When the famous writer Lee Jun-Sub hears that his mother of 87 has died, he hurries with his family to his birthplace. While the family make preparations for the farewell – a three-day ritual – the film shows us the difficult structures of the family. Jun-Sub’s sister-in-law complains that she’s the only one to have taken care of Grandma, who got increasingly demented in the last five years of her life. The smouldering conflicts flare up when Jun-Subs niece Yong-Soon turns up unexpectedly. She had left thirteen years before, taken money from the family and has not been seen or heard of since. Journalist Jang Hae-Lim, who came to report on the funeral of the well-known writer’s mother, is very interested in the statements of the outcast Yong-Soon.Festival is an appealing, amiable film concentrating on the values of family traditions and traditional cultures. Im Kwon-Taek provides a detailed look at the specific Buddhist-Korean funeral ritual. He manages to create an intimate mood, helped by very convincing acting. His solidarity with Korean traditions is expressed in the calm tempo of the film. Im: ‘I want to give the viewers who see this film a moment to think about what is truly valuable and precious in our rapidly-changing world.’
