The Lion Doesn't Cry

After the fire, the family of three moves to a village where their “Auntie” lives. In this strange place, their days are tangled with worry, emotional scars, and an uncertain future. The mother struggles with insomnia, while the father tries to adapt, learning the ropes at Auntie’s diner. Their young son, who has just started elementary school, begins to make up a story in his mind, a little tale born of mixed emotions and lingering anxiety.

In 2023, a large wildfire broke out in Gyeongpo, Gangneung, where I live. The damage was severe, and my neighbors were deeply affected. Through this film, I wanted to portray the lives of people slowly recovering from the fire, not the aftermath of the fire itself. I wanted to focus on the everyday efforts of my neighbors trying to return to their normal lives, and on how nature was recovering.​​​

[Han Won-young, Director]