By Paige Kirbach
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD – Almost 40 students and faculty came out Oct. 8 to view “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring,” the second in East Asian Film Series.
The film was directed by Kim Ki-Duk, who is known for intense movies.
Filmed at a Buddhist monastery in South Korea, the 2003 movie tells the story of a Buddhist monk and his young student. It follows the student through the journey of life. It shows the idea of karma and how everything circles back to where it started.
“The crowd seemed interested in the movie, even at times when it was hard to follow. I hope they walk away with a better understanding of South Korean culture,” said guest speaker Alex Lee.
A PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Lee spoke at the event to provide context and clear up confusion that audience members might have had.
Lee’s parents are from South Korea, and he lived there for four years while in a field research program.
“The Buddhist views displayed in the movie were interesting to connect to what I’m learning in humanities with Professor (Paul) Van Heuklom,” said Kelly Adamski, Lincoln Land student.
Van Heuklom was also at the screening to help shed some light on the Buddhist religion, which is practiced by the characters in the film.
“What did I just watch,” said Davis Younker, Lincoln Land student, about his first thought after the film ended.
At times, the film was hard to follow because of the lack of dialogue, but in the end, students and faculty reacted positively to the film.
“I just needed a minute to process the message of the film,” Younker said.
Younker was also glad to have Lee provide insights into the film and clear up the cultural differences.
Paige Kirbach can be reached at [email protected].