SIGN IN

• Official website

• Cannes 2012 (Debut)

Year of production : 2012

Director(s) : Banmei TAKAHASHI
Writer(s) : Tamio HAYASHI
Cast : Hisashi YOSHIZAWA, Soo Bin BAE, Wakana SAKAI, Yuma ISHIGAKI, Tomoka KUROKAWA, Shun SHIOYA

Producer(s) : Muneyuki KII (T-Joy), Katsuhiro OGAWA (T-Joy)

In 1914, Takumi Asakawa arrived to Korea from Japan to get back the green mountains in Korea where his brother and his mother already moved in.
He starts working for a laboratory of the government, and he learns Korean from his Korean colleague Chonlim and gradually, he get used to living there. On the other hand, he daily observe how Japanese people act arrogantly against Korean people there, and he also realizes that Japanese are the ones who ruined the mountains. He is sad and indignant that even his mother and his boss say scornful things about Korean people without any embarrassment.
His friendship with Chonlim is getting stronger and stronger, and his life is fulfilled privately and publicly. However in 1919, a big manifestation for independence of Korea occurs, and by the government, many of his Korean colleagues are got arrested and killed. Takumi is shocked and decides to wear a Korean traditional costume, but Chonlim who is deeply hurt by the incident tells him madly that it does not make him Korean.
Oneday, Takumi finds the way for the germination of Korean pine which is considered impossible. Chonlim and he get excited together for the success.
The day of the opening of the Korean Ethnic Museum which Takumi helps for the foundation, the son of Chonlim who dedicates to the Independence Movement tries to throuw a bomb to the Museum. Chonlim stops him, and his son succeeds to run away, but Chonlim himself is arrested and goes to the prison. Takumi tells Chonlim who closes his mind “In whatever the situation, I keep planting the trees. Whatever the times it takes, and how strong the hate in the world, I keep planting the trees.”