We said the Lady from Seoul is like your mother.

Is my mother really that pretty?

Yes, of course she is.

Is it true the prayer beads she has are special?

Yes, if you look through the big bead like this...

Usually, you can see a Buddha, right?

But in your mother's, you can see a red lotus flower.

There is such a thing? I wish I could see it, too.

When your mother comes, you can ask her for it.

The Lady from Seoul, wouldn't she have one like it?

Because she looks like your mom?

- Hey, where are you going? - Let him be.

What is it?

Nothing.

- Why don't you eat this? - No.

Go ahead, it's very tasty.

Here.

Sit over here.

- How old are you? - 12 years old, ma'am.

- Your name is Do-seong? - Yes, maam.

And your mother and father?

Why aren't you answering?

Don't know about my father, but they say my mother is in Seoul.

Seoul? And?

Everyone says my mother is pretty like you.

- I'm not pretty. - Of course, you are.

Eat it here, alright?

- Look at that? - What?

I've never seen a feathered fan like that before.

- You even do the ironing? - Yes, maam.

We do everything in a temple.

- Laundry also? - Of course.

We wash all the laundry for all the priests.

Could I give you a hand? Give that to me.

It's alright.

The flowers in my room, did you put them there?

Yes, For you to look at.

What a good child.

How can you fan an iron fire with that nice fan?

- Do you like it that much? - I never saw one like that before.

Do all ladies in Seoul carry feathered fans like that?

I wonder if my mother has a feathered fan like that.

Who knows.

If the Lady were my mother...

If my mother comes this New Year, what should I do for her?

- Hm? Could make rice cake. - That's all?