Within two weeks of its November 27 release, South Korean documentary film, “My Love, Don’t Cross That River,” became South Korea’s most successful independent film of 2014, outpacing even Hollywood blockbusters like “Interstellar” and “Exodus: Gods And Kings.” Now, with over three million tickets sold, and grossing over $26 million, it is poised to become South Korea's most successful independent film ever.
Directed by veteran documentary filmmaker Jin Mo-Young, the film follows the love story of an elderly couple - 89-year-old Kang Kye-Yeol and 98-year-old Cho Byeong-Man, married for 76 years. The two are described as fairytale-like characters—the husband is strong like a woodsman and the wife is full of charms like a princess. Every day, the couple wears matching traditional Korean hanbok, enjoy a daily routine together, and fall asleep at night holding hands. The movie documents their days as they sense their time together, and their love story, may be drawing to a close.
"I tried to shoot the lifelong love of the couple without affectation,” Jin told the Korean Times about his fifteen months filming the couple’s life. “I would like to say [something] about endless love through this film."
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